farmers wanted

[Blaithin]

Absolutely, especially if they make 6 figures. That is the secret, marry someone with means.

This is what I'm holding out for LOL

[Blaithin]

This is such an amazing thing to think of. Both the pros and cons, the potential and the "No way in hell am I doing that"s.

Because I'm young and trying to start a farm on my own (Really not holding out for anything from the family farm), to me any sort of help is sooo appreciated. I'm frequently found browsing this site - http://youngagrarians.org/ - for it's useful events, apprenticeships and partnerships. There are times, I will admit, that I'm torn between "What can they teach me?" and "Don't be a ****wit, they can teach you tonnes!"

Apparently I'm not as grown up as I pretend some days Hah!

But I particularly like the train of thought on here that you can't just blame the old fella's. And you can't. Sure I'd be farther ahead in my farming lifestyle if my Grandpa wasn't a crusty old miser most of the time. He's one of those guys that is going to cling to his land until he's nothing but a song on the wind and not use it to help anyone. All while he grumps that the younger generation just isn't in touch with farming anymore.

But then I'd also be farther ahead if a million other things were different too so no blame on Grandpa. He can't help himself.

It's not all the old guys though. Think I catch breaks with the middle ager's? Naw. Then I'm too young to have much responsibility or they're too busy or something like that. There's usually a reason with most people. But it's not just opportunity for land or apprenticeship or loans or sponsors... it's opportunity for knowledge that I want! What excuse can someone really have to not help people learn about what they want to learn about? (This is an irksome point to me)

This week I'm doing my first volunteer presentation through Ag for Life at a high school in Calgary. 120 students will be subject to my partial knowledge of grains and grading (there were already beef presenters LOL) I'm also involved with the CAP program and have numerous classes of Grade 4's in Calgary who I will visit and give 1 hour presentations to about my choice of subject. I'm beyond excited and can't wait for some of the ridiculous questions I'm sure will come. Do I expect any of the kids will want to grow up to be farmers? Probably not. But it will help them understand our industry, it's careers and their food better. Aren't we always saying people are too distant from their food these days?

Maybe one day I'll slip and fall on a horseshoe and end up apprenticing for an older couple on a quarter section with a herd of grass fed beef with the end goal being to take it over when they retire (A girl can have dreams right?! Haha) But why should people wait for scatterings of golden nuggets to fight over. I think any farmer, be they 20, 30, 50, 80, should try and help teach wherever and whenever they can. Whether it's the neighbour kid from down the road coming over on weekends to help muck out the barn and have a chit chat (I did this when I was young) or going out and finding programs like CAP and Ag for Life to volunteer for. A person can be as involved as they want in anything and in whatever way that they want. There's no excuse in today's age to blame other people or say that other's could do more.

Afterall, as Michael Jackson once said:

If you want to make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change

[AlbertaFarmer5]

I'd like to think that I'll be the exception to the rule. I'm 40, still feels like I'm at the beginning of my farming career, and think I'm about 18. Have two boys half way to being adults. I have a plan B ( multiples) that can support us off the farm if either or both of them want to farm. I encourage them to get educations, start businesses pursue other opportunities, but if this is the business and lifestyle they choose, I want to be able to provide them with a viable business, without saddling them with paying for it all over again, like all previous generations had to do. And I want to be able to do it while they are still young enough and passionate enough to make something of it. Not be reliant on farm income or selling land to subsidise our lifestyle.

I have a neighbor in his mid 80's who keeps talking about retiring so his sons in their late 50's (maybe 60's now)can take over. Another neighbor in his 90's retired at the same time as his son.

It looks to me like holding on too long is a good way to exclude an entire generation, and basically guarantee the demise of your family farm.

[farmaholic]

So when is the apprentice ready to take over? When they are mature and done playing too hard? When they are making sound common sense decisions. When they are self starters...when they can see what has to be done next and do it without being told. When they are good money mangers and fiscally responsible. When you can see their thirst for knowledge in farming is insatiable and they are always learning new things. When they take calculated risks. When common sense finally settles in.

Everyone will be different.

Passion will be very important.
Resilience
Ambition
Confidence
Standing up for yourself (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

[SASKFARMER3]

I like this topic.

Farming has and always be about luck more than brains.

Yes having a wife with a great job does help a lot. That pays the basics of life food, home and relaxation.

But a farm should not be bought and sold to the next generation every 40 years.

