Starting a small farm

RJGMovie

I have recently retired and would like to start a small farm. I have no land or equipment but have some experience gained while working for a relative many years ago. Have you any tips on how to get started such as what areas I should focus on, and any useful training.

Siamsa Sessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058369216/starting-a-small-farm

Welcome to Hotel California!

Read some of the threads in the 'Smallholding' section to get you thinking:

https://www.boards.ie/categories/smallholding

RJGMovie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122622531#Comment_122622531

Probably rent, I’m in a town in the east so not too close. Interested in tillage but a lot of equipment required. Or simply to fatten up a few cattle and sell on. Open to suggestions.

Donald Trump

I think that in 99.99% of cases, your plans might be unrealistic.

Maybe see if your local council has allotments to grow a few veg for yourself

tabby aspreme

Would you work part time on a farm, lot's of lads looking for part time help and you would learn on the job

RJGMovie

there seem to be decent grants for agroforestry, even for a couple of acres. Perhaps something along those lines?

mr.stonewall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122631458#Comment_122631458

If renting ground you will be limited to what you can do and will probably rule out agroforestry. Different if you owned it

Gathering experience will help. Maybe look to offering your services to the farm relief services. This will allow you get paid, see and experience farms first hand. Every I visit I pick up some ideas that gets the mind thinking.

Options on rented ground starting out would be mainly, livestock, with the main forms being cattle or sheep. What you rent will define your system, heavy wet ground with no winter housing or handling facilities will be very limited. These will carry a premium. An easy option to start out would be some summer grazing of cattle. Buy in the spring and sell in the fall. Maybe wintering lambs etc.

Pigs, could be an option. As could tillage, but small scale tillage would probably be where the work is contracted out as the cost of small scale tillage would be quiet large.

Whatever you plan, sit down and really look at what you will sell, when you will sell, how you will sell. Run these by a few critical friends in the know and let it stew. There are openings in different areas

Sit down and make a list of what you are willing to invest both time and money and what you wish to achieve. Set the goalpost and you can start shooting.

kk.man

I wish and hope you succeed, I'm a firm believer in following your dreams.

I'll give you a piece of advice I got from a wise man on entering the cattle game 'you will make money but you have to know what you are doing'.... think about it, it's got many conations.

RJGMovie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122631521#Comment_122631521

Thanks, farm relief sounds like a good place to start, especially as I’ve no qualifications in farming.

Ive 5 acres and found it impractical to look after it myself. I rent out 4 and the rest is enough to look after. I've half an acre for food split between an orchard, poultry and veg. I'm even reducing the amount of veg I have. Think long and hard.

I got silage myself in year 1 and after paying the costs I only broke even