grassfarmer, I agree that there will always be waste or ruined crops that the astute cattleman can use. That's always been the case, expensive land or not.
But what I am saying is that people I know will not rent their land out to grazers for the summer unless they get a buck a day. If they can't get that they'll either arrange to have it cut for hay or else just leave it. The reason is that a lot of people have been burned by bad renters, cattle are a huge pain for a lot of owners (fencing, etc) and most of these guys would rather have the land sit idle then get just a little for it. And I can tell you that this situation will get worse, not better, as more acreage guys move in because they, for sure, do not want a herd of cows on their land when they can easily cut it for hay.
I think hay prices will continue to stay cheap and pasture prices will continue to stay expensive. It is, in fact, cheaper to buy the hay in and feed it during the summer than rent the grass for the pair. A lot of the guys who are selling hay don't worry about the price but they sure don't want any cows on their 80 acres.
It really isn't a case of supply and demand fixing the price in central Alberta. It is really all about what a wealthy retired farmer who doesn't care about return wants on his land and, also, what a rich city guy wants on his acreage. And I am sure that neither wants a herd of someone else's--or their own--cows. And that situation is going to get worse, not better. I think you'll find yourself paying more and more for summer rent, not less, as more acreage people move in who do not need your money and do not want your cows.
In terms of Canada's land base, you are right but you surely aren't referring to all parts of our country. I mean you wouldn't want to run cows in Cochrane or Airdrie now but people did once upon a time. Yes this is a big country so why not move where you can have a good sized ranch, put some dough in the bank and not have to rely on the largesse of some acreage owner to graze your cows? There's a whole lot of that kind of land in Canada and it sure works for cows a lot better than trying to make it work where both you and I are trying to right now.
Just my thoughts, grassfarmer, I live in the corridor too and it bothers me lots when I see what's going on around me. But at some point both of us are going to have to stop trying to fit round pegs into square holes.
kpb
But what I am saying is that people I know will not rent their land out to grazers for the summer unless they get a buck a day. If they can't get that they'll either arrange to have it cut for hay or else just leave it. The reason is that a lot of people have been burned by bad renters, cattle are a huge pain for a lot of owners (fencing, etc) and most of these guys would rather have the land sit idle then get just a little for it. And I can tell you that this situation will get worse, not better, as more acreage guys move in because they, for sure, do not want a herd of cows on their land when they can easily cut it for hay.
I think hay prices will continue to stay cheap and pasture prices will continue to stay expensive. It is, in fact, cheaper to buy the hay in and feed it during the summer than rent the grass for the pair. A lot of the guys who are selling hay don't worry about the price but they sure don't want any cows on their 80 acres.
It really isn't a case of supply and demand fixing the price in central Alberta. It is really all about what a wealthy retired farmer who doesn't care about return wants on his land and, also, what a rich city guy wants on his acreage. And I am sure that neither wants a herd of someone else's--or their own--cows. And that situation is going to get worse, not better. I think you'll find yourself paying more and more for summer rent, not less, as more acreage people move in who do not need your money and do not want your cows.
In terms of Canada's land base, you are right but you surely aren't referring to all parts of our country. I mean you wouldn't want to run cows in Cochrane or Airdrie now but people did once upon a time. Yes this is a big country so why not move where you can have a good sized ranch, put some dough in the bank and not have to rely on the largesse of some acreage owner to graze your cows? There's a whole lot of that kind of land in Canada and it sure works for cows a lot better than trying to make it work where both you and I are trying to right now.
Just my thoughts, grassfarmer, I live in the corridor too and it bothers me lots when I see what's going on around me. But at some point both of us are going to have to stop trying to fit round pegs into square holes.
kpb
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