After a promising start, this apple season has been a bit of a dead-loss. I would estimate that we have around 1/20th of last year's crop.
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| Bardsey Island Apple - One of Two! |
Ancient David Brown Tractor, Ben - Head of Sales!, The Great Oak, Monmouthshire Tymawr Farm
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Cider # 5 - Disasterous Apple Season!
After a promising start, this apple season has been a bit of a dead-loss. I would estimate that we have around 1/20th of last year's crop.
The Bardsey Island Apple tree which did really well last year has only produced 2 (!) fruits this year after a pretty comprehensive 'June Drop'. However, they do at least look delicious. I'll have one in my packed lunch tomorrow and Jo will enjoy the other one! No cider this year unfortunately!
After a promising start, this apple season has been a bit of a dead-loss. I would estimate that we have around 1/20th of last year's crop.
Monday, 1 October 2012
Vision # 5 - Independence Plan Basics
We need a 'roadmap' to layout how we are going to get from where we are now (totally dependent on a job at a large company) to where we want to be (independent, working for ourselves, more connected with the land, setting a great entrepreneurial and creative example to our children). We have so many ideas, but also a lot of constraints - the age of the children, the size of the mortgage, availability of capital and so on. The transition is going to have to be carefully managed and will take quite a few years.
My starting point for laying out the plan is simple - adding up all of our current income and calling it 100%. I contribute to a work pension, and my employer also contributes, and this isn't taken into account in the 100%.
There are 4 points on the 'road', and effectively 3 'stages' on the route. The four points are:
1. Dependence. Where we are now.
2. Subsistence. The next step, where it is possible to eliminate the main job, and replace it with a mixture of savings and new income streams, replace our current income to the value of 100% (i.e. same potential 'living standard' as today, but without making any pension provision for the future).
3. Sufficiency. The step after subsistence, where approximately 110% of current income is achieved. This means we have todays potential 'living standard' AND we're building a pension fund at the same rate as today. At this stage it would be great for at least one of us to have totally eliminated 'outside' work, focussing 100% on Tymawr-Farm.
4. Abundance. When income comfortably exceeds outgoings, say a minimum of 130% of current income, it should be possible to lead an enhanced, modern and generous lifestyle. At this stage I see all 'outside' work being totally eliminated, and even to bring other partners, contractors or even employees into our business.
To be clear, when I use the term 'income' in all of the above, I don't mean to distinguish between making a cost saving and increasing income i.e. if we eliminated oil as a fuel to heat our home and saved an amount equivalent to 5% of our current income I would treat that as 5% additional income in my analysis. In fact, cost saving ideas can be even more effective than income generating ideas as they are not subject to tax (i.e. for every extra £1 I earn I take home ~ £0.70, but for every £1 I save I REALLY benefit by the full £1). However, as a wise man once said "No-one ever cost-reduced themselves to glory"!
Having made some basic definitions, the next part of the plan is to organise our ideas by stage (Dependence-Subsistence, Subsistence-Sufficiency, Sufficiency - Abundance), and then work out what is feasible / manageable in a given time scale.
Other key factors on the timeline are the ages of our children and our own ages: the former determines when nursery fees stop, and when days become more structured (school); the latter defines a 'latest feasible' point for the plan - I don't want to start working on the smallholding when I'm 65!
Going to go back to basics and put the above on paper (with a pen!) later, will scan and upload later this week.
Initial 'back of an envelope' scribblings suggest that it may be possible to 'go it alone' and at least start the Sufficiency-Abundance stage by 2020, which seems like a long way away right now.
Back to work tomorrow!
We need a 'roadmap' to layout how we are going to get from where we are now (totally dependent on a job at a large company) to where we want to be (independent, working for ourselves, more connected with the land, setting a great entrepreneurial and creative example to our children). We have so many ideas, but also a lot of constraints - the age of the children, the size of the mortgage, availability of capital and so on. The transition is going to have to be carefully managed and will take quite a few years.
My starting point for laying out the plan is simple - adding up all of our current income and calling it 100%. I contribute to a work pension, and my employer also contributes, and this isn't taken into account in the 100%.
There are 4 points on the 'road', and effectively 3 'stages' on the route. The four points are:
1. Dependence. Where we are now.
2. Subsistence. The next step, where it is possible to eliminate the main job, and replace it with a mixture of savings and new income streams, replace our current income to the value of 100% (i.e. same potential 'living standard' as today, but without making any pension provision for the future).
3. Sufficiency. The step after subsistence, where approximately 110% of current income is achieved. This means we have todays potential 'living standard' AND we're building a pension fund at the same rate as today. At this stage it would be great for at least one of us to have totally eliminated 'outside' work, focussing 100% on Tymawr-Farm.
4. Abundance. When income comfortably exceeds outgoings, say a minimum of 130% of current income, it should be possible to lead an enhanced, modern and generous lifestyle. At this stage I see all 'outside' work being totally eliminated, and even to bring other partners, contractors or even employees into our business.
To be clear, when I use the term 'income' in all of the above, I don't mean to distinguish between making a cost saving and increasing income i.e. if we eliminated oil as a fuel to heat our home and saved an amount equivalent to 5% of our current income I would treat that as 5% additional income in my analysis. In fact, cost saving ideas can be even more effective than income generating ideas as they are not subject to tax (i.e. for every extra £1 I earn I take home ~ £0.70, but for every £1 I save I REALLY benefit by the full £1). However, as a wise man once said "No-one ever cost-reduced themselves to glory"!
Having made some basic definitions, the next part of the plan is to organise our ideas by stage (Dependence-Subsistence, Subsistence-Sufficiency, Sufficiency - Abundance), and then work out what is feasible / manageable in a given time scale.
Other key factors on the timeline are the ages of our children and our own ages: the former determines when nursery fees stop, and when days become more structured (school); the latter defines a 'latest feasible' point for the plan - I don't want to start working on the smallholding when I'm 65!
Going to go back to basics and put the above on paper (with a pen!) later, will scan and upload later this week.
Initial 'back of an envelope' scribblings suggest that it may be possible to 'go it alone' and at least start the Sufficiency-Abundance stage by 2020, which seems like a long way away right now.
Back to work tomorrow!
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