One Earth Farms

[skhadenuf]

Wonder if there isn't a ton of government money behind this idea in some shape or form, assistance for wages, assistance for new business etc, I think this is going to be a scam to get the billions of government money the natives have just sitting there for them to use. You can see this happening with the resource deals up north companies hooking up with the natives it's a no loose for them they'll have all that gov money for anything they want as long as a handful of natives get a job and the chiefs get their cut who cares about the bottom line.

[bucket]

If I had even two million dollars clear money I might go work for a farmer just to stay busy but in no way would I wake up one morning and say yeah I will take the risk on of farming. Especially with other people's money. GM would be a better place to bet money. If sprott is so smart he could be betting on both sides of the failure/success of that enterprise and use his own money.

Remember Bernie Madoff was a genius as long as the market was going up. And now some are saying madoff was the tip of the iceberg.

That oilman from stockholm,sask tried this venture out. The only thing I remember is he got out soon and had a auction sale that made the news.

Ritchie brothers are probably already licking their chops at Sprott's venture.

[SASKFARMER3]

This one makes me really upset. Huts have a confined labour force. As long as cheap labour they can do amazing things. Once Oil and Potash increase labour costs the young leave and it fails. Simply paying an employee 75,000 a year like big unions doesn't work with 8 canola 4 wheat 3 barley etc etc. Some guys think its easy to farm on a large scale, this is a disaster in the making. I wish them luck but something doesn't make sense. Farming for 100 years has produced 2% return over the years with the exception of 1978 to 1981, yes maybe its coming again but the ones who made huge dollar took farm profit and invested it 15% or more and didn't put it back into the farm are filthy rich now. Then in rough times they expanded on the ones who purchased the 160,000.00 quarters and lost them. I think history repeats its self. Here we go again.

[cottonpicken]

That oilman got out for health reasons,they buried him a while back

[LWeber]

3. Largest ever Canadian farm auction
by Rae Groeneveld

http://www.fcc-fac.ca/newsletters/en/express/articles/20060331_e.asp#2


A crowd estimated at about 4,500 gathered near Stockholm, Sask., 85 km south of Yorkton on March 24 to witness the largest single-owner farmland auction ever held in Canada. Eighty-three quarter sections of land and all the equipment needed to farm it (as well as a large amount of rented land) were sold.

"With the amount of land and equipment that was being sold, people came from far and wide," marvelled Peter Kennedy, Manager of Ritchie Brothers Auction, which was consigned to conduct the sale.

Almost 1,700 registered bidders from seven provinces, 11 U.S. states as well as Germany and Italy attended the sale. There was also participation from more than 270 Internet bidders.

"The Americans were very strong in purchasing the rolling stock, the tractors and combines," analyzed Kennedy, who also noted two Case 8010 combines sold for over $200,000 each. The large new 4-wheel drive tractors sold for close to $200,000 also.

There were a couple of trends when the land was sold, according to Kennedy. He said the first land, which was spread out and was in separate blocks, sold to neighbours and people around the area.

"And then about a third of the way through the sale the Alberta purchaser, who acquired the 27 quarters in one shot, made his move," says Kennedy.

The sale price for most of the land ranged from $25,000 to $42,000 per quarter section (160 acres). The main home quarter, including a residence and new machine storage sheds, sold for $135,000.

The owner of the property was 45-year-old Don Gillen, who resides in Saskatoon. He had purchased the large amount of land just three years earlier. At the time, Gillen saw an opportunity in agriculture. But after the frost of 2004 and the struggle to take off a crop over such a large area in 2005, Gillen decided the risk was too much.

"After last fall I got thinking the potential of having things go a-miss was quite high. So I thought we have fairly new machinery, the land is in decent condition and may be attractive to others," explained Gillen, regarding his decision to sell out after only three years of operation.

Gillen also cited the distance between his main home and the Stockholm farm as a challenge when it came to managing the farming operations.

Overall, the auction is estimated to have generated $7.7 million dollars in sales.

