Farmer Focus: Flock reduction opens door to new challenge
James and Belinda Kimber © Kathy Horniblow It’s never boring at Beanhill. The big news this month is I have a new job.
With sheep numbers down and me stepping back from my voluntary position at British Charolais, I thought I had a few days spare.
A nearby farm has gone down the organic, regen, Pasture-for-Life route, but has had the misfortune of some disease in the cattle.
I am going to try to turn things around and make a viable business.
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The owners wish to continue planting trees for various gains and sustainability.
Having not been to an interview for about 40 years, I was a little nervous and still have imposter syndrome.
However, the money spent on consultancy that seems not to have any accountability is surprising, and I think I can make a significant difference.
It is definitely going to be a slow burn, but learning a farm’s fields and its recent history is always interesting.
Making a sensible plan will be a challenge: as always with farming, there are so many variables.
Grow, baby, grow
Obviously, the biggest variable is how the political class treats us. “Grow, baby, grow” doesn’t seem to be their mantra. What support will we possibly have going forward?
From a budgetary point of view, I have said to the owners that the only safe position will be no subsidy, so anything received will be a bonus.
So, can I make a livestock operation at the very least break even? At home, we have just got our costings back.
For the past few years, the sheep have shown a nice margin and, rather brilliantly, the cattle have this year turned the corner and got into the black.
In the margins, a figure for Belinda and my labour, both management and physical, is put in to make us comparable with farms run with employed labour.
Just think of the lifestyle we could have on £56,000 drawings. Caribbean holidays, anyone? The reality is rather more frugal, obviously.
The most alarming figure, which I think the NFU et al should be really shouting about, is return on working capital.
At 0.4% for all the physical and office hours of work, not to mention the stress of weather, disease and so on, any sane person would put their feet up and watch the building society account.