the daydream fund challenge thread

Itismehonest

Sadly very few farming children are interested in taking over the reins around here. I'm not sure I blame them, though. Maybe some will return to it in time.
There are also very few farms with full-time workers nowadays locally. I can only think of one. Most are family farms &, as with the average for the UK, most of the farmers are on the upper side of 70 ....... or 80 come to that. :rotfl:
Many of the farms get sold for other, non-agricultural, uses nowadays. It would be a shame to see them all go the same way so I wish you & your sons all the best in finding the right place, lucielle. The country needs a constant flow of good farmers.

lucielle

Lets say school didn't go too well. He wants to farm and its all he's ever wanted. The trouble is, unless you're a famers off spring you always get the $hitty end of the stick and he is finding this out. I think its only this week that its struck home, that he is a working chap whilst his siblings still have time off school. Everybody has to start somewhere and if he gets his 'spurs' here and then goes off to see the world......who knows where he'll be. The bonus is at least he knows what he wants to do. My DD1 is struggling to work that out. For years she's wanted to teach but now she's not so sure.
L

Davesnave

lucielle wrote: »

I yearn for a poly tunnel, so Davensave watch out cos I'm eyebelling yours!!!

Sorry waffled again.
L

Hello from me too. ...and that wasn't waffle; it was essential background info.

Our polytunnel has planning permission, so feel free to come & look, but if the weather carries on the way it's gone over the past few years then the extravagance of something that big will be justified.:D We could probably have managed with one half as wide, but economies of scale are relevant, so I would always say go for the largest you can afford/build/get away with. :cool:

On the subject of traditional farming families, we feel very privileged to be working in partnership with one, because most of the land around here is owned by very big concerns, with all the anonymity that creates....mostly just huge machines trekking from field to field and unknown sheep farmers overwintering stock from miles away. Pete, our farming partner still does a little bit of everything: cattle, sheep, pigs, and cereals, plus arboricultural jobs, fencing and digger work. He's a real all rounder and a very handy person to know.

Incidentally, despite the rain, the water table by the bungalow here has dropped by 2' in the past week, (one dubious advantage of having trial holes) so we are draining well here folks.

alfie_1

evening all and welcome lucielle. are you north,south,west or east ?? [im nosey !:D]

LIR.....whats that wasseilling thingy u and itsmehonest are on about ?? [im tad thick!:D]

it has rained off and on all day, i have done NOTHING all day except visit my mum and dad ....

so im boring today...no adventures and no c*ck ups

lostinrates

alfie_1 wrote: »

evening all and welcome lucielle. are you north,south,west or east ?? [im nosey !:D]

LIR.....whats that wasseilling thingy u and itsmehonest are on about ?? [im tad thick!:D]

it has rained off and on all day, i have done NOTHING all day except visit my mum and dad ....

so im boring today...no adventures and no c*ck ups

wassail is when you drink mulled cider or other appropriate drink then dance around your trees sometime over the christmas /new year time of year giving them some of the appley drink to their roots (and possibly sacrifice a young boy) to ask for them to be fertile and plentiful next year....there are a fe different ''songs'' or chants I think, but we have one we say....but can't remember it now...

found this though:http://mysite.verizon.net/cbladey/wassong.html

lostinrates

Davesnave wrote: »

Hello from me too. ...and that wasn't waffle; it was essential background info.

Our polytunnel has planning permission, so feel free to come & look, but if the weather carries on the way it's gone over the past few years then the extravagance of something that big will be justified.:D We could probably have managed with one half as wide, but economies of scale are relevant, so I would always say go for the largest you can afford/build/get away with. :cool:

On the subject of traditional farming families, we feel very privileged to be working in partnership with one, because most of the land around here is owned by very big concerns, with all the anonymity that creates....mostly just huge machines trekking from field to field and unknown sheep farmers overwintering stock from miles away. Pete, our farming partner still does a little bit of everything: cattle, sheep, pigs, and cereals, plus arboricultural jobs, fencing and digger work. He's a real all rounder and a very handy person to know.

Incidentally, despite the rain, the water table by the bungalow here has dropped by 2' in the past week, (one dubious advantage of having trial holes) so we are draining well here folks.

''Pete''s are worth their weight in gold...or cowcake.

I had a Pete, but have left him behiond, though he did come over all the way in his tractor to do my hay last year. the big contractors round here find me uneconomical to fit in, and I find them unconomical to use. I'm amazed at what little jobs the mid sized farmers have contractors do here....its sad. The contractors don't ''farm'' as such, just do various tractor driving things.

Itismehonest

Farms have had to go larger to pay so maybe it's only in out of the way places (like on the hills) where people don't mind living more frugally that the small family farm can survive? You certainly wouldn't make your millions with the acreage most have.

lostinrates

Itismehonest wrote: »

Farms have had to go larger to pay so maybe it's only in out of the way places (like on the hills) where people don't mind living more frugally that the small family farm can survive? You certainly wouldn't make your millions with the acreage most have.

I think also the issue with council farms...they way they have been used (many council farmers make HUGE profits and stay on, so while they ar enot ''rich'' mlike family-farm owners, they should be encouraged to move on to private farms to give other new entrants a fair crack of the whip at starting out in farming...many actually own private farms/land as well in fact). Plus, with the sell off this precious way into farming and also, crucially with support, into a farming community, is diminishing as an option for new young farmers.

lucielle

alfie_1 wrote: »

evening all and welcome lucielle. are you north,south,west or east ?? [im nosey !:D]

I'm in Northumberland.
L

lostinrates

lucielle wrote: »

alfie_1 wrote: »

evening all and welcome lucielle. are you north,south,west or east ?? [im nosey !:D]

I'm in Northumberland.
L

I've never been, but a friend tells me its one of the most beautiful places in the world. Lucky you!