How bout some aid now boys

[may-be]

I believe in having a better support system in place. A system that does not drop your coverage's because of reasons out of your control that lasted for years. More than one banker in my area said that if we do not have a good year here, there is no hope for a lot of people. I hope you guys in the overly dry areas have some empathy for the cattle people and the guys drowned out for years. Imagine what your farm would look like after years of disaster. This is why I say we need to speak up about not a one year bail out but some thing that is not going to penalize a person with a few bad years. If you have small crops you used your agrinvest and get way less support, crop insurance goes down and agristability becomes worthless.

[bucket]

Freewheat

Did you ever cash a too wet cheque back in 2010 thru 2014?

Just asking before I write more.

[hobbyfrmr]

Why do some Agriville posters refer to other farmers as "boys" ?
Thats weird.

[samhill]

Well, sometimes it's wet and humid and we have to spray for FHB, I guess the government should pay me the cost of doing it. It's just the weather, nothing I can do about that. And my wheat that I have to harvest isn't worth anything.

[vvalk]

One other thought a few people touched on. Why is it that basically only multi generational farms can make the business of farming work? Margins are so low many have to supplement of farm income to make it work. Most farms today who don't use off farm income do so because the first 2 or 3 generations did. We don't pay overtime to any of our employees because really margins are there to do so. Most farms have their 10 year old children or younger helping out. When we do finally, for most, in the last 5 years make "good" money we all think it's a blessing. When this really should be normal for what is invested and risked. Most business won't invest unless it pays for itself in 5 maybe 7 years. Yet we go out and buy land that takes generations to pay off , if you look at it on its own without other land to help. So why is farming different?

[bucket]

You can't build agrinvest without a crop.

Go 5 years with shit weather and see where your agristabilty margins are.

And then look at your crop insurance guarantees after a few bad years on a 10 year average.

Every program out there now is not designed for a failure, it's designed to fail.

Not sure where pushing 50 to 60 years old out after they invested in their industry ever since the 1988 drought is a wise thing. From 50/50 to continuous crop was an expensive experiment that has now lead us right back to where we were 27 years ago.

No crop.

And for those that say there is a crop - compare farming in 1988 to 2015 and ask yourself which year had higher production.

A hint it was 1988 and the government thru out 850 million to keep lyle and gerry and anderson in the business.

[cottonpicken]

Good post Vvalk.

Blind ambitous passion dont ever open your eyes.

[parsley]

"If we as a society were more proactive about dealing with our problems" , farmers would acknowledge that input costs will never quit rising and adapt to that fact; farmers would admit that playing the "grow more" game is unsustainable for FARMERS; farmers would concede that planting a seasonal crop, taking it off, and spending the winter travelling to Sunland is not your god given right; farmers would stop eyeing up the taxpayers' purse; and finally farmers would adopt a better attitude about simply not buying what they cannot afford. Parsley

[farmaholic]

My brother in law has a courier service in Regina, a start up from zero. Been going more than afew years now. He is paying his 15 year old daughter to do "stuff" around the office. You should see his fuel "surcharge", I'll have to ask him today when I see him if it went down when fuel costs dropped.

[bucket]

Parsley

Question.

Did your farm cash the 1988 cheque?

Just asking before I write more?

[vvalk]

Parsley. i take offence to your notion that the way you farm is sustainable and conventional farming is not. Let's have literally the whole world go organic and see how many people could eat. As for you time spent in the sun comment how many people outside of farming put 400 hour months in? Most unions want the work week to go to 35 hrs and want more benefits on top. So your saying a person can't go spend a month or two in Phoenix? Shows your attitude to how pathetic the business of farming is that you can't afford a holiday. Brutal

[cuban_assassin]

I'd cash mine if I got it and turn around and redistribute it back into the economy! Plus it would be income so I'd pay tax on it to.
You guys need to get over yourselves and realize that when you look at the big picture a $75-100 an acre injection into the primary producers pockets would go a long way in the economy and would help a lot more than just the farmers affected by drought.