I’m under pressure. I haven’t got the silage in yet, and the forecast is still not looking good. Aside from the weather, I still have to get the machinery in working order to ensure we have a successful cut.
We are probably one of the last few family farms that still cut our own silage, and – let’s be completely honest – there is a good reason so many no longer do it themselves. It is not for the faint-hearted. Luckily, the aul lad is great with the machinery.
I am sure I’ve mentioned this before, but my father has a real knack with machinery. He’s a big kid at heart, and silage is his favourite time of year.
I, on the other hand, have never shared his interest in machinery. I’m not a complete dunce, but it takes me two to three times longer to troubleshoot a problem than it does my father. Plus, over his lifetime, he has built a network of people to contact in the rare event he can’t figure something out on his own. I hope I eventually pick up enough knowledge to keep things going – or at least, not make things worse.
I’m not a complete dunce, but it takes me two to three times longer to troubleshoot a problem than it does my father
Over the years, we have been lucky to have a good friend of my father’s come each Saturday and help keep machines and other engineered goods well-maintained. Unfortunately, in the last few weeks he has been unable to work due to poor health. To me, this man is an absolute genius – he can weld anything; fix any kind of machine. He can do electrical work, carpentry and plumbing.
He loves coming here because there is always a problem for him to solve; mostly because my father would usually have broken something. I, of course, never break anything! He would laugh each week and ask, “Well, what did he break now?” or “What piece of junk did he buy this week for me to fix up?”
He does everything with a smile on his face and has shared some great stories and gossip while we worked. I’m so indebted to him for everything he’s done for us over the years. This man doesn’t have a bachelor’s degree – just his basic education.
By today’s standards, he would be considered “unskilled”. How is that even possible?
I hate how we class people today – especially if they don’t have a college education. I know people in trades – from plumbing to mechanics – who are twice as smart as most people coming from a “professional” background. What they lack in a degree, they make up for in knowledge, on-the-job experience and work ethic.
Ireland has come a long way. Based on the amount of bachelor’s degrees our workers have; we are considered one of the most highly educated countries in the world. I benefitted from this system. I was pushed towards an IT degree – mainly by my mother, who knew it would open the door to a better standard of living. I was lucky to have grown up on a farm and to have had the financial support of my parents.
I benefited from their push to “keep going”, even though I hated every minute of school. I worked to support myself through college and got some grants to help pay for accommodation (ok, I’ll admit, the odd session). But now I find myself in a line of work where common sense, hard graft and manual labour are much more important than the bachelor’s degree I obtained.
So, while we pat ourselves on the backs for how well educated we are, I think it is also important to recognise those who don’t have letters after their name. Education has been our route out of poverty, but education doesn’t just start and end with a bachelor’s degree.
It’s funny that we are starting to hear that knowledge-based jobs are now under threat from artificial intelligence. I know very few farmers – or people in the trades – who are concerned about their job.
Oh sure, there’s robot milking and drones doing this and that – but can any of them get a bunch of heifers into a crush? Chase calves around a field in the pouring rain?
Just ask ChatGPT and it will most likely say, “skilled trades and hands-on, physical work” are the careers of the future.
Read more
Desperate Farmhusband: ‘the tweeting birds all sound lovely – but why so early?'
Desperate Farmhusband: is it just me or are we all feeling a bit more cheerful?
I’m under pressure. I haven’t got the silage in yet, and the forecast is still not looking good. Aside from the weather, I still have to get the machinery in working order to ensure we have a successful cut.
We are probably one of the last few family farms that still cut our own silage, and – let’s be completely honest – there is a good reason so many no longer do it themselves. It is not for the faint-hearted. Luckily, the aul lad is great with the machinery.
I am sure I’ve mentioned this before, but my father has a real knack with machinery. He’s a big kid at heart, and silage is his favourite time of year.
I, on the other hand, have never shared his interest in machinery. I’m not a complete dunce, but it takes me two to three times longer to troubleshoot a problem than it does my father. Plus, over his lifetime, he has built a network of people to contact in the rare event he can’t figure something out on his own. I hope I eventually pick up enough knowledge to keep things going – or at least, not make things worse.
I’m not a complete dunce, but it takes me two to three times longer to troubleshoot a problem than it does my father
Over the years, we have been lucky to have a good friend of my father’s come each Saturday and help keep machines and other engineered goods well-maintained. Unfortunately, in the last few weeks he has been unable to work due to poor health. To me, this man is an absolute genius – he can weld anything; fix any kind of machine. He can do electrical work, carpentry and plumbing.
He loves coming here because there is always a problem for him to solve; mostly because my father would usually have broken something. I, of course, never break anything! He would laugh each week and ask, “Well, what did he break now?” or “What piece of junk did he buy this week for me to fix up?”
He does everything with a smile on his face and has shared some great stories and gossip while we worked. I’m so indebted to him for everything he’s done for us over the years. This man doesn’t have a bachelor’s degree – just his basic education.
By today’s standards, he would be considered “unskilled”. How is that even possible?
I hate how we class people today – especially if they don’t have a college education. I know people in trades – from plumbing to mechanics – who are twice as smart as most people coming from a “professional” background. What they lack in a degree, they make up for in knowledge, on-the-job experience and work ethic.
Ireland has come a long way. Based on the amount of bachelor’s degrees our workers have; we are considered one of the most highly educated countries in the world. I benefitted from this system. I was pushed towards an IT degree – mainly by my mother, who knew it would open the door to a better standard of living. I was lucky to have grown up on a farm and to have had the financial support of my parents.
I benefited from their push to “keep going”, even though I hated every minute of school. I worked to support myself through college and got some grants to help pay for accommodation (ok, I’ll admit, the odd session). But now I find myself in a line of work where common sense, hard graft and manual labour are much more important than the bachelor’s degree I obtained.
So, while we pat ourselves on the backs for how well educated we are, I think it is also important to recognise those who don’t have letters after their name. Education has been our route out of poverty, but education doesn’t just start and end with a bachelor’s degree.
It’s funny that we are starting to hear that knowledge-based jobs are now under threat from artificial intelligence. I know very few farmers – or people in the trades – who are concerned about their job.
Oh sure, there’s robot milking and drones doing this and that – but can any of them get a bunch of heifers into a crush? Chase calves around a field in the pouring rain?
Just ask ChatGPT and it will most likely say, “skilled trades and hands-on, physical work” are the careers of the future.
Read more
Desperate Farmhusband: ‘the tweeting birds all sound lovely – but why so early?'
Desperate Farmhusband: is it just me or are we all feeling a bit more cheerful?
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