Best job for part time farmer.

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.

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!

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

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.

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?

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.

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?

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.

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

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?

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..