European farmers

[cowman]

It almost seems the old farm families are becoming extinct. Not much new blood. Instead we are being replaced by Europeans(Dutch, Swiss, Germans). And that is a good thing...agriculture is a dirty job but someone has to do it! They bring new ways of doing things as well as a lot of capital into agriculture(and allow a lot of farmers too quit with a few bucks in their jeans!). I would note that very few of them are interested in cow/calf or straight grain! Guess they aren't too interested in losing money!?
And while we look at government policies on things like the environment or how we treat our animals as overly invasive, they think nothing of them because of the strict rules that they operated under.
I have found the Dutch people to be really interesting and good farmers. Nice people too. I remember my Dad saying the Dutch were the only people in Europe that were worth bothering with! He also had a lot of respect for the German people...didn't think too highly of the French or Italians.

[ValueChainFX]

Cowman, what is the answer to your question? How do we keep our kids on the farms?

[cowman]

Value Chain: We don't! Why would we want them to be second class citizens? Let the foreigners have it!
Seriously though, there is no money in it, you work like a slave and you feel like a bum cause you always have to have your hand out. That is totally wrong thinking but it is the way the media portrays farmers.
If your children want to be farmers tell them to consider it a hobby and to get a real life! Farming is a lot of fun if you don't have to make a living at it! Can you still make it farming? Maybe if you have no problem with massive debt, if you like working for less than minimum wage, and if you are prepared to work 80 hours a week!
Intensive livestock operations can work but be prepared to keep your nose to the grindstone and work like a little beaver. This kind of farming sort of defeats the whole purpose as far as I can see....if all you ever see is the inside of a hog barn are you really any better off than a factory worker? Actually I believe you are worse off...no union, no holidays, no benefits.
So tell your kids: get an education, get a government/big corporation job and play farmer on the weekends...if you must!