Part Time Farming

galway 4 sam

Just a post out of curiousity for all the part time farmers out there that work off farm also. What hours a week do you work? I work off farm and do some farming morning and evening and weekends. I currently do approx 6.00 am - 7.00am on the farm. I start work at 8pm and I am home by 6.0pm. and work on the farm from approx 6.30 pm to 8.30pm. The hours can vary throughout the year. I generally work on the farm all day Saturday and a few hours Sunday.
What kind of hours are part time farmers doing generally. Do you find it hard keep farming and off farm employment going at the same time? Do you find it hard to make time for a social life? I am lucky i have help at home and someone to keep an eye on things when i am at work but i do find it very difficult to have any spare time,however i always try to keep Sunday fairly free.

reilig

galway 4 sam wrote: »

Just a post out of curiousity for all the part time farmers out there that work off farm also. What hours a week do you work? I work off farm and do some farming morning and evening and weekends. I currently do approx 6.00 am - 7.00am on the farm. I start work at 8pm and I am home by 6.0pm. and work on the farm from approx 6.30 pm to 8.30pm. The hours can vary throughout the year. I generally work on the farm all day Saturday and a few hours Sunday.
What kind of hours are part time farmers doing generally. Do you find it hard keep farming and off farm employment going at the same time? Do you find it hard to make time for a social life? I am lucky i have help at home and someone to keep an eye on things when i am at work but i do find it very difficult to have any spare time,however i always try to keep Sunday fairly free.

35 hours a week off farm, all day saturday and an hour or two on sunday. Usually only work on the farm in the evenings and try to ensure that there is nothing to do in the mornings - but it doesn't always work that way. Old man checks cattle and forks up a bit of silage. Have a 16 month old daughter so my social life went out the window when she was born. I have no spare time, but I do find farming is great to clear the head after a day at work.

KCTK

galway 4 sam wrote: »

Just a post out of curiousity for all the part time farmers out there that work off farm also. What hours a week do you work? I work off farm and do some farming morning and evening and weekends. I currently do approx 6.00 am - 7.00am on the farm. I start work at 8pm and I am home by 6.0pm. and work on the farm from approx 6.30 pm to 8.30pm. The hours can vary throughout the year. I generally work on the farm all day Saturday and a few hours Sunday.
What kind of hours are part time farmers doing generally. Do you find it hard keep farming and off farm employment going at the same time? Do you find it hard to make time for a social life? I am lucky i have help at home and someone to keep an eye on things when i am at work but i do find it very difficult to have any spare time,however i always try to keep Sunday fairly free.

Off farm job is about 40 hours a week, travel round trip about 2.5 hours a day, Saturday and bit of Sunday and an hour in the evenings for the farm, old fellow on it rest of time. A bit like Reilig I have a 7 month old so social life definately does not exist!! Farm definately helps clear the head space alright, if only I could figure out a way of switching the amount of time working the farm with the off farm job and still make enough to live on I'd be away with it!!!

Cran

Think this topic could be interesting, was thinking of putting something similar up recently..... I work 40 hours during the week, full day saturday on the farm and couple hours Sunday. Do nothing in the morning and feed in the evenings, from 1 to somethimes 3/4 hours.... I do have part time help who is very flexible so can cover when away for work, when needed etc and old man looks at stock during the day.

My question is how much land is manageable part-time, currently under stocked as just couldn't manage it fully stocked part time. Even though I'm completly focused on creating a system thats scaleable into full time in the medium future.....

locky76

galway 4 sam wrote: »

Just a post out of curiousity for all the part time farmers out there that work off farm also. What hours a week do you work? I work off farm and do some farming morning and evening and weekends. I currently do approx 6.00 am - 7.00am on the farm. I start work at 8pm and I am home by 6.0pm. and work on the farm from approx 6.30 pm to 8.30pm. The hours can vary throughout the year. I generally work on the farm all day Saturday and a few hours Sunday.
What kind of hours are part time farmers doing generally. Do you find it hard keep farming and off farm employment going at the same time? Do you find it hard to make time for a social life? I am lucky i have help at home and someone to keep an eye on things when i am at work but i do find it very difficult to have any spare time,however i always try to keep Sunday fairly free.

