Climate change anyone?

[openspaceman]

32 minutes ago, trigger_andy said:

Surely these big dairies can only afford to invest in mechanised milking if they are being heavily subsidised

Not necessarily if they are a part of a large farming business, they will have a bigger proportion of subsidies, their accountants will make sure of that but as with any investment in capital equipment the rate of return on investment will favour a big capital spend that eliminates a unit of labour.

 

We saw this in my industry when harvesters came in, two men working long shifts displaced about 20 men doing motor manual harvesting with tractors and trailers. That they messed up the soil structure and the matrix of trees in thinnings was one of the unforeseen outcomes, life adapts to change but it gets harder as you get older. Being a grumpy old man I don't see the advantage of much of it.

32 minutes ago, trigger_andy said:

 

At least where I come from the milk is all local. Grahams springs to mind. The biggest player in Scotland (I believe) Is Wisemans, but they are not even Scottish owned anymore. But we have loads of Dairy farms round our way still, good beef as well but that can only be expected from the heartlands of Aberdeen Angus.  

 

Could this be to do with transport costs and population density? My father was born in Aberdeen but AFAIK he never went back to scotland after childhood till I threw him off big ben.

[trigger_andy]

Just now, openspaceman said:

Not necessarily if they are a part of a large farming business, they will have a bigger proportion of subsidies, their accountants will make sure of that but as with any investment in capital equipment the rate of return on investment will favour a big capital spend that eliminates a unit of labour.

 

 

 

Its all way above my paygrade but if the Product the Dairies are selling is at a point below the breakeven, or even at the breakeven cost then profit has to come from another source surely? Additionally the Government will want/need to keep the production of Dairy products flowing to feed the masses so surely that has to come from Subsidies? Unless maybe Cream, butter, cheese etc are all making enough of a profit that allows milk to be dished out for free? 

 

4 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

Could this be to do with transport costs and population density? My father was born in Aberdeen but AFAIK he never went back to scotland after childhood till I threw him off big ben.

Could well be? Really dont know, but I do like Grahams milk, its the proper stuff with the cream at the top of the bottle like the good old days.  We get it in our local Tescos. Toyed with the idea of getting milk delivered again as there is one local firm that might come out as far as us but we buy Organic Milk for the kids. 

 

Gold Top | Graham's Family Dairy

WWW.GRAHAMSFAMILYDAIRY.COM

 

Not sure what you mean when you say you threw your old man off of Big Ben? 

[eggsarascal]

Small scale dairy farming is, or should be criminal in this country. We do some work at Hollesly Bay Colony, the 'main' pumping station there takes the local farm. The effluent in there is always white and causes odours when it's pumped off site.

 

I went to see the farmer one day to ask him why he was putting milk down the drains, he replied, "I'm not big enough to get two tankers in, so if the cows produce more than one tanker full the rest goes down the drain".

[trigger_andy]

Just now, eggsarascal said:

Small scale dairy farming is, or should be criminal in this country. We do some work at Hollesly Bay Colony, the 'main' pumping station there takes the local farm. The effluent in there is always white and causes odours when it's pumped off site.

 

I went to see the farmer one day to ask him why he was putting milk down the drains, he replied, "I'm not big enough to get two tankers in, so if the cows produce more than one tanker full the rest goes down the drain".

Criminal? Criminal that the small scale and Id assume more ethical Farmer that actually cares about his small heard should be banned because of large scale Farms practices? 

 

It is criminal he has to pour good milk down the drain but I think your pointing your finger in the wrong direction here. 

 

I cant tell if you're being facetious or not though? 

[eggsarascal]

1 minute ago, trigger_andy said:

Criminal? Criminal that the small scale and Id assume more ethical Farmer that actually cares about his small heard should be banned because of large scale Farms practices? 

 

It is criminal he has to pour good milk down the drain but I think your pointing your finger in the wrong direction here. 

 

I cant tell if you're being facetious or not though? 

Yes, very badly worded. What I meant was the waste is criminal.

 

I know nothing of dairy farming but I suggested keeping less cows, he pointed out to me that he had to take into account cows that were ill, or on medication don't produce, or is not fit for market.

[trigger_andy]

Just now, eggsarascal said:

Yes, very badly worded. What I meant was the waste is criminal.

 

I know nothing of dairy farming but I suggested keeping less cows, he pointed out to me that he had to take into account cows that were ill, or on medication don't produce, or is not fit for market.

Im surprised he's lasted as long as he has. Must be quite demoralising watching his livelihood disapear down the drain.  

[eggsarascal]

10 minutes ago, trigger_andy said:

Im surprised he's lasted as long as he has. Must be quite demoralising watching his livelihood disapear down the drain.  

Must be sickening, I'm told by the local lads who work on the local sugar beet factory that it's the same with beet, Silver Spoon know what they want/expect from all the farmers they deal with. If the farm has a bumper crop, tuff, the excess is going for feed. I've been told beet gets ploughed back in if there is no market for it.🙄

[Stubby]

13 hours ago, eggsarascal said:

Must be sickening, I'm told by the local lads who work on the local sugar beet factory that it's the same with beet, Silver Spoon know what they want/expect from all the farmers they deal with. If the farm has a bumper crop, tuff, the excess is going for feed. I've been told beet gets ploughed back in if there is no market for it.🙄

Plouging back in is a recognized way of putting nutrients back in the soil but at the same time going against the current trend of not ploughing , rather direct drilling so as not to release  carbon back into the atmosphere .

[trigger_andy]

53 minutes ago, Stubby said:

Plouging back in is a recognized way of putting nutrients back in the soil but at the same time going against the current trend of not ploughing , rather direct drilling so as not to release  carbon back into the atmosphere .

Not only is the farmer losing revenue from not selling his produce he's wasted time and money planting the crop in the first place. 

 

Id assume plowing back in was the cheapest and easiest option? The nutrients being put back in would surely be a tertiary bonus considering they'd much rather have pulled and sold them. 

[Stubby]

33 minutes ago, trigger_andy said:

Not only is the farmer losing revenue from not selling his produce he's wasted time and money planting the crop in the first place. 

 

Id assume plowing back in was the cheapest and easiest option? The nutrients being put back in would surely be a tertiary bonus considering they'd much rather have pulled and sold them. 

Some times they deliberately plant a crop ( stubble turnip for instance ) and graze it off with sheep before replanting a spring crop .