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Farm because you want to.

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    Farm because you want to.

    Farmers or any small business owners are just straw bosses because it doesn’t matter if you produce food or services the end user is the big boss. This goes back to the theory, do what the consumers wants if you want to stay in business.

    We say, “we have to stay farming to feed the world and save the farm for our kids,” but with the same breath we say, “ there is no money in farming and we are going broke.” So why would you want to give something to your kids so they continue to struggle --- as I said on another forum “ don’t keep trying to ride a dead horse.” I know –I know easier said than done but is it? ---- maybe stop and think about it.

    I think most young people will do just fine to produce good safe food in the future ( even the no good big corporations because they are also straw bosses. ) and they may even throw us old farts a bone or two. Most of us started with no money ( my start was from ground zero ) so why are we so concerned to hand things on a silver platter to our kids----support but don’t spoil them. Also enjoy life to the fullest and even do things you think are not affordable, because life is only this long ????????????? It doesn’t matter how old you are stop to smell the roses.

    I learnt a long time ago that the world doesn’t stop because you quit, there is always someone waiting in the shadows to take over. Your neighbours also can’t make money farming, but sure want to buy or rent your land. I guess they want to go broke in a big way—eh !!

    We complain that businesses are closing their door in our small towns—sad you say---we don’t support the local business anymore and it’s like a holiday to drive to the city and do our shopping. Do we really need the small towns? Transporting goods is not a problem anymore—get oranges from California in less than two days. You don’t have to live on the farm to grain farm, that’s one more option we have.

    The Grip and Nesa programs looked promising but we all seem to take part in helping to destroy them and point fingers at the stupid Government.

    Government farm programs are usually political issues, but the amounts and distributions are determined in the back offices by the bean counters. They don’t have hands on farming experience so in many cases the payout is inadequate because they don’t understand the problem or the money is not available.

    The general public doesn’t know that the bean counters take a big percentage to administer these programs and the payout is very small in relation to the cost of production. This is one area we need more PR work so all the “ enough guys.” Could see the big picture.

    My heart goes out to all the beef producers in these trying times.
    I think there is still a good future for the beef industry, because we will always need that good protein to keep us healthy. Testing all cattle for BSE is a must in the future because the customer will demand it- so let’s start with no more delays—don’t worry about the cost because the beef industry lost more money in the last six months than it will cost to test for BSE for the next fifty years.

    #2
    Well said Strawboss!!

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      #3
      On the bright side of BSE. If you want to get into cattle, cows are sure cheap.

      Comment


        #4
        Well said strawboss I agree wholeheartedly in fact you should worry big time if I agree with you you are likely going to get into big trouble.

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          #5
          While I can agree with most of what you say I have some problems with the kids thing. Now I'm not saying you are wrong...I struggle with this one a lot.
          I think it is a natural human trait to want the best for our children. How we do that is the struggle!
          I do consider myself a free man. Now that may be an illusion! And somehow I associate being free with owning some land and having an independent income. It seems to me a wage earner is not really free...and becoming less free all the time? Gerry Spence, probably the best one time lawyer in America, has written a very good book on this subject called "Back to Slavery".
          It is exceedingly difficult for young people to start farming, if not impossible. Basically you either inherit it or marry it! And I do realize this is a changing world and perhaps a lot of my ideas are outdated. But we all have a reality we believe in. It might not coincide with the view of the majority, but it is our reality and we have to go with it.
          So don't rip me on this one, because I see it one way while you see it as another. We all have to live our life as we best see fit.

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            #6
            Silver plater? With the huge financial burden of taking over the family farm I think that silver plater is more like a 'lead plate'. My brother and I are in our early 30's, and took over the family farm several years ago. Our father was very level headed through the transaction and we have an agreement in place that may seem like a silver plater to some. But when dad took over the family farm he had to pay relativily close to market prices for every thing. But one thing people in retirement mode need to remember, back when they started they could pay for land in 2 to 5 years. Now it will take a minimum 25 years to pay for that same dirt if one is lucky. So yes it may seem like a silver plate to older generations but without substantial help, the exteamly low rate of return and at times negative return is pushing young people away faster than you can say "are you sure you can't make it?"
            Most of retiring farmers in our area paid about 20% of todays value for the land they are now trying to sell when their net returns were higher in today's dollars.
            Until we young farmers can start to generate more net $/ac the situation is beyond grim. Dad has said this same thing, " I started with nothing and made it", but he also knows in reality
            that he paid viatualy nothing in comparison to the net returns at that time. Two sides to every story.

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              #7
              Thank you all for your comments! Too many agreed cowman! I don’t want to lose my status as being a contrary old thing but maybe age makes a guy mellow out a bit.

              dnach – I see where your coming from silver and lead--- same category but there is a little difference in price per ounce and texture, the same ratio as farming in past and present. Maybe lead is that old dead horse I was referring too. ( just joking )

              Not to many farmers paid for land in 2-5 years now or then ( that’s coffee shop or bar room bragging ) you need revenue from a good owned land base to pay for additional land in that time frame ---so it’s still the same old story—you need money to make more money. The grass is not greener on the other side of the fence it’s only an optical elusion.

              Keep a positive attitude, stay friends with the banker, don’t take any wooden nickels and you will make it.

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