Farmers in their 70's and 80's who keep on farming to the very end

Mad4simmental

I have you now, lol that's gas.

Nekarsulm

Ah! That's lovely.

Kovu

:pac:

Base price

Sam Kade wrote: »

I know a few of them they're drawing the pension have great land no immediate family yet keep on trudging day after day. Why not rent out the land do a bit of traveling and relax instead of keeping things going just to leave it all to nieces and nephews who'll spend it all for them? I was only after one of them today in the car, he had a pallet of fert on the tractor and trailer driving up the road at walking pace.

As long as I can draw breath I will continue to farm as it is the tick that keeps me tocking.

tomieen jones

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Ah! That's lovely.

this is like a love story I can feel my eyes welling up as I read

whisky_galore

It's a dwindling demographic, but still know a pair of brothers, batchelor farmers, who still tip away with tractors that are as old as themselves, a handful of animals and an antiquated milking parlour. They still have a tin roof on the dwelling house, open fire and a pot and crane. Time warp stuff.

ford 5600

There are 2 ways of looking at this, "farming in their 70s and 80s".
Mf240s uncle is tipping away , keeping busy, but he doe sent own the land himself now. Mad4simmentals friends grandfather, same story. He handed it over 25 odd years ago. My own father is nearly 86. He ploughed 6.5 acres of a field the week before last, and that's what he loves doing. Long may he be able, and want to do it. But it's 20 years ago since he handed over ownership of it. He said several years ago, he thought it a scandal that people could still own the farm and draw the pension. He couldn't as it was a non contributory pension all those people got, I thought at the time that he was a bit harsh, but have changed my mind since . he viewed it the same as someone drawing the dole, and working as well. Also he thinks it's an awful waste of land. Men with 100 acres of land and maybe 20 cattle, so they can draw theirSFP. They will sell fields of silage/bales, a field to graze with no maps, but what good is that to someone trying to farm legally. Productivity is non existent on some of these farms. I find it interesting that a man of 85 thinks this way ,you would think he would be the opposite.
Why do you think con acre prices are the way they are this year? People drawing money on something they did 12 or 14 years ago, and coasting along now.

Grueller

ford 5600 wrote: »

There are 2 ways of looking at this, "farming in their 70s and 80s".
Mf240s uncle is tipping away , keeping busy, but he doe sent own the land himself now. Mad4simmentals friends grandfather, same story. He handed it over 25 odd years ago. My own father is nearly 86. He ploughed 6.5 acres of a field the week before last, and that's what he loves doing. Long may he be able, and want to do it. But it's 20 years ago since he handed over ownership of it. He said several years ago, he thought it a scandal that people could still own the farm and draw the pension. He couldn't as it was a non contributory pension all those people got, I thought at the time that he was a bit harsh, but have changed my mind since . he viewed it the same as someone drawing the dole, and working as well. Also he thinks it's an awful waste of land. Men with 100 acres of land and maybe 20 cattle, so they can draw theirSFP. They will sell fields of silage/bales, a field to graze with no maps, but what good is that to someone trying to farm legally. Productivity is non existent on some of these farms. I find it interesting that a man of 85 thinks this way ,you would think he would be the opposite.
Why do you think con acre prices are the way they are this year? People drawing money on something they did 12 or 14 years ago, and coasting along now.

Fair play to him for his viewpoint and it is hard to disagree with him when it is looked on in that light. He was a lucky man to have a son that he trusted to hand it over to, many of these farmers don't and the security of owning the farm is all the security that they have. Many of these guys may not have paid PRSI back in the day and have no old age pension either.
I can see both sides of the argument but for me the bottom line is that they own the land and therefore nobody else has any entitlement to the land or right to tell them what to do with it until they themselves decide otherwise.
The point on SFP is not just limited to guys in their 70s and above either. I know a guy in his 40s who fattened 800 cattle in the reference years and has fattened none since, just summer grazed enough to claim the disadvantaged area scheme. Sells standing meadows and short term lets for grazing.
We would all like to see more productive land but we cannot force people off the land either.

Connemara Farmer

I've talked to a number of people who wish to see either pension or sfp removed from older farmers. The other view, that isn't as often highlighted, is many of those same people also wish to see sfp taken off other non pension farmers who may have second incomes, or who's spouse has an income outside of the farm.

Most of ye know my income at this stage, I only farm, I live on what I get out of all the schemes to do with it, and the farm itself pays for itself.

I've no objection to farmers with second, third, or fourth jobs, or pensions, or indeed if they married a laying hen, good for them. All I ever said was once they were also able to abide by the same rules as other farmers in the same schemes.

I don't think it's fair or reasonable to compare farmers drawing sfp and pension to people working and claiming the dole, I have a view on it but I'll keep it to myself.

Farmer Pudsey

The biggest issue in farming is SFP. It distribution method has not changed since 2002. The EU and Ireland need to decide what they qwish of it. It is the same with GLAS. These schemes now suit older farmers that are virtually retired especially lads with larger land bases.

A farmer with a large SFP can coast along. That is what lots are now doing in the 10+K bracket. Target maximising of GLAS and DA. Add to that advantages tax wise of being an active farmer and with the pension you can coast along quite comfortable. Unless you are a ''young trained farmer'' that has access to a land base getting involved in farming is impossible.

However is it feasible for any young farmer to consider farming fulltime without a substancial land base. Conacre rental and lease rates are gennerally crazy. New leasing system is slightly flawed as well as it ties up SFP with land owner.

einn32

Farmer Pudsey wrote:

A farmer with a large SFP can coast along. That is what lots are now doing in the 10+K bracket. Target maximising of GLAS and DA. Add to that advantages tax wise of being an active farmer and with the pension you can coast along quite comfortable. Unless you are a ''young trained farmer'' that has access to a land base getting involved in farming is impossible.

It's been like this for years now. Then this ah shur they aren't doing anyone any harm rubbish is brought up. It's a complete joke in Eire for any fella who genuinely wants to farm but can't get land. I know it's just the market we are in but God forbid you mention something like share farming! !! Even guys who are blessed to inherit good blocks will have to take these guys on eventually. Really hope something changes soon. There are always other places to farm though!

ghogie91

Thats all they know, farmers are so passionate about their own land that they worked on through their life.

Not like me, I have an office job, in a company. Their farming goes belly up they have lost their livelihood in the early years