I spend a half hour in the evening on weekdays, 3 hours on one day per weekend.
I get someone in about once per month for a full days work.
We've a 20 month old young fella at home so herself wouldn't be too impressed with me spending any longer on the farm.
I've it set up for minimal work on my behalf and i contract nearly everything out, i can't really see any financial saving in doing machine work (cutting, baling, wrapping, dung spreading, vacuum tank etc.)myself aside from the time element.
I running ~22 suckler cows in a calf to beef system so i would have between 50 to 65 cattle on the farm depending on the time of year.

reilig

Cran wrote: »

My question is how much land is manageable part-time, currently under stocked as just couldn't manage it fully stocked part time. Even though I'm completly focused on creating a system thats scaleable into full time in the medium future.....

I'm in the same boat - would like to get there full time in the future. Any money I make is reinvested back into the farm at the moment. Off farm job pays the mortgage and the bills. My O/H buys the food. We're farming 120 acres at the minute - 60 suckler cows, 20 calve in autumn and 40 in spring. And about 20 of the spring calved weinlings are kept till the following february.

How much is manageable part-time? I don't know. There are a lot of variables. Certainly what we have is not manageable part-time. My old man is retired, but he's always moving around, keeping an eye on things etc and it takes more than 50% of the work load off me. My wife helps out around the place too. There are systems that require less work input, but the returns aren't as good. I'd like to buy another bit of land in the next few years and hopefully pay it off in 5 to 7 years and maybe then be in a position to go at it full-time.

Muckit

I often wondered would the 'fun' (for want of a better word) go out of it when the pressure was on a lad to earn a living from it...? :rolleyes:

Cran

reilig wrote: »

I'm in the same boat - would like to get there full time in the future. Any money I make is reinvested back into the farm at the moment. Off farm job pays the mortgage and the bills. My O/H buys the food. We're farming 120 acres at the minute - 60 suckler cows, 20 calve in autumn and 40 in spring. And about 20 of the spring calved weinlings are kept till the following february.

How much is manageable part-time? I don't know. There are a lot of variables. Certainly what we have is not manageable part-time. My old man is retired, but he's always moving around, keeping an eye on things etc and it takes more than 50% of the work load off me. My wife helps out around the place too. There are systems that require less work input, but the returns aren't as good. I'd like to buy another bit of land in the next few years and hopefully pay it off in 5 to 7 years and maybe then be in a position to go at it full-time.

Thanks Relig interesting to get another viewpoint. I'm managing over twice the land mass you mention, own 1/2 of it and remainder is old mans (before any says I convinced him to stay farming as only way he would keep an interest).
I'm lucky that my off farm job would be viewed as well paid so have been able to invest heavily on farm, fencing, good tractor, jeep, trailers, in process of buying small field, built a house on the farm (mortgaged though -which has been best investment) and new shed is the next stage. Will I give up the job, yes at some stage once all the ducks are in row....
...but as you said even though old man doesn't do any real work anymore, being around all day is invaluable and probably not possible without him...

Username John

galway 4 sam wrote: »

Just a post out of curiousity for all the part time farmers out there that work off farm also. What hours a week do you work? I work off farm and do some farming morning and evening and weekends. I currently do approx 6.00 am - 7.00am on the farm. I start work at 8pm and I am home by 6.0pm. and work on the farm from approx 6.30 pm to 8.30pm. The hours can vary throughout the year. I generally work on the farm all day Saturday and a few hours Sunday.
What kind of hours are part time farmers doing generally. Do you find it hard keep farming and off farm employment going at the same time? Do you find it hard to make time for a social life? I am lucky i have help at home and someone to keep an eye on things when i am at work but i do find it very difficult to have any spare time,however i always try to keep Sunday fairly free.

The 6am start makes me feel kinda lazy now

Same as yerself Galway - I do an hour before work and a bit in the evening again - but I aim to be in for 8pm. Full day Saturday and a few hours Sunday morning. I try not to work too much on Sundays, not for religous reasons, just to try to not be farming all my free time.

galway 4 sam wrote: »

Do you find it hard keep farming and off farm employment going at the same time?

Up to recently no problem - as work was close to home. Now that looks like it might go, so would be a longer commute. I am on me own at home, so if anything needs doing or checking, I'd have to do it before / after work. So major rethink needed

Farmer Pudsey

I do about 2-3hours mon- fri about 6-8 hours Saturday and about 2 hours sunday also my two lads give a hand this would vary as eldest is in college. They are worth about 8hours/week if you average it over the year. There would be a bit more time when silage is being cut,reseeding and doing a bit of planting I reckon I average about 22-25 hours a week most of my land is away from my house so there is a bit of travelling. I have learned to pioritise what has to be done and not to panic if thing are going against me. Reseeding a field last year took about 10-12 days longer than it should we got there in the end and it was done right.

chickenfarmer

reilig wrote: »

but I do find farming is great to clear the head after a day at work.

