The call for the Land Army

[tom73]

Definitely if I wasn't shielding someone.

We have been busy planting veg and seeds so fingers crossed .

View attachment 511616

View attachment 511617

Extra brownie pt for none peat compost by the looks ?

 

[mudsticks]

Here we are, if you'd like to help, but your backs not up for it... You've still got your limber fingers...

You can sign our petition.

http://chng.it/NdQdyjnFQS

 

[mudsticks]

You have to remember there was a very successful system of temporary labour in place in the 1970s and 1980s, shame we cant get some of that back.
Uni students would flood the market looking for a few weeks income during the summer. Do they do that still ? but into different areas / jobs now ?
Gang labour used to provide hundreds of workers at a former employer...mostly rough fellas, the kind of guys from poorer parrs of the city but they were good workers. There was a kinship among them, mates, family members etc....it all used to work.

Perhaps I'm going to answer my own question now...but there are more and more British workers using the big temporary labour providers now. A few years ago if you were British youd struggle to get regular work through our provider, I've seen it myself, other nationalities get preference, I've had several discussions with British guys who found themselves in that situation. Perhaps those providers are turning back to a more traditional source of labour now they have to, we are seeing more British workers in our industry using labour providers, something that hasn't been happening for decades.

The trouble is that culture of seasonal rural work done by youth, and other trad communities has been broken.

Eastern Europeans still have it, as they're not so many generations removed from rural life.

And it is hard, continuous, labour.

Which is fine, perhaps, if people do it for a few years, make a bit of cash, or have a few sunny summers, and then move on to other work.

But it's not a pace of work that most people can maintain all their lives.

I've specifically designed the system here so as to be 'human friendly' mixing some mechanisation, with a lot of (skilled) handcraft work, maintaining, and harvesting spread out all through the year.

So apart from a few really full on periods of planting, its generally a steady pace of work for my workforce.

(It also means I get to leave the farm, for hiking, and biking holidays )

And because I market direct, I can make it pay.

But this level of productive complexity takes a bit of management, and goes against the grain of "Get big, or get out" specialisation culture, that we've seen in agriculture over the decades since the war.

Loads more people could be operating this way, if certain barriers were removed.

But that's another essay by itself.

 

[mudsticks]

Community service? Get caught violating distancing rules and you get a fortnight in the strawberry fields of Kent.

Gawd, that's all the farmers need, a bunch of untrained 'fun loving criminals'

Following the links, there doesn’t seem to be anything in my area. I am currently in lockdown with a 21 year old climber and general outdoorsy type who is bouncing off the walls. Any outdoor work would be perfect for him. He has applied for 4 supermarket jobs - none have got back to him.

That's very frustrating, for you and him.

I've got loads to do, but I'm still p***d off that I'm probs not going to be getting my 'fix' of Scottish Hills next month.

There must be other physical work that needs doing in your area.

 

[screenman]

Well, fifty, is barely getting started

I had a yoga student start with me last year, aged 87..
She was well p****d off when we had to pack it in for a bit.

I said 50 is the average age, many people think it is only the young that go to gyms, I was just pointing ot in my opinion this is very often not the case. Love Yoga just got into it this year and cannot see me packing it in.

 

[winjim]

I said 50 is the average age, many people think it is only the young that go to gyms, I was just pointing ot in my opinion this is very often not the case. Love Yoga just got into it this year and cannot see me packing it in.

My mum's in her 70s and has had to pack it in with the personal trainer. She's got two titanium hips so she needs the exercise, and the specific training.

 

[mudsticks]

Whilst awaiting the chain gang...

I'll get on with it, on me tod.

 

[cyberknight]

Gawd, that's all the farmers need, a bunch of untrained 'fun loving criminals'



That's very frustrating, for you and him.

I've got loads to do, but I'm still p***d off that I'm probs not going to be getting my 'fix' of Scottish Hills next month.

There must be other physical work that needs doing in your area.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LbJEcS4GyM

 

[mudsticks]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LbJEcS4GyM

Ha ha, very funny.

My staff get yoga classes as part of their overall remunerative package..

It's great to keep them, fit, and strong and limber.

Apparently their teacher isn't half bad either..

Ps, some of them probs qualify as Millenials too

 

[cyberknight]

We have the same issues with the general fitness of people in my game too, most dont hack it and us "older " guys ie the over 50s are generally carrying them .
I dont begrude farmers it ok to think its will be nice to do a bit of farming in the nice weather but when its cold , wet , blowing a gale etc stuff still needs doing .Was a milkman for may years and yes the sunrise could be pretty then again trudging through snow to deliver milk because the float couldnt get down the road was equally fun ......

 

[cyberknight]

Ha ha, very funny.

My staff get yoga classes as part of their overall remunerative package..

It's great to keep them, fit, and strong and limber.

Apparently their teacher isn't half bad either..

Ps, some of them probs qualify as Millenials too

you may have heard of japanese companies making us do exercises before we start , its no joke and its unpaid .

 

[mudsticks]

you may have heard of japanese companies making us do exercises before we start , its no joke and its unpaid .

I did think, in these times of crisis, that perhaps I should be pumping out Korean Marching music, or somesuch to motivate the comrades ..

Might keep that one in reserve, and stick with birdsong for now.

 

[cyberknight]

I did think, in these times of crisis, that perhaps I should be pumping out Korean Marching music, or somesuch to motivate the comrades ..

Might keep that one in reserve, and stick with birdsong for now.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2v7FQ87SBI

 

[mudsticks]

... Someone make it stop.

And they talk of 'the good old days'

 

[gbb]

This thread reminds me for some reason of reading Orwells 'A Clergymans Daughter'..the hardships yet the sense of belonging in a typical farm labourers life in maybe the 1930s. I must revisit it.