While most people work for their money, the most successful people make their money work for them. In the same way, most farmers work for their cows, but the most successful farmers make their cows work for them.
Who works for whom at your company?
That was the question we asked ourselves a year after we bought the farm in Denmark.
“If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die.” ~ Warren Buffett
We looked at each other with a look of recognition, we felt like “sleeping animals”! We dragged the feed for the animals and fattened them again. A lot of work, whether it was Wednesday or Sunday, 20 degrees below zero, the sun was shining or it was raining.
We were constantly in that stable, added together, my wife and I, working 24 hours a day. On the other hand, the neighbor with 36 hours of work PER WEEK earned a good wage!
Then I came across an article in a foreign magazine, with the headline;
“You also deserve a place under the sun!”
The article was about a completely different business model than I was used to! Ensuring that the cost price remains low, by avoiding the need to invest. Let the cattle do the work. While grazing, they collect the feed and take the manure away!
No machines needed!
No fertilizer but clovers, no minerals but herbs in the land! Get the "junk" under the wire that the cows eat first INTO the land!
Every time the tractor starts, it costs money!
The difference is in the thinking!!
“A problem only becomes a problem when you choose to see it as a problem.”
It resulted in us reducing working hours to 8 to 10 hours a day, total, added together! More cows lead to a lower workload!….and a higher profit!
“If you don't drive your business, you will be driven out of business.”~ B.C. Forbes
Three strategies were investigated in a large British study. High input – high output, low input – low output en een mengversie van beide systemen. What was the outcome? The mixed version generated the lowest income, the high input – high output came out better. But the highlight was the low input – low output!
That's pure luck when you consider that the latter has the lowest workload, the lowest costs and the lowest investment pressure! Then you sleep well at night! This was confirmed last year in a comparison between Irish grass-based dairy's and English intensive farms.
Ireland: UK:
Number of cows: 80 80
Annual production: 370.000 kg 800.000 kg
Income: € 91.000 € 62.000
The farm system “PG NxT-STEP Farming” is aimed at letting the cows do the work.
