Future of farming.....

[SASKFARMER]

Family working together farm will last every BTO comes and goes!
F$&k I have seen my share

One earth

Pike

Fuduk

On and on and on!

The way today is going I might be quiting also

Slow as molasses elevator

Useless parts department

Useless mechanics

Useless RMs

Useless

Ah shit golfing is way better life!

[Partners]

Local caseih dealer has large farms trading whole line of equipment already.not even done harvest yet.

[jamesb]

The future of farming--- The bottom line for me is that the world is growing and people need to eat. How the future of farming will look is the question. With two teenaged boys that both desire to farm I have given a lot of thought to position ourselves to make this obtainable. I see the successful farms around now that are now are worlds ahead of what we used to do for management and financial planning. We have great resources out there to build the right business plan
Attitude : I follow this site quite a bit and post now and then. I have to say that I am disappointed by all the negative, pessimistic attitude that seems so pervasive in so many of the comments. Reminds me of a local guy that always was bitching about everything with the farm, too dry, too wet, low prices , high ,machinery costs and so on. Later on he was sad that none of his kids wanted to farm. No surprise if the kids heard that negative attitude towards farming. I know I wouldn't have farmed if my dad talked that way.
Land: We rent land but own most of what we farm. I believe land ownership is the key to the long term sustainability. In too many places around the world tenant farmers are the norm. Our forbearers left Europe to get away from this and own their own land here.
Economics: For any system to be sustainable, all segments have to be profitable. We simply cannot produce a product for less than a reasonable return on investment or eventually the system will crash, maybe not today but eventually the equity is gone. We are sometimes our worst enemy as guys sell less that their cost of production to create cash flow but this drags the price down. I am optimistic that governments just don't have the money to prop up farm economy's with subsidies that they used too. (EU and US). This promoted oversupply.I know I'm jumping all over here but it boggles my mind how many farmers don't think beyond the pit off the local elevator or the ring at the auction mart, as though those local people had any power to affect prices to any degree. I have seen it both ways. Might have been at crop week or such but I recall hearing a farmer berate a overseas pulse buyer that they need to pay more as the pea price was just too low and below the farmers costs, as though the buyer could just as easily past on a higher price to the pulse buyer in India or what you. Or conversely I remember in 08 or 09 when pulse prices where going through the roof , at a similar
venue I had a pulse buyer from overseas tell me I needed to "charge less" for my peas as the price was getting cost prohibitive for the person on the street in India to afford to buy food. As though we have the power to set price. We are all marionettes in a global game. I do have the power to decide what I grow and sell it at a price I can live on.
I am hopeful to continue farming until the next generation gradually takes over the operation.

[grassfarmer]

However, family operations rarely last more than 2 generations, seem to all split up around here. Only two that have not, one is huge, time will tell.

That was a common observation in Scotland at least 50 years ago - takes one generation to build up a farm and the next loses it. The hunger the building generation has is quickly compromised by the comfort the successor generation assumes. The skill in being successful multi-generationally is overcoming that tendency.

[foragefarmer]

Two post above with totally different attitudes, one that is extremely positive about his future in farming and feels he can make a go of it, and the other that just ******* and complains about everything and post pictures of his new equipment and his crops and is never satisfied.

I agree with the positive poster's comments, and feel that as a farmer I really have it good compared to so many others trying to make a living. Some don't realize how good they have it.

[tweety]

Two post above with totally different attitudes, one that is extremely positive about his future in farming and feels he can make a go of it, and the other that just ******* and complains about everything and post pictures of his new equipment and his crops and is never satisfied.

I agree with the positive poster's comments, and feel that as a farmer I really have it good compared to so many others trying to make a living. Some don't realize how good they have it.

Like.

[SASKFARMER3]

Yes tweety most farmers are ahead of the city mice. Yes we have it good compared to Oil workers or Mine guys etc. Yes most farms don't get passed three generation. Yes to all but every single BTO since I have started farming is Gone.

I tried yesterday to figure out who was left from the 60s 70s 80s 90s early 2000 to today. Lots of BTOs along the way all gone. Even my favourite big guy the red army is shutting down the Ag side. took the check and exited stage right. If these prices continue to deteriorate and the USA starts to help again the farmer were in for one rough ride. Also don't ever count out the Ukraine or Russia, My grandfathers said those areas are like garden of eden compared to Canada and if they wont communist they would of stayed. So if they ever get there shit together were sunk. China and them are friends. Also throw one more big crop around the world into the equation. Can any one guess the prices next fall. Positive is nice but reality bites and were in a cycle of lower prices. Its just that simple.

[tweety]

Lower prices then the highs as of late, but still pretty good. Prudent fiscal management results in a profitable operation regardless of size, the really big ones have always come and gone.

[binthere]

sk3. big difference between scam artists and progressive, efficient btos. the same as the difference between whiners and optimists.

[freewheat]

I am kind of scared to post this, lest some fellows take it completely wrong. But the future of farming depends on two main things.

1. How much land did your forefathers have in hand?

2. How has your weather been on your farm for the last 8 to 10 years.

Let me explain further, and to the fortunate guys, I do not mean this as a sleight, but you are dealt the hand you are dealt. Some are dealt a full house, some are dealt joker hands.

I have simply come to the realization lately, ( I wish to heck I would have thought it through ten years or more ago), I personally have no chance to compete for land, against the longstanding family farms around. There are way too many young farmers in the market around here. They are ALL funded by long paid for land. It is a hand that enables so much. It is a hand which disables some of the rest.

Guys dealt a good hand, can sneak through bad years easily. They have fewer labor issues. And so on, so their attitudes are extremely positive, farming is good!

Guys dealt tough hands, with tough weather etc., have far different attitudes.

I was dealt a joker hand. I have accepted I will never be one of the expanding farms, because of the impossibility to compete. So I am farming differently. I have to, or I will not be farming anymore.

Yes I have a sour attitude about grain farming and the future of it. They announce a new terminal 20 miles from home? My answer is truly, I could care less. A new butcher moves to town? Now that is exciting news.

I have a very positive attitude about where our farm is heading, provided I can hang on a year or two more to get profitability stronger.

The future of grain farming around here? Well, unless these young guys start marrying and having kids, they will be the final generation, and some kind of a shift will then take place, let me tell you. Foreign investors? Maybe I will buy it up at pennies on the dollar? lol Hard to say, but there is a pile of youngsters going hard, and they have no descendants.

My son says the grain farmers are all gunna get fat, because physical labor is quite rare anymore, and winter times are pretty slow on the beaches of Mexico and Hawaii. lol

But this is the same son who wants to buy my neighbors 95 John deere combine, so take it for what its worth! lol