___________________________________

Right-winger Don Gillen played briefly with the Philadelphia Flyers and Hartford Whalers in the early 80s. The 6'3", 215 pounder was an intimidating scorer in junior and the minors but was unable to find a niche for himself in the NHL.

Born in Dodsland, Saskatchewan, Gillen was a star in the SJHL with the Weyburn Red Wings. He was chosen 77th overall by the Flyers in 1979 after he scored 51 points and played on the second line with the powerful Brandon Wheat Kings when they reached the Memorial Cup final. He was returned to junior and scored 87 points while drawing 372 minutes in penalties.

In 1980-81, Gillen scored 30 goals for the AHL's Maine Mariners and battled the league's toughest skaters during his rookie pro season. In July, 1981 he was part of the trade with the Hartford Whalers that involved former 50-goal scorer Rick MacLeish and young prospect Ron Sutter. Gillen played 34 games with Hartford in 1981-82 then played 2 /12 seasons in the AHL with the Binghamton Whalers before retiring.
_______________________________________

[LWeber]

Can any of you guys from Dodsland or Kindersley tell me if Don Gillen died?

Cant find it on the net.

I know the family and didnt hear dick that Don died.

[parsley]

He lives in Saskatoon.

[stubblejumper]

He also owns an oil company which gave him the $ to buy land. I wonder how many family members sold land and used their capital gains deduction.

[parsley]

Don bought land when no one else was buying. He paid for his purchases. He didn't leave any bills. Thus, retiring farmers benefitted from Don's oil company profits. He hired and paid accountants. And hired employees. And paid them.


Farming would be more attractive if 5,000 guys like him chose agricultural ventures.

Parsley

[cottonpicken]

I should have worded it like a question,but i really thought i heard or read it because i remember doing a double take.

[gustgd]

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A farmer friend of mine recently commented to me that, “we might as well write the small capitalized farm enterprises off, and stop designing programs to try to keep them going”. The simple economics of his contention are correct. The amount that they normally get from any support program is not enough to keep them economically viable. But, in the real world these farms do not disappear: rather, they are stable units that survive because of one or other of: off-farm income, the desire to live the farm life style, or a willingness to accept a lower standard of living, or all three.

However, in the minds of the public; which means the urban voting public, the emotional pull of the “family farm” provides the questionable base for my friend’s support programs to go unchallenged. The ten thousand acre family farm certainly does not attract this broad support, and may even be derided in some circles as being something less than admirable. The same attitude leads to support for such worthy initiatives as farmer’s markets and, consuming only products from within one hundred miles. While the small units survive the medium sized ones disappear.
On-the-other-hand, in all the countries where industrialized agriculture is leading the way: Canada, the U.S., Russia, Brazil and etc. farm size is expanding only limited by management issues and capitalization. The output whether measured as; per worker, or dollar invested or acre is way above the former medium units. We are being warned that food production has to double by 2050 which means that productivity has to increase on the existing industrialized units but certainly on those, still underdeveloped, world wide.

1.2 Re: Comments: Re: the Politics of Farm Size. “ The ‘family farm” regardless of its configuration, (size, ownership), is still the most efficient organization in the long run for cereals and oilseed production. Operational decisions are made on the spot, on the fly; which means when timing is critical things get done. The giant corporate farm simply cannot replicate that management flexibility. Cash flow is another issue. The family farm can tighten its belt in the lean years, live off depreciation and survive on very little net income, provided it can cover its interest payments. Salaried and wage employees will not wait two years for their pay.”…Allen Hingston

[SASKFARMER3]

Parz you forgot one thing.Yes he never stuck any one with a bad check and was one heck of a farm operator because land was cheap their. But guess what FROST Drought in rain belt and FROST. and his accountant told him to quit while he was ahead.
Their is no government support out their for farmers its all smoke and mirrors. Ask the hog and cattle guys now how things are going. Before it was just us dumb grain farmers who complained that we had to go head to head against the USA.
Any way this new super farm will find out that its mother nature that controls things and when she dishes you three crappy years in a row the farm will be done.
But I for one wish them all the luck in the world. Hey go for it.