How the other 98% live

[grassfarmer]

I wonder how these income and house prices are
viewed by others in agriculture across the country?
Relating them to our incomes and property
valuations.

http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/canadas-best-
places-live-2013-140050533.html

Communities in Alberta with average household
incomes of $130-150,000. AVERAGE incomes - so I
guess that counts the unemployed, the folks on
minimum wage, the households where only one
person works etc. And average houses costing "only"
$370,000 must count the people living in trailers too.
No wonder you see almost everyone on the roads
driving new vehicles. These figures astound me for
averages.

[ALLFARMER]

So what your saying is I'm above average?

Lol thanks Grass buddy!

[ALLFARMER]

Signed Worlds Top Farmer!!

[ASRG]

I'd say those figures are probably about right. 370K for a relatively large house(2000 ft)in Red Deer is about right.
Most households (paying for a $370K house) need two incomes. Lots of oil field jobs are in that $100-$150K. If the wife works as well, two people can make quite a large income.
If we can clear an actual profit on a cow of $200.....we'd only need 800 cows to hit the average! If we could feed her on 3 acres/year we'd only need 2400 acres X $3000/ac = $7.2 MILLION in land!
Sounds like a winning formula? LOL

[errolanderson]

According to real estate board stats . . .
average Calgary home price is about
$510,000 in Feb 2013. S.W. Calgary is
highest with average at $698,000. These
figures appear similar to 2012 winter data

[grassfarmer]

I'm not great with statistics but I dug around for some
Canadian farm family income figures and came up
with this site.

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-
som/l01/cst01/agri119a-eng.htm

In 2005-9 figures 2005 would be the worst in terms
of how much money farm profitability contributes to
farm families income. $82,500 was the average farm
families income that year of which $65,169 came
from off-farm income. Net operating income (coming
from the farm business) was $17,332 of which
$14,505 were program payments leaving only $2827
that could be said to be profit from the marketplace.

2009 was the best shown where $100,053 was the
average farm families income of which $77,370 came
from off-farm income. Net operating income (coming
from the farm business) was $22,683 of which $5286
were program payments leaving only $17,397 that
could be said to be profit from the marketplace.

So I guess this raises the question whether the family
farm in Canada is even a viable sector of the business
community or could it all be considered hobby
farming subsidized by off-farm income?

Interesting too that on Provincial breakdown the
highest profit from the marketplace figures were in
Newfoundland and Labrador.

[Horse]

Hey you all forgot the welfare cowboys in your figuring, 3.5 mil cost, 100 mil income and thats before you add the PROFFIT of having a cow. And this year no increse in fees per AUM 1.39/northern alta 2.39 central alta 2.79 in fact no increases since before 1986. Anyway back then I told Ken Kowlski then the cowboys could afford some help to slay the deficit but I guess there was to many politicions caught in the sheep pen with thier pants down to have a meaning ful responce. Southern alta where some leases are 40 acres per cow some have multi oil wells per cow so lets take out that welfare and look at the numbers again.How many of Yous can say they didnt have any increases since 1986??
Drop the 6cent fuel rebate the 7 mill step program 275 mill DR fees Hold the teachers to 0% but by god leave the COWBOY WELFARE alone.
When shirley Mc Leland left politics she paid the rent for these poor soles for fron 4/ 20yr and still no increase in rent??

[ASRG]

If I had it to do all over again.....I think I would have got into oil and gas. A friend of mine, is a drilling consultant and makes $2800/day. He tries not to work more than 6 months a year and has drilled all over the world. Lots of stories about Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, and Nigeria.
I've lived a pretty hum drum life in comparison I guess. Seems I never got very rich with cattle or farming, but on the other hand I never missed many meals! I guess my lot in life was to be a simple country mouse.

[grassfarmer]

I sure wouldn't pick that high paying job in another
lifetime ASRG. I don't take orders well as you can
probably imagine so the idea of working for someone
instead of being my own boss is a non-starter - it
compromises a basic freedom for me. Couple that
with the nomadic lifestyle of the oil-patch - being
away from home and family for weeks at a time.

Owning one of those new $500,000 houses might be
nicer than the one I have but if it meant being
squeezed in so tight by neighbours that I'm reminded
of a Lancashire mining village of the 1800s I'd prefer
to stay where I am.

Last but not least being on site, rolling out of bed in
the morning without a commute and being at "work"
which to me is still living the dream, doing the best
job in the world.... it's no contest for me which I'd
rather do.
Each to their own though and it's great that we can
choose what to do.

[ASRG]

Yes....I can see how you might not fit in a harness all that well! LOL