A farmers life for me!

angelavdavis

Hi, We have been watching it here. It is a shout-at-the-TV show - I can't believe the daftness of the people on the programme sometimes to be honest!

candygirl

We watched last night.POSL at the lack of organisation of a lot of the couples:D:D

aardvaak

rhiwfield wrote: »

I take on board all the negative comments.

But the theme running through the programme is not so much how to farm, but how to make a living from a farm, so the marketing and sales element holds true for me. Got to agree though, that the meal deal idea made me cringe!

We've had past threads on the difficulties of making a living from a smallholding, even in Jimmy's case it seems its media work that brings home the bacon!

But if the winners were to get the prize 25 acre farm for good (rather than 12 months) I'd guess some of the showy stuff we're seeing might well prove useful. And I'd bet that all contestants have had to agree that the producers have follow up rights for the programme "a year on the farm"

Now that might be interesting

I understood that the winners would just be getting the rent paid for a year on a 25 acre 'farm', and possibly some other support.

Not forever.

How on earth they could make a living on 25 acres I would consider near impossible.

Some years ago I farmed 150 acres and barely made a living, the farm being fairly intensive local larger farmers to us used to laugh saying we had a 'smallholding'.

Lotus-eater

I suspect they have the years rent paid on the farm, then if they make a go of it they can carry on paying the rent themselves.
So it's like a years help with starting a farming business of some type.

lawrie28

I enjoy the show, and my kids, 8 and 5 love it too. However, with my limited experience of the farming industry I can see that it is not about traditional farming, it is about smallholder farming, where you have to be able to see an idea through from conception to delivery and be able to do pretty much every stage inbetween to make as much margin as you can. This is how Jimmy makes his money, he doesn't make money by breeding pigs to sell and make chops and bacon, he breeds pigs so that he can turn them in to Jimmys Special Piggy Peices and make a big markup, rather than selling to Tesco etc. and getting peanuts. It works on a small scale, but not on a larger farm, and can't work on every farm.

I did think it was a joke with the winners this week with the burgers, but I think the point was making a product to sell, not about making a profit.

lostinrates

aardvaak wrote: »

I understood that the winners would just be getting the rent paid for a year on a 25 acre 'farm', and possibly some other support.

Not forever.

How on earth they could make a living on 25 acres I would consider near impossible.

Some years ago I farmed 150 acres and barely made a living, the farm being fairly intensive local larger farmers to us used to laugh saying we had a 'smallholding'.

Grr, just wrote out a mammoth reply and lost it!:mad:

For a short cut, it is possible, including ''encouraged diversifications''. Its possible if not a ''dream life'' to intensively rear a lot of poultry on a plot that size...if you can get barns on it (though the barns require a lot of ''pay back time'' with the bank). Market gardening ...25 acres is a lot for that. I know people who survive on fewer acres.

We have a micro agri business in start up. Its not one thing...you can't survive on this sort of scale doing one thing. Its got three main branches, ours. Only one is ''traditional'' farming in any sense...., one is a standard diversification (there will be another of these in the future I thnk) and the third will hopefully break even this year, (we can't afford to lose on it but can stand not making a profit for a couple of years on this) and will be a seasonal affair, peaking in July/august.....possible only because of another more established thing like it in this area.


The whole thing is only possible because my DH works away from here in a decent income job.

buddys_mum

I seen this. In the first episode they went to a large warehouse with seeds, Anyone have any idea where this may be, or if there are any others in the south?

COOLTRIKERCHICK

they have changed the day its on now, moved from a tuesday to a thursday.

Imo the right couple went last night.... was it me or was the guy who went last night was coming over all arogant? I didnt like the way he was talking to the woman who was trying to make the ice cream.......Glad she managed to do ice cream smoothies in the end...The challenge was to make dairy products... not flipping bangers and mash....lol...

Davesnave

rhiwfield wrote: »

I take on board all the negative comments.

But the theme running through the programme is not so much how to farm, but how to make a living from a farm, so the marketing and sales element holds true for me.

aardvaak wrote: »

How on earth they could make a living on 25 acres I would consider near impossible.

I agree with many of the negative comments, but I think it has to be watchable by the average Joe or it fails as a prime time programme, The challenge elements are tests of resourcefulness, determination and cooperation which are all very relevant in a smallholding situation.

We made half a living on 1/4 of an acre for a good number of years, but not by traditional farming. Ironically, now we have nearer 6 acres and more diversity, we shall earn less. It is all about markets and marketing, I'm afraid.

angelavdavis

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

Imo the right couple went last night.... was it me or was the guy who went last night was coming over all arogant? I didnt like the way he was talking to the woman who was trying to make the ice cream.......Glad she managed to do ice cream smoothies in the end...The challenge was to make dairy products... not flipping bangers and mash....lol...

I'm with you - he was horrible and a complete idiot.