Thinking...?

[cswilson]

Wow that was the longgggg and short of it-farmer's son you should meet one of the most successful ranchers in our neck of the woods. A management guru was giving him the business about how to improve his place-he looked him the eye and said'sometimes I just like to go moose hunting' lol. Ranching is like most businesses-pretty simple actually-make more than you spend-works in feast,famine or the in between years.

[farmers_son]

I probably would enjoy meeting your rancher friend. Heard the moose hunting story before but that is OK, it is a good story. If ranching is so simple why do we see problems in agriculture such as people leaving, fewer and fewer young people wanting to make their living from agriculture, increasing levels of debt, insufficient profitability for intergenerational transfers and so on. I think running an oil company is a simple business, just keep on cashing the cheques. Running a successful farm or ranch anymore involves a level of management sophistication that our fathers never had to deal with. While there is a time for hunting moose, time also must be made available for planning.

Something to think about...If you are finding it profitable to increase cow numbers and buy in hay, how long before your neighours clue in and do the same?

[rkaiser]

The thing is f-s, we all start from a different place on the racetrack. Sometimes the hardest woking, most efficient farmer never had a chance from the very beginning. I like Mr. Wilson's attitude about cost cutting but some of us simply don't want to live that way either.

Choices, fortune, and finally management sophistication is what I beleive it's all about.

Aside from that, those of us that choose to spew our views in public or semi public settings are those who are not afraid to change to make things work. Don't know of many agrivillers who have bit the big bankrupcy banana yet.

I truely hope that those readers that don't post are listening to bits and peices of cowman, farmerson, Mr. Wilson and others who are not only survivin, but changing and progressing every day.(all in their own way)

No Mr. Wilson, I ain't suckin up. I honestly beleive that you bring a lot to this board.

[farmers_son]

Now I am worried I came across as being critical of Cswilson. Hope not. If I was being critical of anyone it was the various ag departments that encourage us to calculate our home grown feed at market cost which I think tends to move us towards short term thinking rather than take the long term view. Really the thread started off about rkaiser having cows custom fed anyway, not about Cswilson buying hay for his cows.

I do know Cswilson personally. I can assure you that I think Cswilson knows what he is doing or I would not be inclined to compare what I am doing to his operation. Basically what I am doing if I compare my operation to his or rkaisers is benchmarking. The thread started off with Cowman’s comment “I'm still not sure if Randy is doing the right thing but I'm starting to think he might be on to something?” Exactly so and Cswilson might be on to something too. I do think the issue is do you produce the feed for your cows in house or do you outsource your feed. It is worth thinking about.

[cswilson]

The sad part about ranchers farmers_son is that even if you had a breed,management system,etc that garantedd them to make money every year undewr any weather or market they all still wouldn't embrace it-so not doing somethging because soon 'everybody will be doing it' isn't really a valid argument-ranchimng is one of the last bastions of agriculture where you can use youir imagination and make some changes in your operation-not too many cookie cutter ranch operations out there.

[cswilson]

farmers_son you know me personally now that is news to me lol.

[cswilson]

Well Mr. Kaiser I'd never accuse such a worthy debate opponent of sucking up and feel free to be critical farmers_son-god knows I'm guilty of that myself. The big reason I buy my hay is that I have a deep and abiding hatred of machinery-the less I have to do with it the better.

[PureCountry]

"...the less I have to do with it the better."

Amen wilson, amen.

[cswilson]

Testify-my brother lol.