Never a truer word spoken

PatQfarmer

Farm work 6-8am. Biz 9am-6pm. Farm 7-8pm. Most of Saturday and some Sunday. Weekend farming done with kids (10-14), so good fun had...maybe not always by all!
OH is very interested and keeps an eye on everything while I'm working. She's great with calves etc.
Usually has a list for me when I come home:)

1chippy

Thank god for that. thought i was the only ejit on here with a really restricted social life. Usually get up between five and six. Half an hour in the morning and usually 1-2 hrs in the evening. i know i could halve this but spend most of the time trying to work out the next project. usually work around 60 hrs off farm but self employed so can get the odd day squeezed in here and there when needed. i dont really think people should dwell too much on the time spent on a farm. its more of a labour of love. i know one man who constantly gave out about going home to feed sucklers (during the boom) rented the whole place out and now gives out about renting the lot out. cant keep him happy but i find farming can be more a passion than a vocation and with such i rarely feel its a chore.
realistically coronation street aint good enough to be sitting in the house.

MfMan

About 1 hour foddering in the morning, 7.45 - 8.45. Work 9, 9.30ish to 5pm, 1 hour feeding in the evening. Extra hour or two on a Friday, all day Saturday, couple of hours Sunday. Lucky that I have quite flexible work conditions. No-one really to look after things at home so somewhat confined for getting time off. Feeding all beef cattle with pit silage so that's fairly straightforward. Very important to have something of a life away from the place. The idea of someone getting up on a Saturday morning and having a whole day ahead of them with little to do is incomprehensible to me now.

Grecco

48 hour week in a Chemical plant -- 4 X 12 hour shifts
Wife and kids do the farming while I`m at work, and I`d be thinking that's common for many farmers

Farming 170 acres mainly good land, currently understocked at only 70 suckler cows due to lack of sheds and Time

PatQfarmer

1chippy wrote: »

realistically coronation street aint good enough to be sitting in the house.

Amen to that!!:)

island of tighe

im farming 100 acres,own seventy and rent the rest.i work 39 hours a week plus a small bit of ot during the year.i have 35 sucklers selling bulls as weanlings,keep heifers for fattening.i also buy in 15-20 heifers per year for fattening.ive spent a lot of money the last ten years on sheds,concrete,machinery,fencing etc.without a good setup at home it would be impossible to farm part time.i start at 6-15am and leave for work at 7-20am.i do two hours each evening and all day saturday and half day sunday.im married and have a 5 year old son.i love doing it at the moment but i dont know will i be able for it all when i get older

Indubitable

How do suckler farmers working 35+ hours a week off farm manage calving? They are hardly going to calve on the weekend and in the evenings for ya.

Farmer Pudsey

island of tighe wrote: »

im farming 100 acres,own seventy and rent the rest.i work 39 hours a week plus a small bit of ot during the year.i have 35 sucklers selling bulls as weanlings,keep heifers for fattening.i also buy in 15-20 heifers per year for fattening.ive spent a lot of money the last ten years on sheds,concrete,machinery,fencing etc.without a good setup at home it would be impossible to farm part time.i start at 6-15am and leave for work at 7-20am.i do two hours each evening and all day saturday and half day sunday.im married and have a 5 year old son.i love doing it at the moment but i dont know will i be able for it all when i get older

Approx 1 Livestock unit/hectare good going on poor land---- poor output on bad land?????????

Medal Cermony Saturady morning @ 6.30 behind the Community Centre

pakalasa

Indubitable wrote: »

How do suckler farmers working 35+ hours a week off farm manage calving? They are hardly going to calve on the weekend and in the evenings for ya.

I'm doing that. It's not that hard really, if you don't have that many cows. There's 168 hrs in the week, so I'm really only away 25% of the time. Work is only a few miles away and I can pop home if I need, to check on things. I'm a big believer in having cows that calve away on their own, so big square hips are a must. I use all AI with Char and BB on the mature cows, but tend to go for the easy calving ones. Restricted feeding for the 6 weeks befroe calving goes a long way too.

Grecco

Indubitable wrote: »

How do suckler farmers working 35+ hours a week off farm manage calving? They are hardly going to calve on the weekend and in the evenings for ya.

