Spring Rent!!!

[brian99]

bigsteve...know all too well about moving kids. LOL
As for the shop truck, have one but it is almost never where you need it. Rigs all over means trying to find the damned thing, it usually gets used to drop off some tractor wherever, then when you do have it, what you need has been "borrowed"
Thanks alot, theres smoke coming out my ears now... I'm just glad we're done.

[RichFarmer]

You are this forum constantly complaining about how poor farming is and now you want to rent a bunch more land ? What am I missing ?

[ajl]

Here is an idea. Take on the six new quarters at a reasonable price and sell some of your owned land which is at record values at the same time. That way you take advantage of an opportunity while reducing your exposure to a very uncertain industry.

[silverback]

Once again one has to ask, is your life that much better when you are running you and your family ragged with farms that size? Is it ever enough? Ever? At what point can you say that the stress of trying to be the biggest is hurting your family life? Is it the perks and stroking from the suppliers and machinery dealers?

I guess we just don't understand. Perhaps once you get to 10,000 acres and start expanding to areas 9 hours? away life starts to slow down and get easier? Maybe the wife and children like it better? Maybe once you have enough hired labor to run the place you can walk away more often? Is it that once you get that big the newest machinery line takes away the stress from running older equipment?

I'm not trying to be real ignorant, I just want to understand what the drive is all about. Perhaps we should have been more aggressive years ago and our lives would be better today?

[fjlip]

Thanks Silverback, my thoughts EXACTLY. Similar situation in this area. A handful of monster operations that never reach their size goal, I guess. More and more and more to infinity we go. Never happy never satisfied, the ego must blind all thought and reason. Tell us what drives it and what is the end goal.

[checking]

Far apart establishments could simply be a smooth division of assets between #2 and #3. It happens quite often after the glue is gone.

[brian99]

If you are looking for a simple answer, I don't have one. It's not ego, at least not for me. I don't get a thrill from buying or renting more. For some guys it is. Looking at it form another viewpoint, our businesses are miniscule compared to who we deal with. Bayer crop science is one of the biggest corps in the world, probably worth trillions.

First and foremost, I enjoy working I guess. I get a sense of satisfaction from a good crop or a good set of calves. My dad taught me a long time ago nothing is for free. When you are born, everyone else has everything and you have to figure out your way to make a life. You have to work hard and smart to be sucessful. I enjoy being sucessful. I figured out along the way smarter is more important than harder.
Do I want to be big just to be big? That's stupid and a never ending cycle. You get bigger because it makes good business sense. I could go into detail about that , but it's pretty well trodden territory.

The bottom line is, I made a very definite business plan along time ago, and I follow it. For me,the farm had to be a certain size by the time I was a certain age so I could slow down as I got older. That number was about income generation, not physical size. The reason for that was because I saw mid sized farms having a very hard time surviving. Smaller, income subsidized farms would always be OK, and big operations have the flexibility to make it work.

I still watch my kids play sports, I take time off when I can. I go to the lake and I snowboard lots in the winter. Life isn't all work. You make choices.

One final point. The local irrigation district just held a land auction. About 4000 acres virgin prairie to be sold by the district for irrigation. Pressurized water to the center of each parcel and 3 phase power to the corner. Unbroke and unfertilized. Buyer must supply the pivot. There was some very big money in that room that didn't buy a thing. I went and never took out my bidding card. Land went for $3200 to $3900 an acre. Mostly all bought by two local farms. My point is what I thought was stupid money made sense to at least two people. The high bidder and runner up. I guess you just can't compete against stupid money. It all depends on you viewpoint of what's stupid.

[SASKFARMER3]

Rich farmer I speak for farmers in General any one who knows me knows what kind of operation we run and how its doing. Its an example, questions lots of guys are asking. You may go by the handle but I like to think I speak for a quite a few farmers in general.

[checking]

Burbert.

You do realize your new farm is around 10 acres, if my math is right. Suggest you switch to growing carrots!!

[dubsy]

How do you guys approach neighbouring farmers about aquiring land?

[SASKFARMER3]

We have some long term relationships that over the years discussion has taken place about renting or purchasing. In some cases they honor the original hand shake, only one neighbor who died his widow gave the land to some one else. All is fair. Some we just approach and ask. Like father in law says if you don't ask how will they ever know. It ps some off but hey some times they phone out of the blue and you have a new farm or purchase. Always have financing in place to do purchases. Its been long term goal of the farm to get to certain size. Some times they just call out of the blue, They don't like the other guys or your who they want or what ever. But one thing with this strategy farm is in a ten mile radius, no big traveling.

[Burbert]

Somehow the farm seems bigger! I left home in the morning on the tractor and chisel plow, and never got home fer 2 weeks. A 500 mile row, takes a long time to hoe. Carrots, smarrots, too many rabbints in our area!! Nope its spagetti er nothin next year.......

[BTOfarmall]

Saskfarmer3 - Ain't you already farming land in Regina/Balcarres/Kamsack??? You don't consider that spread out??? What the hell go for it, you got nothing to loose, its only money. No worries, The Hutts will buy you out when the bank starts calling you on the Black Berry...

[fjlip]

Above thread reads in a ten mile radius.

[Choice2U]

Burbert...your dream of growing spaghetti is more realistic than other farmer's dreams of growing their own durum for their own spaghetti manufacturing plant. How deep do you plant that stuff? I guess the seed has to be imported from the US or Italy as there are very few seed dealers in Canada.