What Happened???

[checking]

Maybe the next time you're under the weather the kids will surprise you with a bowl of old biddy soup, now that you have the stock!!!

[burnt]

DaleK, do you still post over on Rancher's? If you do drop me a P.M., if you don't mind.

[poorboy]

Freewheat,

Could it be that the part of farming that you like is the simpler lifestyle and not all the pressures and worries that come with being the decision maker and having your money on the line. It is hard to have it that simple today and still survive economically and socially.

If driving the machinery, smelling the soil, working with the livestock is what interests you, then why don't you do just that.

Rent your land out, or sell some of it and pay the bills and then get a job working on a farm. If you get on the right operation, you will have a decent rate of pay, enough help that you are not swamped with grunt work all the time and still get lots of time off. This way you will get to enjoy driving the tractor, the day to day farm operations, etc. if thats what interests you without the gov't. books, yield and price worrys.

Or perhaps an off farm job that has lots of time off and downsize your farm to the point that you can enjoy putzing around your farm on the days off and not have to worry if makes any money. You still get lots of family time and partake in the farm/ranch lifestyle.

It just sounds like you are getting burnt out and there are other ways to make life simpler and less risky than having a big garden and raising your own food. You could also do both.

In comparing my situation on the farm to friends of mine that got good gov't/oilfield/office jobs with 5-6 weeks of holidays now and a decent income, they could easily help on a farm in spring/fall and get their fill and still not have any of the daily farm pressures that exist. Lot of my friends are just as far ahead in life as I am, so I don't think that there has been a lot of money in farming as compared to the hours of work.