So, is the petrol running out and stuff?

[Glaucus]

P.S. Please tell me how farmers should diversify to become rich, I need to pass it on so I can be the favourite son.

that's really off topic.

There are loads of things.
Land is important for many people and can be used for all sorts.
Cheap warehouse/barn space/workshops
B&b, log cabins etc.
Storage space for whatever be it car vans or anything else.
New markets like organic and specialist foods, foods produced in old fashioned way.
Many areas have waiting lists of years for Allotments, with many people willing to rent.

There are literally thousands of ways to make a decent income without farming. You just need to think about it and see what your area would suit.

One of the farms round my old place built some extremly cheap warehouse style barns. Most are rented by eBay type sellers needing storage, others are rented out to classic car owners needing a workshop.

 

[Elixir]

that's really off topic.

There are loads of things.
Land is important for many people and can be used for all sorts.
Cheap warehouse/barn space/workshops
B&b, log cabins etc.
Storage space for whatever be it car vans or anything else.
New markets like organic and specialist foods, foods produced in old fashioned way.


There are literally thousands of ways to make a decent income without farming. You just need to think about it and see what your area would suit.

One of the farms round my old place built some extremly cheap warehouse style barns. Most are rented by eBay type sellers needing storage, others are rented out to classic car owners needing a workshop.

Most farms are far too rural for most of these things. You can't make huge amounts of money from a B&B or log cabins. You can't make huge amounts of money from storage space.

Organic and specialist foods are farming, that is not diversification.

Not to mention high grain prices are currently making farming quite profitable in itself, none of these options provide the easy guaranteed "making lots more money" that you suggest.

But yes, it is off-topic, I just wanted to tell you you were wrong about making it sound horrendously obvious and easy.

 

[Glaucus]

Who said anything about easy, it takes planing and setup costs. Although, thoughs costs can be very minimal. There is huge amounts of money to be made, if you look into it and rural doesn't matter.

 

[Elixir]

Who said anything about easy, it takes planing and setup costs. Although, thoughs costs can be very minimal. There is huge amounts of money to be made, if you look into it and rural doesn't matter.

Of course rural matters. If storage space is miles away from civilisation, it will be much less likely to be used.

There are huge amounts of money to be made in the right place at the right time, but it is not simply a matter of being "willing to diversify", the demand needs to be there, and in most cases it simply isn't.

 

[Glaucus]

Of course rural matters. If storage space is miles away from civilisation, it will be much less likely to be used.

There are huge amounts of money to be made in the right place at the right time, but it is not simply a matter of being "willing to diversify", the demand needs to be there, and in most cases it simply isn't.

Rural means cheaper, which means huge interest from smaller one or two person bands. The warehouse/workshop one I'm talking about is miles away from anything.
The money's there as is the demand. You just have to look for it and take the risk. Something most people simply won't do. Otherwise we would all start are own companies.

 

[Elixir]

Rural means cheaper, which means huge interest from smaller one or two person bands. The warehouse/workshop one I'm talking about is miles away from anything.
The money's there as is the demand. You just have to look for it and take the risk. Something most people simply won't do. Otherwise we would all start are own companies.

As said, farming is currently profitable. The differences in money that can be made from methods you suggested are not large enough to warrant the risk and the change. I have had quite lengthy discussions about this with both my parents and other business owners in the area, and it is not just a case of people being unwilling to diversify.

Also, nothing is "miles away from anything" in southern England to the same extent as certain places in Scotland.

Anyway, miles off topic, I'm out.

 

[Liampope]

Yeah thought that was a bit risqué for OcUK... whipped cream you say?

Damnit I thought that was a ninja edit to be proud of . You didn't see the bit about the goats aswell did you?

 

[Tefal]

As said, farming is currently profitable.

Before or after the large subsidies?

 

[Cosimo]

Before or after the large subsidies?

Do you mean the Common Agricultural Policy subsidies which has been around for decades?

 

[Elixir]

Before or after the large subsidies?

After, obviously, that's why they are there. There was a long time where farming was not profitable even with the subsidies.

You say "large" subsidies as though you think they are not required or gifting farmers money or something? I may have misinterpreted but that is the message I got...

 

[Tefal]

After, obviously, that's why they are there. There was a long time where farming was not profitable even with the subsidies.

You say "large" subsidies as though you think they are not required or gifting farmers money or something? I may have misinterpreted but that is the message I got...

I say "large" because they are large they run into the billions.

but it's not profitable is it if it has to be propped up by the government?

I can understand the need to keep domestic production even if it is unprofitable for times of trouble but don't try and dress it up as a naturally profit making business.

 

[Elixir]

I say "large" because they are large they run into the billions.

but it's not profitable is it if it has to be propped up by the government?

I can understand the need to keep domestic production even if it is unprofitable for times of trouble but don't try and dress it up as a naturally profit making business.

It is profitable, the business makes money. A chunk of that money comes from EU (not just our government) subsidies, but the business is still profitable at the level the farmer needs to care about year in year out.

I haven't dressed it up as anything.

 

[Tefal]

It is profitable, the business makes money.

Not though it's own merit but because it's given money on a plate.

You wouldn't say someone on job seekers is a profitable business.

A chunk of that money comes from EU (not just our government) subsidies, but the business is still profitable at the level the farmer needs to care about year in year out.

Well considering we get back less than we pay from the eu in terms of subsidies pretty much the same thing.

I haven't dressed it up as anything.

You said the business was profitable, but then said it was only profitable after it had had it's grio cheque.

If it was a truly profitable business it wouldn't need to be paid benefits to keep it alive.

 

[Elixir]

Subsidies are part of the income of the business, included on the accounts sheet, and result in the same aforementioned accounts sheet showing a profit. When looking at it from an owners perspective and seeing whether it is a viable and profitable business, these are taken into account.

However your issue is clearly not with the classification of the subsidies within the accounts sheet but of the fact the industry is given support.