Small farms disappearing

[Muz]

I did some checking on some of the people and farms I used to work on years ago as a young lad in Scotland .. and .. it seems they have all gone to the wall ? Dairy farming in particular I would have to say next to my dog .. my next favourite animal was a dairy cow ... in fact I named all my favourites the laziest of all would let me jump on her back and get all the others up from the yard .. into the parlour .. happy days ... Its sad to see this though .. everyone needs milk ? surely ?

[ianoz]

IF it is like Australia , it was get big or get out Lot of farmers went into debt ,to increase size of farm and herd.
Then the industry was deregulated and the price for the milk nosedived Most are now doing it tough .

[v8druid]

the average farmer cried wolf for so long, that when the wolf eventually appeared, no one took any notice, any more ........ and they got eaten.

few pity them, in their shiny new JDs, blocking up the roads in their tax free haulage pursuits, especially lugging shiny new gear about, way out of their op. radius, doing work that is not their domain

Traccies should be in fields, trucks doing haulage ... end of

I DO NOT KNOW any 'poor' farmers around these parts .... not when they sit back and collect fat cheques in subsidies for doing f u c k all, other than actually owning the land that has been passed down to them, IHT free for generations .... we'd all love a bit of that.

Only biz I know that is subsidised to sit on their arses

[Stock]

Same happened here most herds sub 100 cows is now gone, between the milk co-ops, and the AIBP meat producer few could survive. I grew up on a farm druid and I never saw or knew one that sat around all day. Here the councils finished a huge lot of small to medium operations by insisting on huge slurry storage, we have had a very mild and dry winter but only on the 16 of jan were they allowed to spread it since Oct 16th..........................

Only biz I know that is subsidised to sit on their arses

Brexit will fix that...............................

[Muz]

few pity them, in their shiny new JDs, blocking up the roads in their tax free haulage pursuits, especially lugging shiny new gear about, way out of their op. radius, doing work that is not their domain

Traccies should be in fields, trucks doing haulage ... end of

1St to agree on that score running a 26 tonner as I do .... Ive had VAT men asking me for names and numbers before now ... I was not amused by that.... and reminded them they should do their own ****
ing jobs properly .. I might not like it, but I'm no grass.

Same happened here most herds sub 100 cows is now gone, between the milk co-ops, and the AIBP meat producer few could survive. I grew up on a farm druid and I never saw or knew one that sat around all day. Here the councils finished a huge lot of small to medium operations by insisting on huge slurry storage, we have had a very mild and dry winter but only on the 16 of jan were they allowed to spread it since Oct 16th....

Agree all I knew were very hard workers

Heard that rule and is bonkers about muck .. Is it true Stock that if a farmer gets an SFP .. if he gives up his farm (say he was a tenant) , he still gets the payments ?

[Stock]

Don't know Muz the rules changed alot since I left the homestead 36+ years ago..................... and not too many tenant farmers here land is either leased for a set time or set/let for 11 months or on a grass crop ie first cut of silage.....................................

[bigmike]

I grew up on a 200 acre farm in South Yorkshire , dairy herd , and calves to bring on , primarily down to grass. Then as wages went up in the early seventies and milk wasn't making much money things had to change. All the cows went and it turned all arable.
At the time it wasn't a bad living for my dad with a family. But being 1 of 3 kids , couldn't see much of a future for me with a 66.66 acre share coming my way eventually.
As ever , most of the land was sold off to a large estate near by, which just keeps getting bigger. Bigger tractors , wider machines , bigger sheds.
Small scale just can't compete.

On a lighter note..... never tried riding a cow but i know pigs take some riding. . the good old days !!

[Muz]

Seems particularly with dairying that its just not econmically viable any more.. most small herds and farmers complaining that its costing them something between 7 and 9 pence a litre to produce milk. Unless the farm has other forms of income its just not viable. The supermarkets are locked in a continual price war to reduce the costs to the consumer and milk is an easy target. I remember though some of the big supermarkets had a campaign where the offer milk at a higher price in support of the farmers, but I didnt remember it coming to anything, I'd certainly be happier to pay a few extra pence per litre, I must be more observant next time I shop. I think its pretty sad that those small guys have dwindled

[ianoz]

We have the same thing here with supermarkets .They sell their brand milk for a dollar a litre .The recognized Brands struggling when they try and pay farmers a reasonable price for their milk .

[245dlc]

My father in law is a grain farmer he use to have pigs at one time with his brother but his brother who was a nut job I'm told 'cooked the books' and went bankrupt and fled. (Long long story) Luckily my father in law was a silent partner and he kept his operation going. He farms about two maybe two and a half sections worth of land which is considered very small here, but might have to sell some as one of his crooked uncles is suing him. However if he does sell some of his land after the lawsuit he'll never have to worry about money again as the land in that area is prime agricultural land. Just the sad thing is after almost 150 years of that farm being in the family the only thing you have to show for it is a lawsuit but if you sell you'll be somewhat rich.

[v8druid]

My father in law is a grain farmer he use to have pigs at one time with his brother but his brother who was a nut job I'm told 'cooked the books' and went bankrupt and fled. (Long long story) Luckily my father in law was a silent partner and he kept his operation going. He farms about two maybe two and a half sections worth of land which is considered very small here, but might have to sell some as one of his crooked uncles is suing him. However if he does sell some of his land after the lawsuit he'll never have to worry about money again as the land in that area is prime agricultural land. Just the sad thing is after almost 150 years of that farm being in the family the only thing you have to show for it is a lawsuit but if you sell you'll be somewhat rich.

how big is "a section" Bert

[Wee Jim]

Speaking as a potential young entrant it’s hard A) finding land B) finding land and C) Getting a break. Land owners are scared to rent out land as they are worried about the right to buy. Any land is swallowed up by big farms. The future isn’t bright unless your BIG

[245dlc]

how big is "a section" Bert

I believe its a mile by a mile but I could be wrong.

[v8druid]

I believe its a mile by a mile but I could be wrong.

Jeeeeeeeezus ..... almost 700 acres

[v8druid]

Speaking as a potential young entrant it’s hard A) finding land B) finding land and C) Getting a break. Land owners are scared to rent out land as they are worried about the right to buy. Any land is swallowed up by big farms. The future isn’t bright unless your BIG

is this a Scottish thing Jim ..... don't think it exists south of the border
surely it's possible to covenant a rental agreement ??