Diary Of Becoming A Farmer. Where Next?
The story of a young mans efforts to become a farmer without the aid of inheritance.
So we had missed out on a opportunity to own our own land and to start to farm. Hindsight is a wonderful thing or is it that it's a real pain. The land that we missed out on was priced at a little shy of £3,000 per acre. Not long afterwards everything for sale in Essex was priced at £8,000, £9,000 or even £10,000 per acre. There was no way we would be able to afford anything at that sort of price. As I've said previously we couldn't rent as we had no experience.
So it was back to reading the back pages of Farmers Weekly at the latest land for sale and dreaming of winning the lottery!! However, Farmers Weekly then started to play a role. They started "The Big Debate" about the last 50 years and the next fifty years of agriculture. I started reading the debate and thought, "I want my two pen'th." Also for those who were under the age of 35 there was places at the Oxford Farming Conference up for grabs. I wrote a little piece about my thoughts on the influences in Agriculture over the last 50 years and where farming could go in the next fifty years with the right attitude.
Shock Horror. I was really surprised when Isabel contacted me to invite me to the Oxford Farming Conference. Bayer Crop Science were my sponsor and very good to me they were too. I met some good people and made some new friends too. That was a turning point. I was delighted to find out that how I perceived the industry is how a great many other people felt. I learn't a great deal about how the leaders of our industry see the future. This did help me decide that there was a future for farming.
However the highlight had to be meeting Her Highness Princess Anne. She wanted to meet the future generations of the farming industry and find out what they thought they might be inheriting. Our group had been discussing this just before hand. Almost rehearsing what we were going to say. However when the time comes for these great moments things don't always go to plan.
The Princess Royal asked me my plans. I told her that I was looking to buy land near where I lived in Essex. But that the trouble is that prices are really high due to the large numbers of lifestyle pony paddocks. There was too many horses in Essex!!!! Not something you tell the Princess Royal that there are too many horses in the world really is it! Oops. It was only afterwards that I thought about it and realised with embarrasment what I'd said.
That few days in Oxford gave me a renewed drive that I wanted to farm and be in charge of my own destiny. I also started this blog. Now that really surprised me. That people, you, wanted to read about my efforts to become a farmer! Some good encouragement I've had too, thanks.
We started to look at the South West as prices there where still available at between £3,000 and £4,000 per acre. We found a small ex dairy farm for auction in Somerset. It had a house but in estate agent speak it had "potential." It was priced higher than we could afford but indications came clear nearer the auction that it wasn't going to make the guide price. It did mean we would have sell up and move even with the house in a state.
In the end we couldn't go to the auction as we didn't have the bank fully behind us and it would have been too risky. I spoke to the agent after the auction and found out the property did not sell at auction but just afterwards by negotiation. Time to give my shins a good kicking again as it sold for what I had expected, and what I was prepared to pay. Another opportunity slipped through our fingers.
Then a free range egg unit came for sale. Also in Somerset just the time we were going on holiday to Somerset. So we made an appointment to go and see it. It was the right size, it didn't have a house but did have planning permission to build a house. The kids loved it. 14,000 chickens was fascinating for a four year old, two year old and the baby just stared in amazement. But then too many people were interested and the price got beyond us. Back to the drawing board.
The other problem was we would have to move away from our family. I know, wanting my cake and eat it. But there we go. It has to work for all the family. No doubt having the family around will be very useful at some point.
By now I was determined that I was going to get some farming education. What I'd wanted to do twenty years ago I was determined to do now. I started to look at the local colleges and plan as many courses as I could to get some practical experience. I contacted one college and the head of Agriculture Dept was very helpful. Basically creating a bespoke course as part of the the National Diploma In Agriculture. Now all I had to do was organise my work shifts to ensure I was not working on the days I wanted to go to college. Easier Said than done!