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Best job for part time farmer.

laoch na mona

seen as a lot of us are part time these days I'm curious what do you think are the best jobs for farmers.

Obviously what makes a job good is different for different people but considering basics like time commitment, cross over skills, commute, and income (the important one) and any other important criteria you can think of, what do you think makes a job suitable for a farmer.

My current job is office based and full time, The skills I've learned defiantly help with the business side of farming and set hours mean that I can plan my time relatively well.

Importantly for me I'm able to save/pay off my student debt. I could see my self needing a job which involves less hours in a few years though

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Stealthfins

Landscape gardening or working as a gardener in an old estate that pays...

kollegeknight

I reckon a pe teacher. Loads of time off and very little paper work.

I'm an engineering teacher. Home in evenings by 5pm off every weekend and great holidays. But serious workload trying to get lads with projects over the line. I definately get a big greyer and fatter every march/April.

I'm happy with the pay too.

Hard to get a job in home county though.

It's luck dependant also with cows calving in the spring. Ive only 13 to calf yearly.

Bass Reeves

Any job that pays well and is not dependent on Agriculture if possible. No point in having all you eggs in one basket. In truth most any job will complement farming. Non manual inside work is often ideal as it gives the incentive to outside in the evening weekends and also fatigue may not be an issue. I would never get caught up in what I worked at. With an outside income it is possible to set up a farm fairly labour efficient. Things like good fences are more important than what you work at. The last thing you want at work is call about cattle breaking out.

My mother had a great saying . '' when poverty comes in the door love flies out the window''. This is a way of indicating the stress associated with trying to make a living. It is the same with farming. When there is poverty in the farmyard you love of it will diminish fairly fast. This I see with lads that farm full-time there struggle to make a living make them lose there liking for farming.

patsy_mccabe

You need good fencing, calving camera, good neighbours, cows that calves easily, easy calving bulls and a stubborn nature to keep suckers and still work full time.

westcoast66

Have a neighbour who works for the ESB. Leaves at 9 and is back most days by 4. Loads of holidays/sick days and very secure job. Seems like one of the best jobs for a farmer.

pedigree 6

westcoast66 wrote: »

Have a neighbour who works for the ESB. Leaves at 9 and is back most days by 4. Loads of holidays/sick days and very secure job. Seems like one of the best jobs for a farmer.

Loads of farmers work for the ESB.

Username John

westcoast66 wrote: »

Have a neighbour who works for the ESB. Leaves at 9 and is back most days by 4. Loads of holidays/sick days and very secure job. Seems like one of the best jobs for a farmer.

Does he like it?

I worked in a place that was half semi state before, and the perks were good all right - but twould wear you down... the kinda constant 'that's not my pay grade' or 'jobs not worth that' kinda vibe...

I don't think anyone should go for a job just cos it fits in with farming. Go for something you like doing first then try to get to fit as best you can...

People always say teaching is a grand job and fits with farming grand - it's is, the only problem is the teaching bit...

Any 9-5 job really, within a reasonable distance would fit in with farming fine...

ml100

Teaching, holidays/hours can't be matched by any other full time job

Username John

ml100 wrote: »

Teaching, holidays/hours can't be matched by any other full time job

Yes - less hours, but a bit inflexible too, compared with other jobs...

And then there's the kids / students...

MF290

kollegeknight wrote: »

I reckon a pe teacher. Loads of time off and very little paper work.

I'm an engineering teacher. Home in evenings by 5pm off every weekend and great holidays. But serious workload trying to get lads with projects over the line. I definately get a big greyer and fatter every march/April.

I'm happy with the pay too.

Hard to get a job in home county though.

It's luck dependant also with cows calving in the spring. Ive only 13 to calf yearly.

The only thing about teaching is it wouldn't be any way flexible.
ESB seems to fit well with farming and the money is supposed to be quite good.
Another one is sales rep if you're well established plus tends to be seasonal with a lot of downtime when quiet.

Oh wait, scrap them. Apparently I can make up to $10000 per month from the comfort of my own home...

ml100

Username John wrote: »

Yes - less hours, but a bit inflexible too, compared with other jobs...

And then there's the kids / students...

I don't think you will get any job paying the salary/pensions of teachers with the same flexibility, 1 week off every 6-8 weeks, 2 weeks off at the end of term plus the summer holidays, home by 3:30-4 pm, perfect job for tillage!

Username John

ml100 wrote: »

I don't think you will get any job paying the salary/pensions of teachers with the same flexibility, 1 week off every 6-8 weeks, 2 weeks off at the end of term plus the summer holidays, home by 3:30-4 pm, perfect job for tillage!

That's not what I mean by flexible... I mean you can't be late, you can't leave early... whereas lots of other jobs you might be able to ring and say something gone wrong, be an hour or two late...

I know the core hours are less, and holidays are good...

Not for me though

patsy_mccabe

Professional gambler. You just need to be lucky, as one gambling addict said to me once.

charolais0153

Username John wrote: »

That's not what I mean by flexible... I mean you can't be late, you can't leave early... whereas lots of other jobs you might be able to ring and say something gone wrong, be an hour or two late...

I know the core hours are less, and holidays are good...

Not for me though

I've plenty of free classes during the week . and they don't sound sick when they come back in either. I've missed about 6 or 7 classes with one teacher and none with another who comes in to spite us...she was as hoarse last Friday as anything

Keepgrowing

Milking for a local dairy farmer. We've a local chap milks here 12 times per week. Well paid and home from 8.30 to 3.30.
If he's busy at silage he just takes the day off.

