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Author Topic: Any advice, small holding or farm?  (Read 7386 times)

AndynJ

  • Joined Sep 2010
  • uk
  • Says it as it is. don't like it don't look
Re: Any advice, small holding or farm?
« Reply #15 on: May 27, 2015, 05:28:28 pm »
Thanks again all.
I've not got the hang of the quote thing so I'll just reply to y'all and try to remember the questions :)

The 40 acre isn't as high as where we currently farm and we lamb half the flock (around 300) outdoors - good old hardy Welsh! So not concerned about that too much.
The council farm is the larger but yes I suspect it's been not brilliantly managed. The smaller one hasn't had stock on it two years it's just been silaged and that's it.
Neither one is going to pay if we *just* raise sheep. My question is whether some well raised produce be that lamb, pig, beef or even goat marketed well could pay? A quality over quantity PoV? I'm looking at other thing as well, possibly a smoke or curing house, a kitchen for homemade balms and tinctures (I'm a forager and herbalist), even a biodynamic farm... Not sure yet but just thinking if *neither* will pay imo we're better off going for what will offer the most potential and that seems to come from diversification...
To quote just press quote at the top right of someones post and hey presto, hope that helps.
We looked at County in Powys some years ago we struggled to find a commercial slaughterhouse for pigs, the County farm may well give you a sense of security (tenancy), see this posting lark really helps, so a forager hey ! and diversification, there you go nail, hammer, head see you knew the answer all along.
For everyone else, in my mind simples ! "Here on our lovely farm in Mid Wales, we offer foraging courses, you can either stay in one of our newly built Yurts a camping pod or simply bring your own tent"
Just to say by us the foraging courses are always sold out and they cost £350 pp for a weekend

hughesy

  • Joined Feb 2010
  • Anglesey
Re: Any advice, small holding or farm?
« Reply #16 on: May 27, 2015, 06:30:03 pm »
All this talk of not being viable unless you have xx acres is only relevant if you continue along the route of "traditional" farming. OK 40 acres might not be enough to keep a meaningful flock of sheep on but there are other ways to farm than sheep or cattle.
The 40 acre is a county starter farm they seem to like traditional and most the starter units in Powys aren't the best land options, out of interest Hughesy what would you suggest may turn a profit on a 40 acre I'm guessing with a little altitude.
It's not what you produce but how you sell it. Putting yourself at the mercy of the marketplace/auction/wholesale buyer is very probably going to result in you having no control of what you get for your hard work. Look for a way to market what you produce so that you get retail money for it.

Borderlands

  • Joined May 2015
Re: Any advice, small holding or farm?
« Reply #17 on: May 28, 2015, 08:33:22 pm »
Thanks again all.
I've not got the hang of the quote thing so I'll just reply to y'all and try to remember the questions :)

The 40 acre isn't as high as where we currently farm and we lamb half the flock (around 300) outdoors - good old hardy Welsh! So not concerned about that too much.
The council farm is the larger but yes I suspect it's been not brilliantly managed. The smaller one hasn't had stock on it two years it's just been silaged and that's it.
Neither one is going to pay if we *just* raise sheep. My question is whether some well raised produce be that lamb, pig, beef or even goat marketed well could pay? A quality over quantity PoV? I'm looking at other thing as well, possibly a smoke or curing house, a kitchen for homemade balms and tinctures (I'm a forager and herbalist), even a biodynamic farm... Not sure yet but just thinking if *neither* will pay imo we're better off going for what will offer the most potential and that seems to come from diversification...
To quote just press quote at the top right of someones post and hey presto, hope that helps.
We looked at County in Powys some years ago we struggled to find a commercial slaughterhouse for pigs, the County farm may well give you a sense of security (tenancy), see this posting lark really helps, so a forager hey ! and diversification, there you go nail, hammer, head see you knew the answer all along.
For everyone else, in my mind simples ! "Here on our lovely farm in Mid Wales, we offer foraging courses, you can either stay in one of our newly built Yurts a camping pod or simply bring your own tent"
Just to say by us the foraging courses are always sold out and they cost £350 pp for a weekend

Aha! I hope I've done this right.. Fat thumbs and itty bitty phone screens don't mix! Thank you for saying what I'm feeling! I think I'm made up on the smaller farm, just need to convince the boy and break through his conventional farming model head!
Re slaughter we send ours to Knighton (pigs that is)

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Qui? Moi?
    • ABERDON GUNDOGS for work and show
    • Facebook
Re: Any advice, small holding or farm?
« Reply #18 on: May 28, 2015, 09:31:34 pm »
 :innocent: What a dimbo I am  :-[ - I've just realised what this meant -  'Hello ASH's' - Hello All Small Holders!
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

AndynJ

  • Joined Sep 2010
  • uk
  • Says it as it is. don't like it don't look
Re: Any advice, small holding or farm?
« Reply #19 on: May 28, 2015, 10:20:31 pm »
:innocent: What a dimbo I am  :-[ - I've just realised what this meant -  'Hello ASH's' - Hello All Small Holders!

Errrrrrrrrrrrrr NO, Hello ASH's = Hello Accidental small holders

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Qui? Moi?
    • ABERDON GUNDOGS for work and show
    • Facebook
Re: Any advice, small holding or farm?
« Reply #20 on: May 28, 2015, 11:44:21 pm »
I'm even more of a  dimbo than I thought  :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :roflanim:
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

 

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