Agriculture...more than ever.

[vvalk]

Sask 3. What a load of crap! Just go to the oil patch and make $250K? Most might make half of that working in brutal northern secluded conditions. People come back to southern Alberta to make $25 an hour and feel it's a better life. Not only that what is your take home pay on $250K. Maybe $150K. If you figure everything your farm pays your actual take home pay is very high. No reason not to make $100K on 640 acres these past 5 years and that's after you paid for much of your living expenses.

[Cattleman]

How typical. A group is trying to put a positive spin on agriculture, then everyone else bashes them and jumps all over them to piss and moan some more!
Lots of people inside and outside of agriculture just see the pissing and moaning and see this industry as always negative. I agree we need balance, but providing some positive reflection probably isn't a bad thing as we know there are lots of negative sentiments out there.

In terms of the income side, a neighbor left the farm for a few years to get some experience and build some wealth, he bought some land in the mean time, but still finds himself way further behind than the guys who stuck around the farm the last few years. He doesn't have near the equity to buy land, and is not sure he can make it work to buy even half decent equipment if he wants to farm a decent land base. He has a good paying job, and has invested wisely, but his wealth hasn't kept up to the farming community at all.

[bucket]

Rose colored glasses and sugar coating doesn't do anyone any good.

There is no sense in lying about the simple fact it's your bank account vs the treasuries of other countries.

But maybe it does make sense since for over 75 years western Canadian farmers financed other countries grain purchases.

[Braveheart]

Relax. The girls in their booths are usually cute ag girls.

This was not sponsored by Bill Cosby.

[SASKFARMER3]

I agree why sugar coat it. Farming is simple one gang buster 5 not so but good 3 break even and one that will almost break you. Tell them that.
Ah to the guy who challenged me on oil wok. Spent Christmas with two very hard workers and one guy that's soso. All in the 250 club cheers.

[grassfarmer]

I know one well paid oilfield worker - he knows his job is secure - well at least until April anyway. Meanwhile those of us owning land our valuation just keeps on rising, own boss, in control of our own destiny unlike a hired man. If you don't like it cash in your chips.

Kind of funny that the loudest whining is coming from where - a beach in Hawaii this time? My heart bleeds for you SK3 -NOT!!

[SASKFARMER3]

Ah Grasshopper land was 160 plus in 1980 with the same bullshit the world is running out of food. Then dropped to 40 to 80 and stayed their right up till the change and the opening of the Chinese and BTO and pension funds. Still need us idiots to farm it for them. Ah a drought like the 80s and the oil job looks great. Its a cycle that repeats and repeats. Land food bullshit.

[SASKFARMER3]

Also its a beach in the Caribbean. We need our young to look at 10 to 15 years of income tax and tell them what farming really is like not sugar coat a new generation. 8 years of floods for us can be replaced by 10 years of drought how well will some do. Its easy to talk up up and away but just like the house prices in Arizona every dog has his day!

[Klause]

Every occupation has motivational speakers.

Ag more than ever is ours.

Oilfield has theirs...

We need people to work on public perception. Twitter... Facebook... Instagram... Youtube... Whining and grumbling won't win us public support.

Support counts. Want to have all our chems banned? Want to be forced to farm organically? If the public lobbies hard enough against us it can and will happen.