Bred Cow Prices

[pickarock]

So what are you folks hearing or seeing for bred cow or bred hfr prices this fall?

[cottonpicken]

Welcome to the world of cost push inflation.

[15444]

Seeing where kill cow prices are and such, the floor should be at $2500.

[fjlip]

And the only solution/ clout farmers have is quit buying and selling, produce less. Who will start that? Never live to see fiercely independent farmers, that see each other as the competition, unite on the time of day. If you fail I prosper mentality/reality.

[kato]

Agree with that.

[CptnObvious]

No, don't quit buying and selling; buy and sell together co-operatively and with discipline.
The independence we fiercely defend is a natural tendency( and evolutionary survival trait) but it is pushed to destructive levels by right wing politicians patting us on the head to get votes and ag corporations trying to maintain control of their food supply. I mean customers.

[bucket]

When jack turvey wanted to show the city of regina and saskatchewan how important ipsco was he paid the work force in 2 dollar bills.

Didn't take long to prove his point.

No farm group thinks about ideas like this.

[farmaholic]

If you noticed my gratitude list is pretty much the same as any other persons. The reference to a "crop" can be compared to a "job" for anyone else. Not one of my so called "partners" made it on the "positive" list. No I don't appreciate being gouged and ****ed over by monopolies and businesses that collude instead of compete. Enough said...

[bucket]

Here is an idea.

Cash your grain cheques and cash for 1000 dollar bills. Write farmer on them and use them for a while to pay bills. Then with change you receive write farmer on them as well.

See how far it goes.

The naysayers will say it won't work because they are on direct deposit.

[kato]

Interesting times, that's for sure. The cold hard real world is kicking in, no doubt. Talk to your neighbourhood cattle producer on how to survive bad times, if you still have such a person in the area. We just relived the Great Depression. This is how we did it.

You need to perfect the art of creative financing, then you refinance, and then in no particular order, sell absolutely every piece of equipment you don't need, drive what you've got into the ground and only replace it when it blows up, buy nothing that can't pay for itself almost immediately, grow a big garden, take a ten year holiday from taking a holiday, get a job if you have time, get used to repairing things, spend no money, and eventually you are the only one left standing and things will improve. Not sure how many are willing to live like we did for over ten years. For instance, we are driving a ticking time bomb of a tractor that has over fourteen thousand hours on it. The second tractor only has twelve. Anybody here want to live on the edge like that? Lots of people in the cattle business weren't. It was worth it for those who did though.

I read something here a while back about someone having problems cash flowing their income tax. I thought to myself, "Income tax? What a nice problem to have. It must indicate that there was income." I look forward to someday having such a problem. Then maybe we can buy a tractor. Lol

[farmaholic]

bucket: I don't think they print $1000.00 bills anymore or are in circulation. Was going to give one to my daughter upon graduation...she got a cheque instead.

[bucket]

No kidding oops.

I will think of something else that is still effective.

[bucket]

Kato

So are the cattle guys going to do something creative and show how important they are? Or on they going to be shit on for high steak costs at the grocery store as everyone in their dog starts to rebuild fence lines they tore out a decade ago?

I get your point but the public doesn't, they want cheap food and the hell with the guy producing it.

There will be programs to get people into cattle. Instead they should have had a program to keep good people in cattle.

[pgluca]

Kato you have it absolutely correct if you are willing to be self reliant and accept a lower standard of living AND not spend money you don't have....you WILL make it to the next cycle of profitability. Nothing gets produced below cost, or without a profit margin for long. Times like this are entirely predictable and should be considered in your business plan. That is not to say I have no sympathy for people who have had extended weather or other issues.

[farmaholic]

But why should you produce below the cost of production as the rest of the Industry forges ahead. Basically being price takers puts us at a disadvantage. Your options are yes and no to sell. Don't give me the, "well stop producing" thing. People have commitments and want to live too. For heaven's sake, it is food and as I said in a different thread a while back, put it in a pot and cook it, WITHOUT any previous processing required. I'm not doing this as a "public service"......