Timothy Michael Payne BSc Agriculture Hons First Class
Well ladies and gentlemen, I did it. I proved my school (and myself wrong). Not only did I make it through a degree but I got a first! I cant quite believe it, I hope it sinks in soon!
Although only being on the forum for a few months now, I know some of you quite well, but I have benefited from everyone on here. Reading all of the posts, seeing the characters, reading about your farming issues in the last few months has really given me the support and drive to stick at it and do my best to be a part of agriculture. University done in dusted, now its my turn to do give something back to the agricultural industry.
Well this blog is only a short one, for once, I just thought I would let those who are interested know! Thank you all for your support and encouragement in the last few months.
Cereals tomorrow, I look forward to seeing a few people there.
At 10.30am on the 20th of May 2008, Tim.'s University education was complete.
Well I have done it. My last exam is done. I never thought three years ago that I would make it this far, produce numerous courseworks on time, and produce a 55 page dissertation, that was of some value to the agricultural industry. I guess I am full of various feelings of the mixed variety... Education is all I have known since before I can remember when my mum bundled me off to pre school at the age of 2, already mad on farming! And here I am at the end of it, havent got the official degree yet but by my calculations I could have not gone to the exams and come away with a 2:1. Official results are out on Friday the 13th of June, unlucky for some, hopefully not for me 
.
This may be the end of my official education, but rather than seeing it as an end I am seeing at as the beginning of life learning, learning through work, putting what I have learnt here into practice, that it really where it counts. In mid june I will be starting a harvest job on a farm near Loughborough, which hopefully will then progress onto Farm Management Training afterwards at another farm. So I now have a few months to twiddle my thumbs and relax a bit. The problem is what will I do with myself? No university work to do.... Well I have the FarmPlanner Competetion to finish, so that should keep me busy, but after that I wont know what to do with myself!
So yes, just a quick update on how things are going, my brain didnt quite feel up to it after last last few weeks of revision. Thanks for reading and take care!
[/brainfunction]
The astute amongst you will notice that I havent written here for a while, and it has been for a very good reason. I have been up to my eyeballs in University coursework and dissertation. Last night I polished off my last ever (hopefully) piece of university coursework, a nice level one (first year) module on grassland management grassland management, where I had to use a computer to identify an "unknown" grass species. I say "unknown" as it was absolutely clear to me what it was as there are no other grass species like it (that I know about), as it was Dactylis glomerata, more commonly known as Cocksfoot. So I sat there looking at it, "why on earth do I need to use a computer to identify this!?" and probably many of you are yelling the same! It was because we only got 30% of the mark if we got the grass species right, and the remaining 70% from identifying all of the morphological characteristics of the grass.
So in the end I actually learnt alot, with the help of a computer. I suppose this is indicative of the wider situation in the world, where computers are being used more and more. Once again, the same ones who were yelling about using a computer to identify a grass species are probably muttering away, " blasted computers taking over the world..." . The explosion in computer use could be seen like this, but used correctly it is a truth that computers do actually help us to a large degree. A post on the "Talking Tackle" forum stuck in my mind, saying that yes, tractors have a silly amount of electronics in, that all go wrong, when they go wrong they tell you what the problem is and often offer a list of methods on how to fix it. A skilled mechanic may be able to diagnose without a computer, but skilled mechanics are quite thin on the ground these days! So admitedly, computers are taking over a bit, taking the emphasis off human skill, and breeding a culture where the computer is deemed as god and what it says goes.... cue the line "Computer says no....." from someone on the end of a phone line over a desk. This isnt their fault or apparent moronicness (is that a word?), but the fact they simply havent been trained to think logically about a problem, instead just to put data into a computer and take heed of its response.
For the last few weeks I have been sat here at my computer, working on my dissertation, which is about tillage and wheat growth, with the sun shining outside my window, making me quite irrate. It would be nice to be outside for a bit and to actually live a bit. To make matters worse, outside, up rolls a nice TM150 with a sprayer and starts spraying the fields over the road, drawing my attention away from my work (easily done). Watching it chug across the field my mind wanders even further. Having passed my PA1 and being all learned up on spraying etc, I start picking up things that perhaps the sprayer shouldnt be doing. One of the biggest errors was the amount of overlap at the headlands the driver was leaving, looked like about 6m. Now 6 metres over alot of headlands works up to a lot of wasted chemical, and hence here is another place that computers have a very useful role to play. The potential for savings from GPS sprayer control seem to be quite high, especially with input prices rising. Tim = big fan.
To sum up my rather long ramble ( I only meant it to be a few lines!), I have about finished university (3 weeks, 3 days and 9 hours away!). Done all my coursework, have a dissertation that is about ready for submission, so if anyone fancies acting as a proof reader let me know!!! The countryside is coming alive again after the winter, and I'm really looking forward to being a part of its future. I have accepted an offer of a place as a trainee farm manager with one of the big farming companies. I am just awaiting to find out where I will be placed over the summer and for the training. Nothing has been signed yet so I wont say who it is with!
Thanks for reading!