Yes any 50 plus farmer knows e clock is ticking. If I wanted to sit and do jack shit in a million plus home in Hawaii or key west or scots dale would of happened two years ago. Again see insert on timing.

But our farm has always had a long term plan. My father did and so do his father. My kids knew the plan since they were young children.

Land is important as long as Canada doesn't change the ownership rules. Why sell a asset. Siblings leave some sell to family others get a rent check and life goes on.

Back to timing, again watch what is happening to farmers in the USA it will happen in Canada in next few years. Always has always will. They had a boom two years before we caught on.

Right now is time to bail if your leaving and don't care, but if your ready for expansion or splitting up the colony it's just around the corner.

Yes margins are getting so bad and weather still controls the final out come.

Sunny here today 88 above still haven't found that next place to call my second home. But like all things the sun is setting later the days are getting warmer and maybe it's time for the Grey Goose to fly north and do it all over again. Honk.

[farming101]

When the young guys show initiative, ingenuity and have a git-r-done attitude they are ready

In other words when you sense they wish you would get out of the way!

[farmaholic]

when the young guys show initiative, ingenuity and have a git-r-done attitude they are ready

in other words when you sense they wish you would get out of the way!

............old man!!!

[grassfarmer]

Blaithin you have a great opportunity ahead of you to influence these school kids. I think a lot of our future farmers will come from city or town backgrounds rather than farm backgrounds. I think they need to, because that way they will come with the ingenuity and creativity needed to think outside the box and build a farm from nothing. They don't come with the baggage of multi-generational farming history that tends to bring a "you can't to that here" attitude. Many of these new farmers will fail and the biggest cause i've seen is an inability to upscale start up enterprises.

When do the kids take over Farma? Depends on the kids but I firmly believe in giving youngsters responsibility from an early age. I started full time at 16 and was given responsibility for buying some livestock by 17 and all the buying by 20 and was senior partner on management decisions before 30. Looking back I'm very grateful for these opportunities and feel it was ideal for my development. Joel Salatin wrote an excellent book on the subject of farm succession getting kids involved that is well worth reading.

[mbdog]

Don't know what it's like on a purely grain operation mbdog but something that's going to be important for me and I'm sure others once they hit the 50s is having "younger legs" helping out on what is still a fairly physical job when you're working with livestock. I see that as one of the big advantages of starting some type of succession at 50 where you are bringing in people 20-30 years younger than you - it might provide the means to let you continue to farm actively for another 20 years if you want to.

Grain guys also have lots to offer and gain in helping out those "younger legs" looking at livestock. Some pitfalls, but manageable. More to the point...access to land, equipment, mentorship, and possible financial bridging are all in play under my umbrella cause it makes sense. Same could be said for low acre-high input veggie/fruit startups.
Back to my point...i think there's many producer/stakeholders willing to have these conversations, and potential producers need to know this.

[grassfarmer]

Back to my point...i think there's many producer/stakeholders willing to have these conversations, and potential producers need to know this.

So are you looking for somewhere to host the conversations? I know a number of places online where you can meet people wanting to get into farming but I must say I've never seen anyone there seeking to get into purely grain farming. So is there a site where such people congregate? Agriville?

[hobbyfrmr]

"Passion" can mean more and have more value than money!

In this area your "passion" better be worth more than $125.00/acre.

[furrowtickler]

Hobby - same here or be willing to give away 33% of your gross or $300,000 per 1/4 . Number simply don't work at this time .

We are getting the kids envolved now but are focusing on increased productivity other than increasing land base for the time being .

[mbdog]

What are the Parasites doing to ensure they have a new young host to feed off of for his lifetime?

Funny it should fall on the shoulders of those who fought the parasites all their lives.

It doesn't have to be this way. And while this issue isn't my responsibility or a burden I should have to wear/bear, I can have an affect going forward. And if we don't try, we can expect the same results. Too many think and are lined up for the status quo...how well has that worked?

[mbdog]

So are you looking for somewhere to host the conversations? I know a number of places online where you can meet people wanting to get into farming but I must say I've never seen anyone there seeking to get into purely grain farming. So is there a site where such people congregate? Agriville?

At this stage, I'm more interested in best practices and capturing/developing more value from the farm. I have no desire to startup again...but door might be open for someone else to. I haven't found those sites so thought I'd lay it out on AV. And I agree with your comment about where the potential producers could come from and what they will want to "farm".

[therealnorthernf]

hard to justify helping someone else's kid to start farming, when u have spent your life helping others in the area and getting no thanks.. Ya maybe I'm getting crusty too.