View from the other side of the fence

Just to let you know, i read you part in talking point on friday and it was very good, i thought it was a really good piece!

Good advertising :)

For the herdmanagers on dairy farms who thrive on responsibility and profit, there is very little opening or encouragement to get these guys into the industry. The UK should take a leaf out of the New Zealanders who let the younger dairy managers thrive on 20-30% contracts,to one day either owning their own herd or 50/50 share milking.There are only a handful of these contracts happening in the UK and the exceptional managers in this country will seek to earn there fortune for their family in other countries where they thrive on responsibility.The banks in this country also are not very willing to support the younger non farming family managers so giving them no choice but to move abroad.

Are you a  New Zealander grazing nut?

No I am British Isabel.I have been trained over a number of years in the NZ style of dairyfarming.I am thinking of spreading my wings further and considering looking in the next few years for a contract farming dairyunit.I also know of others wanting or looking for the same thing and are struggling to find it in this country.

It will be a shame if we see people like you -with experience and enthusiasm - disappear off abroad. I don't know if you have ever considered writing a letter to Farmers Weekly on the subject or even a Talking Point article? If you fancy it - drop me an email.

Thanks Isabel I will consider it.Many of us middle aged managers feel frustrated with not being able to get into the industry,but if there is no luck or opening over here then you have got to think of your family, and that will always be priority.Hopefully the way the dairy industry is heading, more opportunities for the managers in this country will come about, though picking dairy farmers who will be easy to contract farm with or radically change the way their cows have been managed for generations, for instance grazing them, maybe a challenge in itself.

It seems to me that even if the author manages to get an agricultural qualification, many farmers are unwilling to spend time training, especially when you're over 16. I've spent 3 years doing an agricultural masters degree,  and having completed it, am trying to change career to get into practical farming.  I have applied for many jobs, but at 32, and female, am I past it? Some of the advertisers on this site do not even bother to send a rejection e-mail or letter, which I personally think is extremely rude.

You are right it is extremely rude and I am surprised nobody is giving you the chance to get back into pratical farming. What are you trying to get into?

Keep trying you will succeed at some point.

I started writing on this blog space after getting that itch about farming again. I had started reading

I started writing on this blog space after getting that farming itch again. I had started reading the

I started writing on this blog space after getting that farming itch again. I had started reading the