rent a cow, or sheep, or hen or pig.....

[Andy Hamilton]

Ok rather than tagging onto a seperate thread I thought that this idea could go on its own.

Counld it be a practical solution for my need for dairy produce and meat and a farmers need to diversify to offer a local organic farmer some money to kind of adopt a cow or other livestock?

Is it workable? How could you go about approaching the farmer to see if they are game without causing offence? Is this just another hair brained scheme that might not take the real cost of keeping livestock into consideration?

[Martin]

just go for it!
Find a producer of organic produce, and ASK - what have you got to lose?
I'd have thought a farmer would be quite happy to sell you some chops a year before they happen!

[Shirley]

I think it's a great idea... give it a go and see what they say. Worst they can do is say no (or some other such words with the same meaning)

[Tensing]

Some places already do this, I saw one the other day, can't remember the website, but will have a look later see if I can find it.

[Andy Hamilton]

Some places already do this, I saw one the other day, can't remember the website, but will have a look later see if I can find it.

Please do it would be a great starting block. I could not find anything in this country.

[den_the_cat]

I think you may have to decide pretty much what you want for your money before you approach them - and I think you'd get more luck with someone who already sells direct to the public than who doesn't, because if you're asking them to do something they don't already do (like provide milk direct) they may be scared of getting sued if the milk goes off or something (yeah silly I know but people get sued for everthing now)

So you may need a farm which already sells milk, cheese etc and effectively you'd be sponsoring a cow and receiving certain amounts of goods in return (aka; paying up front) rather than actually getting the output from that cow, or would you want specifically the output from that cow (or a proportion of it) and if so how much would you be willing to pay them to manage the animal and if the cow broke its leg and had to be put down would you be willing to take that loss?

Its all a bit complex once you start thinking it through :)