Firstly, forgive me if this blog's content isn't what you thought the title suggests it is!
It is about my way forward. Well I have now broken up for the easter holidays and have a mountain of work to get through, but this doesnt stop me thinking about what awaits for me after the work. My last exam is on the 20th of May, which is approximately 8 Weeks 5 Days 13 Hours 37 Minutes 26 Seconds away from the time I am writing this. As you can probably see, I am looking forward to this!
Everyone who I speak to, including my parents, asks: "Aren't you sad to be leaving University?". My answer now is " I'd be sad to be going back, put it that way!". This isnt quite as negative as it sounds really, as I guess I will be a little bit sad. I have found some very good things in my life from that University, however I guess I have missed out on a lot my choosing that institution. I have enjoyed the course content for the last year and a half there. On the whole I am looking forward to leaving there and getting on with the next stage of my life, helped by knowing what I want to do and having some good work prospects lined up.
Contrary to my previous blog, the crys of "Are you crazy?!" have been heard again, when people hear that I am looking forward to starting my working life. And I am, the chance to put all of what I gave learned into practice is really appealing to me, to finally be embarking on the career I have dreamed of since I was small. In my opinion , if you arent looking forward to starting work, you havent chosen the right line of work!
Whether I still hold this attitude in 5 years time remains to be seen, but I sincerely hope that I will.
So what else is happening in my life apart from university work. Well I have the teaching session of my PA1 booked on thursday.. crap thats tomorrow, better get this manual finished!, and telehandler course a few days later. I went to the TAG OSR field trials yesterday, which although good, didint really show much in the way of the best way of establishing OSR. It was also bitterly cold, though the hail and sleet did little to dampen the various bouts of Zetor bashing amongst the farmers, aimed at a poor Proxima parked in the field. I dont think they are that bad (Cue: ARE YOU CRAZY!)
On the farm we have been doing some ditch maintaince, seeing the old JCB 4DII put through the mill agian, and having land drains jetted. We are just waiting now for the weather to dry up enough to get going on the overwintered plough to get the beet drilling underway. Neighbours have been drilling, onlyto have an inch or so 3 hours after they planted it! We were glad we chose not to be that pushy.
What else needs doing... After the last of the sheep went a few months ago, the powers that be have decided that it is my job to remove the fences... easy I hear you say... these fences are lurking in 4 feet of overgrown brambles... great. Keeps me busy I suppose. Not sure what to do with the grass though. Half of it was ploughed up a few years ago, but we dont really fancy having crops right outside the house...
Right onwards and upwards, I have some graphs to write about!
Take care everyone and stay positive!
This is me, I'm Tim. Here's the boring stuff; I am a 3rd year Agriculture student, 98 days away from the end of my final set of exams, does't sound that long does it?!
The only negative side of things is that it is the end of uni (although I cant wait till I finsh) and it will mean entering the real world. I've found this course very tough, some very ugly science, but to date I have pulled through... But these challenges will be nothing in comparison to those that I will be facing in the next few years in agriculture....
Agriculture... agriculture as a career? Some people have said I'm crazy (though no one has said that for a while now - either i dont dont know many more people, or they dont think its quite such a crazy idea any more). Well they are right, I am crazy. Crazy about farming.
Since further back than I can remember I've loved it, my parents have told me how I used to follow my dad accross the yard to the tractor, only to be promptly dragged back kicking and screaming. Always loved FW, anything to do with farming. Started tractor driving at 13. Loved it. As I got older it became just more than a love for tractors, it became a passion for agriculture as a whole, the crops, the agronomy. In the last few years it has really been useful having my uncle talk me through various decisions and methods of farming the land, helping to apply the science I learned in practice.
I wasnt really sure what I wanted to be, i just knew I wanted to be in farming somehow. The farm at home isnt really sufficient for me to go back to in various ways. I have always known this so I told myself if I wanted a career in agriculture, I had to make it myself. Various ideas were banded about, land agent, agronomist, farm business consultant.... farm manager. Having done a bit of business studies at school, and some economics at uni, I wasnt so sure about the farm manager option, but as uni progressed we learned more theory, and it put me off even more... But then in the last year or so it has clicked. My research project out in the field has shown me all the ins and outs of the science, and new modules I have done where the business priciples we had learned were put into agriculture through case studies, that was it, I knew where I wanted to be.
How though? Not a clue to begin with... I started doing my research and found that companies offered management training schemes, these seemed like the perfect thing for me to convert my science into practice, and well. I knew I'd have to start from the bottom, and these schemes have a bit of a reputation as being a source for for cheap labour, but sometimes you have to start from the ground. So yes, that is where I am today, finding out about the various schemes and in contact with the companies. I dont know if any of them are on here so I'm not naming names....
This is the start of my farming dream. I guess my ultimate dream is to have my own farm with my special lady, but who doesnt?! It may be unlikely, but that is my ambition that i will strive for in life.
So thats the formailities out of the way... Thank you for reading and hope it didnt bore you too much!
New phone on monday to replace my new rubbish one! Yay!
All the best
Tim