grassfarmer?

[blackjack]

...grassfarmer...most of us that make a living from agriculture know the industry has major problems...but it needs people like yourself,cowman,f_s,and the rebels like Randy ...whether western Canadian ranchers develope a system like what Quebec has...or if we get some competing packers...I guess time is the only answer to that...like Randy says us ranchers are like herding cats

hell I sometimes have a hard time figuring out how you purebred guys that argue about whose got the best breed or not...as a commercial cow-calf guy and backgrounder I could care less what breed as long as the animal has the qualities I can resell to the BFW's or the other feedlots whose expertise is in finishing cattle...some people would say fatten your own cattle to get further up the chain...but to me thats what farming is all about being the best at a certain part of the industry as the individuals knowledge will allow...plus when I buy calves I have to keep my fellow backgrounders honest right kpb...I guess thats why I like to read the posts to learn from the other parts of the industry and as well the ranchers that give out hints to making my farm a better business...so I too hope you reconsider and keep us up to date with the knowledge that you possess...

[kpb]

blackjack are you going to go ahead and buy backgrounders this year? I'm still hemming and hawing but I don't know what I'll do with myself if I don't buy a few. I'm worried about our fuel costs but barley sure is cheap.

kpb

[cowman]

When you say barley is cheap, what kind of numbers are we talking? A farmer told me the other day a local feedlot is paying $1.46/bu.! Now I don't know if it is that cheap, but if it is I can assure you there won't be much barley grown next year!
Somehow there has to be a balance in these darned prices. Beef and barley always seem to be in a feast or famine situation? When one is up the other is down...and seems to be getting more extreme over the last few years?
I wonder how anyone is going to plant a crop next year with these high fuel prices and increased fertilizer prices? To top it off the bank of Canada seems to think interest rates have to rise!
I would think with the current price structure for grain and the poor growing conditions in parts of the country that the grain farmer could be approaching a meltdown?

[cowman]

not to mention the problems faced by farmers in getting crops, second cut etc. off in decent shape this fall.

[blackjack]

...kpb... I will buying some... even though we got hailed 80% the silage crop still ran 8 ton /acre plus we had a bumper hay crop... I've yet to figure the extra cost to silage but the fuel bill was definitely grose...

...last fall bought a mix of calves and young bred cows...I thought for the quality of the cows they were a good buy... as it turned out for us backgrounders was it not basically a 1 in 10 years to have the margins we had this past year...

...cowman...like our industry has been in the past two years...it is hard to fathom how long the farmers can produce below production costs whether it is grain or forage production...as you have said those with the deepest pockets survive but it does not lead to a better industry without the younger people unable to make a living...I could be wrong but I think the rest of society does not seem to understand without a strong agriculture base we are headed for disaster...

[blackjack]

blackjack this lack of understanding is evident with some municipalities as well, some municipalities seem hell bent on zoning that will deter any expansion of the livestock sector. I am not referring to municipalities in the highway 2 corridor where the land is being snapped up by developers, but to municipalities that are an hours drive away from that area. Folks with an urban background or mindset just do not understand what the future holds without a strong agricultural industry in this country.

[kpb]

blackjack and emerald, I agree with everything both of you posted. Blackjack, I agree last year was a real good one for us backgrounders and this year can't be as good but I'm not greedy and I'll be happy with just a little profit.

kpb

[cowman]

Blackjack: And there lies the real problem? Thirty years of poor prices in relation to costs and poor government policies have pretty well stripped all the young people out of agriculture?
In our drive to become "efficient" we have driven our farmers to the point of extinction.
When I was young it had already started but in the last several years it has really heated up? Successful multi generation farmers are not urging their children to continue to farm...and who can blame them? The writing is on the wall and for a young person there are so many other opportunities to have a good life? As a business, farming really is a poor choice...just doesn't pencil out?
I don't have a solution. I doubt there is a solution?

[farmers_son]

Maybe some successful multi generation farmers are not urging their children to continue to farm…but I am. Yes there are other opportunities for a good life, always were. However I have always had a roof over my head, a vehicle to drive and a retirement plan in place for my future. That is about all the other opportunities offer. And although there are lots of job opportunities when you are 25-35, when you are 50 or better the farm offers job security which is quite attractive. I have never regretted my decision to farm.

Could farming be better? For sure. Yes there are solutions, lots of them. One solution is producers can improve their competitive position by vertically integrating upwards into packing plants and further processing. It is not some kind of pipe dream to do this, it is sound business. It can be done and it will be done and it is already being done on a very small scale. Primary producers today have the ability to expand their horizons beyond just being suppliers of live cattle to someone else who makes all the money.

In the seventies and eighties the drive was to become efficient. Today the drive is to become profitable.

[farmers_son]

From what I see among the producers that I know, the kids that are really interested in farming are getting an education that will allow them to farm plus work at least part time, because they are not willing to just ' get by' like they have seen their parents do. The only way younger folks can farm is with help from their parents or winning a lottery, and the help from the parents depends on what sort of situation their parents are in. Many of the younger parents are still paying off considerable debt and really can't afford to hand the farm to the kids. Then there are kids like mine that aren't the least bit interested in farming so this farm will not be handed down.