Pine River

[roly]

Thank you all for taking the time to reply
yes the farm is in pine river Manitoba
I hope I will not need to get a job off farm I have worked in other industries all my life and farmed part time now I would like to farm full time. If I can buy a farm with very little financing I hope I can get by.

One thing I have noticed about the prairies is that everything is cheap, land, fuel, food, the only thing that is very expensive is second hand tractors, they a double and more than what you can buy them here. Another good thing, is there is no red tape like we have over here.

Everyone seems to be going through a bad patch just now with the BSE, but when itis over (in our case it took 4 years) cattle should rocket.

[WoolyBear]

Check this web realtor out. They cover that area of Manitoba

http://www.lcn2000.com/goldenwest/Search.htm

[WoolyBear]

roly, I admire your determination and certainly wish you every success. Second hand tractors aren't cheap, neither are repairs !!!!!!

[cowman]

Well roly, not just sure where you are from...I am assuming Europe? Possibly the UK?
I wouldn't get to hooked on the "cheap land" thing myself, as there is usually a reason it is "cheap"...namely it won't grow anything and should have been left in buffalo pasture!
The other thing you need to realize is over here the government couldn't really give a rip if you sink or swim so be prepared to fend for yourself!
Now having got all the negative stuff out of the way(and giving a little plug for Alberta)...come on over! This is still a land of opportunity for a man who isn't afraid of some work and wants to go places! Lord knows we need some kindred souls from the old country instead of some of the trash we've let in here!

[cowman]

Roly, as usual cowman is giving some excellent advice. Cheap land isn't always the best deal in the long run. The potential for resale likely isn't as good, and the distance from urban centres can often be a drawback.
I don't know exactly where you are planning to locate, but if you are a long way from the nearest town of any size, you might end up spending a lot of time driving for parts etc. There is still land availible in parts of Alberta for a reasonable price.

[countryguy]

Cedar,I don't have alot of details but there is a beef plant coming to Neepawa called Natural Prairie Meats which is going to work in conjunction with Natural Valley Meats in Wolsely Sask.Do a google search on "neepawa slaughter plant" and it should take you to a story in the Neepawa banner.

Cowman,are you suggesting that all of Sask and Manitoba should be left for the buffalo?There are alot of your fellow (former) Albertans gobbling up all the cheap land here and loving it.They say that the ranchers in Alberta struggling to raise cows on that high priced land are crazy.I think I would have to agree.

[cakadu]

There is land that is not quite as pricey as that around the central Alberta and south areas as emrald has said. If you try and buy anything that is within proximity of the highway #2 corridor, that is where you will pay huge dollars for land. Even the land that we used to refer to as "recreational", meaning that it couldn't grow much is now getting quite high priced because urban folk are buying it and using it as weekend retreats. I remember it was less than 10 years ago that land like that went for about $50,000 per quarter, now that same land is $150,000 and you have to put the utilities in and dig for water. My how things change.

[cakadu]

There is land for sale in the Peace region. Some very productive farm land up there, although water is a problem in some areas. Currently there is a proposed water pipeline proposed to connect Fairview with other areas in the north.

[cowman]

Country guy: No I'm not saying Sask./Man. should all be a buffalo pasture! There is some very good land in both provinces. And I will admit there is a lot of garbage land in Alberta that should still be buffalo pasture!
And unfortunately where most of the really good land is, is where the cities have grown up?
Now I will also admit I am biased, because I've always lived fairly close to a fair sized city that has all the amenities. If I want a part for just about any type of machinery I have a 6-8 mile drive. I can access two of the top auction marts in Alberta with the same sort of drive. Same thing for about six vet clinics. Several bulk fuel dealers and fertilizer outfits...same distance.
Again excuse my ignorance if I'm wrong here, but I just can't see hauling my cattle 50 miles to an auction mart or a vet clinic.
Now as Linda has stated the land around here is grossly overpriced due to the buying pressures of the "playboys"! And even though we can grow some tremendous crops, it can never pay for itself.
Another real problem of late is the "oil patch"! There is so much darned activity around that if you want to get anything fixed or welded or built, expect to pay the oil field rate! Which is pricey!
However all in all, things are pretty rosy out here! We may be sending you lots of ranchers to try their luck but we're getting a lot of your young people , moving here to try their luck in the oil industries! It sometimes seems that most of the people working in the patch were once Saskatchewan farmers!

[rookie]

Yeah, Pine River is rustic looking all right, My relatives are bearied there.

Once thought about moving to that country from Alberta... then had a reality check...

In my opinion its the back end of no where...

Couldn't sentence my young family to that area. Not enough potential for a life if agriculture remains a struggle...

... I mean there is a reason not many people live in that area from swan to dauphin...

But thats my opinion, if thats where you can buy in, good luck.