Farming.

[NAG1]

The decent farmer who does his own silage work will get out and clean where the road is mucked coming out of fields but the big contractors dont give a f**k. i'd normally give the road a scrape with the power link box if its bad

I thought this might be the case, but our way the contractors seem to be doing the bulk of it and the roads are a disgrace for weeks after.

Not only annoying for other road users but also dangerous in parts.

[theskull1]

Can anyone advise me on landowner rights in regard to costs to maintain field drainage, when there are properties who's storm water & septic tanks run into the field drainage.

The properties used to be part of the small holding but were sold on years ago. One of the owners runs a business out of his yard with lots of cleaning/power hosing taking place (not sure if that's relevant)

Is there an agreed liability to maintain the drainage of the field or does the landowner have to bear the costs?

[BennyCake]

What's this I hear about new EU regulations about using weed killers/pesticides etc?

[Hereiam]

You have to does a course to get registered so that you can buy and spray this stuff now

[moysider]

Can anyone advise me on landowner rights in regard to costs to maintain field drainage, when there are properties who's storm water & septic tanks run into the field drainage.

The properties used to be part of the small holding but were sold on years ago. One of the owners runs a business out of his yard with lots of cleaning/power hosing taking place (not sure if that's relevant)

Is there an agreed liability to maintain the drainage of the field or does the landowner have to bear the costs?

Sounds like something that would take a court case to resolve.

However those properties are now not the previous holdings responsibility. No way the contents of septic tanks should be going anywhere else. How can septic contents be allowed run onto another property! Or storm water?
Also if a business is using a lot of water they should have facilities to cope with it.

I ve a problem with a field beside a housing estate. Some residents feel free to fly tip rubbish into the field. I wouldn t be able to keep sheep ( I'd like to but I know from experience  that they'd be be chewed up), so the dogs are not a problem. Most dogs learn quickly not to mess with cows with calves and stay clear. But the rubbish is a problem and hits ye financially. Cattle are curious and chew on things and I ve had losses and vet bills from animals dying/treated from plastic induced colic and lamed from walking on broken bottles and jars.

Whose responsibility? Council didn t want to know ( report to Garda was their advice).

The Gardaí told me what I already knew. Take these few tippers on and they ll probably hurt us more in reprisal. Their advice was ' put up another electric fence 10' from the wall to keep the cattle away from rubbish being thrown in - or clean it up yerself with regular sweeps'
Not criticising the guards here btw, they were just telling me what I already thought myself.

When the shoe is on the other foot though the cheque book has to come out. I had a yearling heifer - in heat - getting out of same field and damaging a car. Ye shoulda seen the bill. I made the mistake of telling the owner that I had public liability insurance ( ye kinda have to have PL insurance  when you have animals that can kill people in a place where people just go walk about), and boy did he and his panel-beater friend go to town on a broken light and a slight dent. Ah well.

[BennyCake]

You have to does a course to get registered so that you can buy and spray this stuff now

You can't even buy sprays without being registered? I'll just have to stock up before this arrives!

[CD]

So, for the third time in ten days I've arrived home to find a line full of washing ruined due to slurry being spread. Happened last Monday, on Saturday and again today. 5 loads of washing  including school uniforms having to be rewashed and tumbled dried because of the smell outside. I've no issue with spreading but 3 times in 10 days in a city? I live three miles from Belfast city centre! It would be nice if there was some kind of notification. I'd say the weather conditions are causing the smell to hang around. Any of you farming lads let neighbours know when you're spreading out of courtesy?

[Franko]

So, for the third time in ten days I've arrived home to find a line full of washing ruined due to slurry being spread. Happened last Monday, on Saturday and again today. 5 loads of washing  including school uniforms having to be rewashed and tumbled dried because of the smell outside. I've no issue with spreading but 3 times in 10 days in a city? I live three miles from Belfast city centre! It would be nice if there was some kind of notification. I'd say the weather conditions are causing the smell to hang around. Any of you farming lads let neighbours know when you're spreading out of courtesy?

You say you live in a city, 3 miles from Belfast city centre. If the farmer in question wanted to notify the neighbours he'd have to send out thousands of messages!

[Mayo4Sam]

Just wondering about people's experience with the gas dehorner. My current electric one packed in and I'm looking at a gas replacement. Guilbert Express is the model, little 60g gas canister for €5. Anyone know what I can expect to get out of a can?

[BennyCake]

So, now that the evenings on the turn, I'm starting to think about getting my patch of land sorted.

Sprayed and left the land over winter. Have decided in spring to get the field reseeded as a wildflower meadow, and stick a beehive or two in it.

Just wondered if anyone have any advice on what flowers to sow that would be beneficial for the bees, as well as the upkeep, mowing, timing etc?

[redzone]

What about a little corner with few veg and spuds in it.

[BennyCake]

What about a little corner with few veg and spuds in it.

Aye, thinking of doing that as well actually. Just a few bits and pieces for the table.

[wanderer]

I work full time and have been left a small farm. Basically I am going to apply for the young farmers add on based on having completed my level 2 course, but I am worried that the extra money coming in along with my salary would push me into the higher tax bracket and leave me getting taxed heavily for what I almost expect to be a cost neutral hobby

With the way the young farmers add on is worded i.e. owning 51%+ of the business, I am wondering should I be registering a company and then doing my tax returns at year end when I can see what the balance sheet is like, and whether I want to reinvest in machinery, animals etc.

Has anyone done this before? How does it work? What are the negatives to the shareholders in the business? Does the business have to own the land, or can I do this as an individual and the animals/machinery are the assets?

Any help or suggestions would be great

[Hereiam]

If ur accountant is any good he can make sure u don't pay any additional tax.

[Nailer]

 Was reared on a farm but haven't been farming for years, recently inherited some land that was rented out for years and was badly neglected, stone ditches all need tidied up and in some cases fence erected on top of the ditch which isn't an easy operation. I've heard of metal posts being available where the wire clips in to the post and may be better than trying to use timber posts, any advice would be appreciated.

On a different note, really enjoyed some of the posts, especially around the calving, brilliant read and brings back memories when we were growing up.