2024 is coming, how ye fixed

roosterman71 · 27-12-2023 11:06pm #1

I couldn't find the 2023 corresponding thread to see how I fared on my plans, or indeed what they were.

I don't have much plans myself bar carry on doing what I'm at. I'd like to do more but the father is in charge and there's no sign of a transfer despite being prompted by me, mother, accountant and solicitor! Besides that stuff, I've no plans. I'd like to get the bale trailer updated to something road legal instead of the homemade yoke we have. I'm building a new house and that's taking any spare minute I have. Mainly making decisions and reigning in the wife and her "dream house" notions derived from Instagram and the like.

How's the rest of ye fixed?

Reggie. · 27-12-2023 11:25pm

Hope to just survive

whelan2 · 27-12-2023 11:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121542168#Comment_121542168

Just hope 2024 is better than 2023

tikka16751 · 27-12-2023 11:34pm

I’m scheming schemes.

whelan2 · 27-12-2023 11:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121542202#Comment_121542202

Good for you

Base price · 27-12-2023 11:54pm

We're going to just keep rolling on like most years although I hope we get a Summer in 2024.

Every year I keep saying it but I don't do it. I'd like to put aside time for a bit of fishing be onshore or in the boat. Having said that I'll probably have to pay a small fortune to get the outboard motor sorted on the boat as it's be layed up for a good few years.

Kevhog1988 · 28-12-2023 12:13am

Plan is to keep pushing on. Took a big step in the career in 2023 so want to keep that ticking along and hopefully have more time for farming when we get all the heavy lifting done with work processes etc. Was a hectic 6 months put In up to Christmas.

I got engaged a few weeks ago also so will probably be attending a few wedding fairs 😅.

Farm wise I'm hoping to keep building infrastructure and get the place ticking well. Bought a weedlicker so I'm going to make use of that and hopefully grow more grass than rushes. Have a bit of work to do to my tractor too.

kk.man · 28-12-2023 12:32am

Hope to kill more cattle at better profit. I reseeded 9 acres this year might do a few more next year. Not in acres now so only sub is basic payment but no restrictions either.

Bangoverthebar · 28-12-2023 6:31am

I hope to go up 30 more cows, build slurry storage and some more farm roads.

That all depends on getting a small loan, and forecasted milk price being correct.

I wont miss 2023, financially and personally been a bastard.

Grueller · 28-12-2023 8:28am

In 2023 I lost my Mother and I also lost my Father in Law, both to cancer. The suffering I watched both of them go through put a lot into perspective for me so, just have a better year personally in 2024 than 2023 is my wish. The farm can just tick along until I feel like driving on again.

Cushtie · 28-12-2023 8:59am

I'm not a farmer, but the farming forum is the one I find myself frequenting most in boards now. Still a great community feel in the place. (I grew up on a farm, but haven't been near a cow or tractor in nearly 30 years.)

Best of luck to all posters here whatever plans you have for your enterprise in 2024.

emaherx · 28-12-2023 9:10am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121542732#Comment_121542732

I lost my sister suddenly in October, she went to work one day and never made it home.

Farmwise I had a good year, but big changes for 2024 with all of the cows sold and going looking for calves.

Siamsa Sessions · 28-12-2023 9:30am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121542753#Comment_121542753

Welcome to farming forum. There’s a great bunch of posters on here. I probably wouldn’t be farming today if it wasn’t for all the help and discussions I see in here.

One of my aims for 2024 is to try answer more questions than I ask on this forum 😂

TinyMuffin · 28-12-2023 9:53am

Had a bad 2022 and an absolutely horrible 2023. But managed to keep the thing afloat. If I can survive those 2 years I thing I’ll be ok. Build a 5 span slatted shed in 2024 to house the weanlings. And try and sever a joint ownership agreement.

K.G. · 28-12-2023 11:11am

Not sorry to see the back of 2023.the only thing that was easy this year was the first cut silage everything else was pressurised.that said got through alot of work and got a a good few things sorted. As this year has gone on I ve started to change my thoughts on how to proceed.it looks like there will people to continue this business and up to this I adopted a veiw that I'd park to some extent building and capital expenditure until they took over but now I think we keep ploughing on.as they say its better to wear out than rust away.

Toplink · 28-12-2023 12:11pm

Some sobering reading on this thread. I have a full time job and am in partnership with my Father but my input to the farm is no more than 10 hours a week. The job is flying it but trying to keep it to 40 hours a week remains a battle. Dad turned 70 this year and whilst he is healthy nothing can be taken for granted. I lost my Father In Law suddenly a few weeks ago, a seemingly fit 73 year old who was still tipping away on the farm.

To be honest, my approach is... maximize the grants, keep the numbers lowish and try and get the ould fella to cut down spending on manure and concentrates!

Packrat · 28-12-2023 12:24pm

I hope to settle my stock numbers a bit, do some work on the shed and handling facilities and hopefully replace the tractor.

The tractor was meant to be done in 2023 but no value to be had secondhand so I'm thinking new whenever the computer says yes.

Job wise, I want to drop back a few days again - I found I was away too much in 2023.

The house needs a few bob spent on it as well this year.

Smokes going any day now, and probably dry Jan Feb March as well.