He loves it and we love it.

Sam Kade

A politician.

Icelandicseige

I think it's a very sad way of looking at life.

Your looking for a job that fits in to the job that your already working because ye can't make a living from it.
Now tell me what would a business minded person do?

irishDeco

Lot of part-time and full-time farmers work seasonally with Bord na Mona in the midlands, some are even permanent. Not going to be around for too much longer though.

Timmaay

Username John wrote: »

Does he like it?

I worked in a place that was half semi state before, and the perks were good all right - but twould wear you down... the kinda constant 'that's not my pay grade' or 'jobs not worth that' kinda vibe...

I don't think anyone should go for a job just cos it fits in with farming. Go for something you like doing first then try to get to fit as best you can...

People always say teaching is a grand job and fits with farming grand - it's is, the only problem is the teaching bit...

Any 9-5 job really, within a reasonable distance would fit in with farming fine...

+1000! Is it any wonder so many kids utterly hate school, if here we are encouraging people to become teachers simply for the reason it's "handy". Go find a vocation you love, and you will never work a day in your life. If you are not in some way passionate about teaching then please do not become another utterly useless crap teacher who will do very little for our education system, except make it harder for a more suited person to get a job as a teacher.

laoch na mona

Icelandicseige wrote: »

I think it's a very sad way of looking at life.

Your looking for a job that fits in to the job that your already working because ye can't make a living from it.
Now tell me what would a business minded person do?

Nothing wrong with a second job if it's something you enjoy and are passionate about (and with a bit of luck your not loosing money at it.)

The reality is that any small operator will need another source of income for security,

tractorporn

Icelandicseige wrote:

I think it's a very sad way of looking at life.

Icelandicseige wrote:

Your looking for a job that fits in to the job that your already working because ye can't make a living from it. Now tell me what would a business minded person do?

laoch na mona wrote:

Nothing wrong with a second job if it's something you enjoy and are passionate about (and with a bit of luck your not loosing money at it.)

laoch na mona wrote:

The reality is that any small operator will need another source of income for security,

As said before if you work at something you love you'll never work a day in your life, but people can't live on fresh air. I don't see too many other professions needing a second job to keep them afloat. Teachers, nurses, guards and luas drivers weren't shy about looking for pay rises why should the farmer be happy with his lot?

laoch na mona

tractorporn wrote: »

As said before if you work at something you love you'll never work a day in your life, but people can't live on fresh air. I don't see too many other professions needing a second job to keep them afloat. Teachers, nurses, guards and luas drivers weren't shy about looking for pay rises why should the farmer be happy with his lot?

Don't get me wrong I'm not saying we should just accept it but personally I enjoy farming and don't mind putting in the extra work. Of course we should be looking for better prices but if my option is to farm part time while working or to not farm at all I'll pick part time.

I can't see the politicians or the farmers reps doing much to help smaller lads anyway

Bass Reeves

Icelandicseige wrote: »

I think it's a very sad way of looking at life.

Your looking for a job that fits in to the job that your already working because ye can't make a living from it.
Now tell me what would a business minded person do?

First thing is it is not viable to make a living off of 50-60 acres of good land not to mind middling or poor land. Working and farm was traditional always along the west coast. From the 17 to decades ago spailpin's from the west coast went a d worked as labourers on bigger farms in Ireland and Scotland. Some also fished and farmer.

The consideration of having to work had come as a culture shock to farmers on better land where previous it was possible to make a living from farming. It is possible to bring a fairly well set up 100 acre drystock farm in 15-20 hours/ week depending on time of year. Is there any difference between that and a few tommers that trades men used to do.

I think too many try to work the job around the farm rather than the farm around the job. If the sucklers have to go then they go. But if you change maybe from a CH to a LM bull or adapt to a HE bull and finish progeny it is often still viable.

I think the main reasons that a lot of teachers are unhappy is they are unable to cope with the time off. The most balanced male teachers that I came across were lads that had an outside business that swallowed up time or were very involved in community work. Female teachers cope better with the time off in general.

patsy_mccabe

Training underage sports teams seems like the ideal pastime for male teachers. Just look at the number of intercounty GAA managers that are /were teachers.

White Clover

Bank Manager........ Easy access to cash to keep the farm going!!

kowtow

The perfect 'second" job for a farmer is surely as a travelling salesman / delivery service.

For his own produce.

Timmaay

kowtow wrote: »

The perfect 'second" job for a farmer is surely as a travelling salesman / delivery service.

For his own produce.

Hows that working out for you ha?

Genghis Cant

Most AI men that came here are part time farmers. Seems to work well for them. Bit of AI, bit of scanning, bit of farming.

Icelandicseige

kowtow wrote: »

The perfect 'second" job for a farmer is surely as a travelling salesman / delivery service.

For his own produce.

Now ye have it...! That's the way every farmer should think in my opinion. More drive and positivity instead of doom and gloom.. prices this and prices that..

Bass Reeves

Icelandicseige wrote: »

kowtow wrote: »

The perfect 'second" job for a farmer is surely as a travelling salesman / delivery service.

For his own produce.

Now ye have it...! That's the way every farmer should think in my opinion. More drive and positivity instead of doom and gloom.. prices this and prices that..

Yes I suppose you are right a small truck or medium van and fill it to the gils and get the boat every Thursday morning to the UK or the Contenitant. Then sell at there wekend markets or door to door and home Sunday or Monday. You be looking forward to Thursday morning I am sure.nSorry I think I will keep the day job.