A lot of the cows are left to God to mind them

kkdela6

I'd just like to say fair play to the lads part time farming, raising a young a family and working a ~40 hour job on top of it all. That kind of dedication and sacrifice is just plain admirable

Indubitable

pakalasa wrote: »

I'm doing that. It's not that hard really, if you don't have that many cows. There's 168 hrs in the week, so I'm really only away 25% of the time. Work is only a few miles away and I can pop home if I need, to check on things. I'm a big believer in having cows that calve away on their own, so big square hips are a must. I use all AI with Char and BB on the mature cows, but tend to go for the easy calving ones. Restricted feeding for the 6 weeks befroe calving goes a long way too.

I see, I worked out the 25% today there myself and I agree with the easy calving idea. I suppose if you could get your calving camera in work on a laptop or phone etc it must make it a bit easier.

epfff

Indubitable wrote: »

pakalasa wrote: »

I'm doing that. It's not that hard really, if you don't have that many cows. There's 168 hrs in the week, so I'm really only away 25% of the time. Work is only a few miles away and I can pop home if I need, to check on things. I'm a big believer in having cows that calve away on their own, so big square hips are a must. I use all AI with Char and BB on the mature cows, but tend to go for the easy calving ones. Restricted feeding for the 6 weeks befroe calving goes a long way too.

I see, I worked out the 25% today there myself and I agree with the easy calving idea. I suppose if you could get your calving camera in work on a laptop or phone etc it must make it a bit easier.

Are ye mad
Most cows wil calf themselves
Its all about diet in,lead up to calfing
Calf 40 here every year looked at twice a day anything showing signs of calfing is put out in pen on own
1calf is all that was lost here due to neglect not pulled in time in last 2yrs

zetorman

Part time as well here but I am in DAIRYING ?????? Up before 6am every morning to milk. Just do the bare minimum in the morning. Same crack as suckler lads for calving etc. Wife and friends all tell me I am stone mad to be doing it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Indubitable

epfff wrote: »

Are ye mad
Most cows wil calf themselves
Its all about diet in,lead up to calfing
Calf 40 here every year looked at twice a day anything showing signs of calfing is put out in pen on own
1calf is all that was lost here due to neglect not pulled in time in last 2yrs

Well my cows wouldn't be the easiest calved and they are by no means fat. I always feel that it is better safe than sorry.

1chippy

As someone else said here a lot of it is down to good handling facilities. Our own are by no means extravagant but a lot easier than what you see some farmers with. Although this winter ive came to the conclusion we need more lights. new calving pens in tomorrow, A bit late at this stage but at least they will be there for next year.
The old man seems to be a common trait throughout the part timers and wasnt till recently that i learnt to appreciate his help.
I will say though that we lost a twin recently to pneumonia that would have been got earlier and prob saved if i had been at home more.

pakalasa

If you're keeping a cow for a year and all you have out of it at the end is a calf, then it's well worth your while to try and be around for the hour or so while she's calving.

Indubitable

Indeed, a man once told me while I was up at night waiting for a cow to calve "At the end of the day, she will only do this to you once a year".

jimmydkid

Sounds like part time farmers are working some serious hours per week, is there any time left over for hobbies, personal fitness, and health or spending time with family and friends or is it just work and sleep? Dont get me wrong im part time myself im not knocking it i just think its important to get a good balance to work and play:)

reilig

jimmydkid wrote: »

Sounds like part time farmers are working some serious hours per week, is there any time left over for hobbies, personal fitness, and health or spending time with family and friends or is it just work and sleep? Dont get me wrong im part time myself im not knocking it i just think its important to get a good balance to work and play:)

The good thing about farming is that all the family can partake in it. Its better to bring kids out in the open air than have them sit inside playing computer games all day. Farming is the hobby and if you wok hard enough, you'll be fit enough. It is important to make time for family, friends and for yourself, but farming is like no other job. There is nothing fixed in it. You can leave jobs to do tomorrow and go away for a night. It fits around you if you can fit around it.

Its not a 9 to 5. Its a way of life.

island of tighe

i get a neighbour to check cows calving,work are very flexible so if there is a problem i can slip home and sort it.im doing ai lately to improve my stock i find heat detection a major problem as im not seeing them enough.i see farmer pudsey thinks i have the time of riley.im doing 20 acres of spring barley every year as the land is not so bad.the worst thing you could be part time farming is overstocked