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Frequently Asked Questions
Q How do I join?
A Contact your Teagasc adviser or any Teagasc office
Q Is there a fee for joining the
programme?
A No. This is a free
programme
Q I am not a client of Teagasc, can I join this
programme?
A Yes
Q I am a part time farmer. Has the programme anything to offer me?
A Yes - definitely. Part time farmers have many issues including how to secure adequate household income in the longer term, farming efficiently on a part-time basis, how to make the farm more compatible with an off-farm job, workload and succession. Some may want to explore ways of replacing their off-farm job with a supplementary on-farm business or enterprise. Others will be interested in exploring opportunities for better more suitable off-farm employment.
Q What is the Action Plan?
A The Action Plan is a plan agreed between the family and their adviser. It sets out the priority issues for the family and the actions to address these issues. It summarises the options chosen by the family to boost household income and improve quality of life. The plan also identifies where further training, advice or referral to other agencies is required.
Q Is the
programme all about technical farming issues?
A No. The farm and farm income is an important part of the overall picture but not the only part for the majority of farm families. The
programmeis designed to help families address all issues relating to household income and quality of life and focus on all options on and off-farm to address these issues.
Q Does the
programme provide any funding for diversification or starting up a small business?
A No. However it will help you identify potential funding agencies and help you make contact with these agencies.
Q We are full time commercial farmers and see our future in expansion and increased efficiency. Does the Options
Programme have anything to offer us?
A Yes it does. Every business large and small needs to assess all options when planning for the future.
Our advisers will work with you in assessing different options for growing the business. An action plan will be developed setting out the best option(s) and specific actions to implement this option will be identified in the plan.
Q We are at a stage where we need to consider transferring the farm to the next generation. Does the
Programme offer any guidance or help?
A Yes. Succession planning is a very important task for all farm families at some point. The
service will help you work through the key issues and support you in implementing a succession plan.
Q Workload is our biggest concern. Can the
Programme help us to reduce workload?
A The service will help you explore ways of reducing workload. The answer could lie with changing your farming system, having better facilities, a reduction in stocking rate or perhaps better work organisation.
Q My wife and I find it very difficult to manage the farm, work off-farm and have enough time for a good family life. How can we improve this situation?
A The Options
Programme will help you set priorities in terms of what you want and need in the future. It will help you explore options to reduce workload and create a better balance between the farm, the off-farm job and family life
