Do you ever get sick of farming?

[cowman]

Do you ever get sick of farming? Having a ton of money tied up in land, machinery, livestock and inventory and realizing such a very poor return? Working cruddy hours in bad weather conditions? Getting a wage compareable to a burger flipper(or less)!
And then on top of it all hearing people say you are a bad manager and always crying for the government to help you?
Do you ever wonder what it would be like to have a nice secure salary, pension plan, company benifits like blue cross, dental, eye care? 4 weeks paid holiday and maybe a company vehicle and expense account! Let the company buy your New York steak and to hell with the steak sandwich!
If I was a young person I think I would stay in school. Get some goofy degree and get my butt into some big multinational or government department!
Then after moving up the ladder when I got older I could buy my little piece of heaven out in the country and tell all the dumb farmers what they are doing wrong!

[frustrated1]

Ever notice how the bigshot movie stars, singers, etc. always say when they retire they want a little piece of country and run a few cows? Ha!,I'm already there! Just need the bank account to match. Maybe I could sell them a package, a small corner behind some trees, maybe a nice swamp, a few "experienced" cows.............

Then I could retire. Or at least see how it feels to farm debt free!

I don't mind the work so much, the debt is what's losing my sleep.(and being excluded from the govt cheques) I did the 8 to 5 thing for 10 years when I started up, it's not so much fun after awhile either. No butt kissing going on, nor expected, out here. Brother in law is a bigshot oil guy, makes a fortune, is missing his kids growing up. Is that worth it? We chose to do what we do. As frustrating and futile as it seems at times we still made the right choice.

[Muttley]

Farmed for years and got sick of it. I am one of the lucky ones. Got a job with fine people to work for. Enjoy going to work.

And the best part is the company vehicle and expense account.

Oh! yea I get to deal with farmers from around North America and the world every day!!

[rookie]

Now a days, more so than ever. My wife spent many years in school and has it easier than I do now. Not a day seems to go by that I don't think about going back to school. Maybe someday I will.

I think its all about balance. We have a life style that is definitely a hybrid and that is where the future will be. I may not like it but there is no getting around it at the current time. Simply have to manage it and make the best of it.

Times have changed and will continue to.

However I don't get sick of the opinions here, and , hopefully I never will.

[Horse]

Fustrated I was talking to a neibor and I said at least I got to stay home with the kids by being one the farm and he said yes but did you see them and truthfuly I had to agree no Mabey for a few minutes in AM some times at night but I was in field or choring most of time I am sure that with a 8 hr a day job 5 days aweek I sure would have seen them more and I could have planed family outings in stead of haying or planting or harvesting as the weather is my god.

[carebear300]

Yes I get more than a little fed up with this racket lately, but I still get a big charge out of what I think are the important things in life. For instance when you get up at three in the morning in a snow storm and help a heifer calve and you spend the next hour getting that little sucker to suck and it finally starts sucking by itself. Now that is something that noamount of money can buy. The personal satisfaction has got to be the biggest high you could get anywhere. How about the pride you feel when somebody stops in and compliments you on that west quarter that isn't the best land that this person figures has the nicest crop in the area it just doesn't get any better than that. Maybe I am just dumb but the only way they will get me off this hunk of dirt is feet first, the hell with the bankers and the government experts. I amd each one of us have forgotten more than the whole works of those parasites put together. I just came from a kids hockey game tonight(was bored and tired of sitting at home so went to the rink) got talking to the school principal who doesn't know nothing about farming and he even had to admit that this old farmer wasn't as dumb as other people would make me out to be. Yes I am proud of my farm and proud of what I have accomplished still have to fight with bankers every day of my life but you know deep down still love what I do!!!!!

[cakadu]

Personally, I think for many of us, what keeps us doing this are the things we can't get money for or that no amount of money would compensate. Lately there have been many days when you wonder how you can keep going, but you still do.

I think about watching my baby lambs at dusk and how they just start racing around for no apparent reason - or at least a reason that I can see. There is really something to watching about 100 lambs frolic and kick up their heels and then run first in one direction and then reverse themselves and come back. They will do this sometimes for 15 minutes and it makes me laugh so hard there are tears coming out of my eyes.

Or the other thing that always makes me stop and watch is to see a muscovy (duck) mom bringing out her babies for the first time and watching all these little ducklings trailing after mom.

There are pros and cons to every job - no matter what job it is or even if it is your "dream" job. What counts is the fact that you get up every morning and don't really think of it as a job - that's when you know you're doing the right thing.