In a new blog series, Matt Styles tells Farmers Guardian about what it is like to start a farming business from nothing.
We shall start with some of the highlights from this year, shall we? On the farming side we have expanded our breeding flock to about double what it was last year, picking up ewes and two new tups from all over the country.
Then we cannot forget buying a stock trailer (a purchase we desperately needed) from our favourite place in mid Wales which led to that fateful trip to North Yorkshire for twelve Herdwicks when a tyre blew out. We did not have a spare, so had to continue our journey with three wheels until we found a tyre in some nettles in a farmyard (of all places).
Other highlights include Floss, my better half, setting up the First Generation Facebook page group for likeminded individuals with a desire to farm to share information and knowledge, and discuss things like tenancy applications or renting land or buying livestock.
I have been involved writing this blog which has been really enjoyable, and I hope you have enjoyed reading it.
I have also recently done a filming day for a new scheme being funded by Defra to show what it is like to be a farmer to secondary school kids as a careers option. Fingers crossed things like this will help bridge the gap there seems to be with a shortage of people within the industry workforce.
Now for some of the challenges we have faced. We took on some conservation grazing for the summer which turned out to be a real problem as the ground has a bad fluke problem that we were not aware of.
So, a large number of our lambs went backwards before we realised what was wrong, but they have been treated now and moved onto better grazing but it has meant I have got more lambs on over winter than I had planned to - I was only able to keep ten breeding ewe lambs as replacements due to their condition and had hoped to keep fifteen.
I have been all over the country applying for tenancy opportunities this year with six applications sent off, but as yet no success, which can be a real knock to your confidence. You question yourself, what did I do wrong? But I keep persevering, eventually something will come up.
I have recently been involved in a car accident too, and now my truck my pride and joy - is all smashed up. Luckily, I am OK, and I know that is the main thing. But I love that truck and now it will probably be written off. I guess life has its ways of testing you sometimes.
I have certainly had my share of ups and downs this year and it has really been a whirlwind. I do not think I have ever been this busy before in my life and as much as that is great and it feels like I am moving forward with things, it is difficult to switch off sometimes - which I am sure many farmers can relate to. My takeaway from it is that in life there will be things sent to try you and it is up to you to deal with that. Without adversity you cannot build self-confidence. I mean, life would be a little boring if there were no obstacles to overcome?
So, with 2022 looming its head and it is looking set to be another busy year I look back in retrospect: 2021 has not been all bad nor all good, and 2022 will probably be much of the same. But one thing is for sure I will still be here plugging away at the farming dream trying to make it a reality, and you know what? 2022 might just be the year I succeed.
Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you all.
