Good Farmers / Bad Farmers ?

This week I've been working with a farmer who is struggling financially, so is doing temping work. Obviously some farmers are finding it tough, because the profession has had periods of high suicide rates.
When we were in the EU there were a multitude of generous subsidies. When I was living in East Sussex I noticed farmers with helicopters, light aircraft, high-end sports cars, with not a lot of activity on their land.

This article by the BBC about recent crop fires, just stoked my thought processes.
[Link]

"The National Farmers' Union (NFU) said fires were one of the biggest risks faced by farmers during heatwaves.

Andy Barr, who owns an 800-acre farm in Lenham, Kent, had a 50-acre field of barley destroyed by a fire last Saturday.

Although he is hoping to claim on insurance, Mr Barr said the crop was worth around £40,000." (BBC website)

Going to the press about these field fires is a good way of trying to swerve too much insurance investigation into claims. Personally, I've never seen families go for days out to a barley field. Arson on a field is also a bit far-fetched.

Some farmers are just greedy b'stads, although amongst a lot of chaff, there are a few good 'uns.

I disengage, I turn the page.

Lol. I call them "Chalfonts"

Palace since 19 August 1972. Palace 1 (Tony Taylor) Liverpool 1 (Emlyn Hughes)

This thread got derailed quickly but...I worked with a bloke who told this sorry tale. He was lying in bed moaning that his Nobby Stiles were playing up - he'd had a row with his missus earlier and she was quite unsympathetic, just snapped at him to stick some ointment on them. He got up in the dark and whacked a handful on not realising that earlier she'd replaced the good stuff with a tube of Deep Heat. She found him in the kitchen sitting in a washing up bowl of cold water with virtual steam rising. He reckoned in the event it actually helped clear them up but the cure was worse than the complaint.

Living in these parts you get to respect farmers. Out in all weathers, day and night,trying to make a living in the face of supermarket price wars.

Sure, some strike it lucky, but the majority work their socks off for very little return.

I certainly don't argue with them in the narrow lanes while they are trying to move a sodding great tractor and combine harvester to another field. I've done my fair share of reversing to a suitable passing place recently.

Dad and I watched games standing on the muddy slope of the Holmesdale Road end. He cheered and I rattled.

My wife's cousin is married to a farmer - he farms in Cornwall
(as a tenant farmer)and is Cornish born and bred. A lovely friendly fella.

We have just come back from a holiday staying on their farm. I have to say it is not a job I'd want to do. I know it sometimes seems that farmers are always moaning but it is a tough life and you can't just take a day off whenever you feel like it.

I think we have become so detached from the natural environment and where our food comes from that we take farming and food production for granted and have no idea of what it takes to get the produce to our shops/supermarkets.

It's not a great money spinner either. Richard has had to diversify to bring in more income. He lets stables to horse owners and also hosts pheasant shoots, which, in his words, attracts a clientele of "bankers and w***ers".

I'm sure there were many similar occurrences in 'Nobby's Piles' in 'Viz' comic.

Palace since 19 August 1972. Palace 1 (Tony Taylor) Liverpool 1 (Emlyn Hughes)

"Theft of farmers' livestock, vehicles and fuel is on the rise due to the UK's cost-of-living crisis, according to a new countryside crime report.

Rural crime claims payouts between January and March were over 40% higher than in 2021, insurer NFU Mutual says.

It warned rising food prices could see livestock thefts increase further and contaminated meat enter the food chain.

The NFU wants the government to launch a national taskforce to deal with rural crime." (BBC website 2 aug 2022)

The amount of stuff you can burn or bury on farmers land. No wonder the NFU statement isn't mentioning the fact they think their clients (farmers), maybe committing insurance fraud as a cause for rise in claims.

The farmer I currently work with let slip yesterday that he was in prison in the early 1990's. Did prison life turn him to farming ? He was also on the phone to the police yesterday, but i couldn't hear what that was about.

I disengage, I turn the page.

Never really had any experience of farmers other than the Jolly Farmers in Purley and Frazer, a youngish Cornish farmer just outside Bude.

I'd played pool for a mate's team from Bude against Rock (in Cornwall) and on the way back we had to drop Frazer back on his farm. As we're driving down his track towards the house the bloke in front says to Frazer, "Frazer, there's a light on in your barn", to which Frazer replies in a strong Cornish accent

"Yep, I leave a light on in the barn to remind me to turn it off when I come in."

Genius.

Living down here does have some advantages. At least you can see them cry.

When I was about 7 I stopped with my dads mate on his sheep farm for a week.
A ewe rejected her lamb and another lamb died but that ewe was in mourning.
So he skinned the dead wanted one. Stuck the skin on the rejected one and put it with the dead ones mum. Took it as her own because it smelt like hers. Quite touching now I think of it. Straight on the teet.
Although lambs actually turn into spring lambs when the elastic band went on their tails to dock them. Jump around like tigger for a while. Don’t think that’s allowed now.

President Higgins can give a speech on it. Sabina can send a letter.

Red and Blue Army!