If half that gets done it'll be a lot.

grange mac · 28-12-2023 12:25pm

Got a health scare in 2023 that put things into perspective for me. Started year at 17 stone ended at 17 stone despite climbing carrauntoohil 25 times since March and ended summit and back sub 4 hours.. So I'm putting it down that my body fat turned to Muscle 😂😂 at least I'm v tall so doesn't show 😂..that was my achievement for my mindset.

Hpfly get there one more time this year.

Farming took a back seat, I'm changing my system more to maximise grants and minimise stock. Acres payment held, lime payment held but it's ok I'll account for them according.

Try control rushes and see if can put up 2 buildings is my aim for next year... Most farm reseeded at this stage so it's black ground is left to be worked on. Not going into organic as of we don't spray rushes just take over..

Anyways good ridden 2023 ya bastsrd ya.

Mooooo · 28-12-2023 1:09pm

Found 23 tough mentally, small things built up along with a share of losses weighed heavy so plan is get back to basics take each day or week at a time.

Still tried a few things and learned what worked and didn't so have a bit more clarity

Setting up the calf shed with feeder properly in the next couple of weeks so will have plenty space even if all calves need to be held, hopefully won't be needed in that regard for a while if at all.

Will get in a few builders and see what can be done in the main yard and try and get a plan together in 24 and take action on implementing it

Siamsa Sessions · 28-12-2023 1:39pm

The first 3-4 weeks of 2024 will probably affect what I do farm-wise for at least 2 years, and possibly for the next 20 years.

I’ve applied to SBCI for the govt-backed loan and got dairy projection figures from the accountant that the banks wanted. AIB are slow but I’m dealing with a very efficient lady in PTSB. If they give a thumbs up for the loan (€80k gross, €50k nett after VAT back and TAMS), then I’ll drive on with cows. Instead of buying 30 calves in Feb, I’ll buy 12-15 maiden FR heifers instead and bull them with the 20 I already have. Milking will start then in Feb-2025. If that goes well, I’ll hopefully go full-time farming in 2026.

If the banks won’t give me that much, I’ll see how much they will give me and build whatever kind of slatted shed that’ll allow me to build. In this case, I’ll forget about cows. And buy 30 AA bull calves to drive on with calf-to-beef. That’d mean staying at the off-farm job for quite a few more years.

So the coming weeks will tell a lot.

GrasstoMilk · 28-12-2023 2:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121543438#Comment_121543438

Don’t doubt yourself on it. If milking is what you really want to do Kieran forget about all else and focus your mind on it soley. If it doesn’t happen so be it but I wouldn’t be talking about plan B yet. I think they call it manifesting

I see no reason why the bank wouldn’t give you money. Just make sure you borrow enough aswell that you don’t end up doing too much out of cash and killling cash flow as a result. Been that soldier here and it takes it’s toll

Siamsa Sessions · 28-12-2023 3:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121543617#Comment_121543617

Thanks for that. I’d have a few bits like replacing old 3-legged cubicles and tidying up roadways that I’d hope to do out of cash flow but aiming to do as much as possible up front. It’s not decided yet but I’m kinda starting to look at the farm thru different eyes over the past few weeks, after the latest round of talks with the banks and accountants.

Succession is another thing I’m aiming to progress in 2024. What’ll happen seems straightforward but the devil will probably be in the detail as ever. An ex-boss of mine used to say, “You never really know your wife til you divorce her” and I’m wondering if people ever really know their parents til they go thru succession with them 😂

Kevhog1988 · 28-12-2023 4:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121542774#Comment_121542774

It is a great place. I didn't grow up on a farm (we only had an acre when I was a child) and find this place & twitter brilliant. I find it helps if you don't care what ppl think of you and just ask questions wether they're stupid or not. A mentor of mine in the off farm job always said to me there's no such thing as a stupid question... just a stupid answer. I try to say the same to my juniors in work now.

Dozer1 · 28-12-2023 4:47pm

2024 probably is another holding what I have year here, 2023 was the quietest year we've had after a few years of building up the house and new farm facilities.

There is the option of 50 acres for rent outside the ditch but in the greater scheme of things I won't go for it, 10 years ago I'd have given the right arm but not now with the school runs, training every evening with the kids and the full time job aswell.

Old lad has gone downhill alot last 6 months aswell, we'd never have towed too well but given what others have gone through here at least he transferred everything to me years ago.

whelan2 · 28-12-2023 5:01pm

Found 2023 very tough going. Need to get my siblings to help out more with my parents, I know everyone is busy but I just need to man up and get them to help. Got the milking parlour built and running which is the best thing I've ever done. Hopefully 2024 will bring a nice drought.

weatherbyfoxer · 28-12-2023 9:25pm

2024 will be a strange one here, will have my father's funeral on Saturday, farm will be a different place without him even if he hasn't been active on it for a few years.Was looking very hard at dairy conversion for the previous 18 months but nitrates and conversion costs have firmly put that to bed. So it looks like a year of improving what we are already at as apposed to much change

whelan2 · 28-12-2023 9:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121544866#Comment_121544866

Sorry for your loss

Tileman · 28-12-2023 9:52pm

Last 2 years have been very expensive with building new shed on farm 2 years ago and garage at the house here this year. Did it all through cash flow and felt it. Was planning on changing the tractor but will see how the year goes first.