How hard would it be to set up a farm?

I love the idea of setting up a farm and living where we work and enjoying what we do. It is of course a hypothetical question - we have no plans of setting up a farm any time soon..

But what would we have to choose - obviously we'd have to choose between meat or other farming produce. It would be animals though - crops are not my thing (can't keep a house plant alive )

What does setting up a farm entail and how did you get into farming (I know there's at least one of you living on a farm)

Replies greatly appreciated and other comments too

You marry an old man called Mr MacDonald (and get to know your vowels!)

From scratch with no agricultural experience? with great difficulty I would imagine.

Unless you are talking about running a large scale operation, I can't see how it would be profitable enough to make a living.

I went to an agricultural college (also a very large livestock farm) for two years and there is an immense amount to learn. It isn't the type of business you can jump into without a lot of prior experience.

Perhaps a small holding would be better, so you could be self sufficiant, but believe me even then you need quite a bit of knowledge, if its a thought for the future, why not think about some part time courses in that type of area.

what are you like!

As I said it was a hypothetical question - I have no intention anytime soon and possibly will never actually set up a farm - but I fully understand your comments.

Labradork - I have farmer blood in me does that count?

And I've worked on a farm for a couple of weeks.

Apart from knowledge and experience - what else would anyone thinking of setting up a farm have to think about - maybe in terms about animals?

Are farms not mostly handed down through generations..

Usually but any one can buy a plot of land and start a small farm off - it may grow or it may stay little.. as long as you have planning permission and other documents to say you can build/have livestock etc then you don't need to have it in the family - although there is a farm somewhere in Cumbria that my Granddad used to own - I could get rights to that if I wanted surely?

I think my Grandmother sold it though when he died so don't know if that would be possible - a thought though - I could track it down and see how it's doing...

MONEY, and lots of it

OK - that did pop into my head...

I'm never going to own a farm

If it was sold on then you wouldn't have any rights to it I don't imagine.