farmers wanted

[mbdog]

Many farms, for various reasons, likely have room for "other" new producers under their umbrella. I believe many current producers open to and willing to entertain these ideas...sooo..Any thoughts on terms... pitfalls/hurdles... opportunities...limitations...etc.

[grassfarmer]

I think this is a great topic and one that is very important to the future of farming on the Prairies. We are currently in the process of enabling another farm family getting started with their own land base.

There was an interesting article recently on young people getting into agriculture. Here is the link.

[URL="http://www.ucobserver.org/society/2017/01/new_agrarians/"]http://http://www.ucobserver.org/society/2017/01/new_agrarians/[/URL]

I know most of these folks and their potential is just outstanding. I can see it working well in the fruit/vegetable/livestock for direct marketing meat sector but not sure just what the fit is for getting into grain farming. Maybe what Klause is doing selling direct to end users to extract more value?

[ajl]

Higher interest rates motivating the 80+ crowd to market their assets would do wonders for creating opportunities for younger producers. The Bank of Canada could ease up on the printing press a little and voila higher rates are here.

[bucket]

I think a mentoring program would be a great thing to get newcomers or the next generation started.....


I have seen many guys come back to the farm and quickly be behind the eight ball....and not because of their lack of hard work .....weather....the older generation. ....etc ....can **** things up quickly....

Sometimes all that is required is a bridge loan to get over the hump.

[farmaholic]

Last issue Country Guide has an article about this very thing....cattle related story.

I think it would/could be a very precarious arrangement.

Grain farming seems to be way too capital intensive for this. Need lots of money to buy your way in or born into it otherwise it may be a long climb up a steep hill---but maybe only if land "ownership" is a main part of the goal. Soooooooo risky!

[sofa.king]

Totally agree about older generation. Too many of them couldn't spend their nest egg if they tried but they have have top rent for their land because they have to leave a legacy for their kids who will be too old to appreciate it by the time their parents die.

[farmaholic]

Not too hard on the old folks sofa.king. The "little bastards" don't need gold bricks to walk on. If the old folks are renting the land out obviously their kids aren't interested in the farm. In my opinion they're entitled to exactly what their parents were...to work. That's part of the problem, the kids want "everything now"! Easy come- easy go.

[farmaholic]

.....gawd I must be getting old! Sounds like it anyway!

[sofa.king]

Ya it's funny how the non farming kids who haven't done any work think they deserve more than the one who stayed and did all the work.

[Klause]

Try being a young guy in a new area trying to farm... hate to say it but more old guys prefer to stifle you than help you... after all jot one of "them".


Ag culture is definitely... interesting. LOL

[sofa.king]

Too many old boys don't like change if something new happens they all get scared and go to the coffee shop.

[farmaholic]

Lol.....and nobody better be sitting in their spot!

[farmaholic]

Try being a young guy in a new area trying to farm... hate to say it but more old guys prefer to stifle you than help you... after all jot one of "them".


Ag culture is definitely... interesting. LOL

With the Klaus accent maybe the locals think you represent the Fourth Reich! Sorry, I couldn't help myself.


Not too many newcomers here moved into the district to farm. A Dutchman bought a dairy but had the misfortune of his barn partially burning and losing most of his milking cows in the fire---grain farming now. Here farms either continue to get larger or available land is rented by locals. Some land beside me "supposedly" just sold to some "investors" and another large farm(which people think is backed by investors)has been buying for a few years now and farming what ever they buy themselves and also rent a pile...... but land prices are starting to get scary high for my taste. I hate to see the local young guys getting shut out of being able to purchase land....hard to compete with "CASH".

[grassfarmer]

I think we can see one of the problems around this issue from the replies. The feeling that "they" are the problem not "us". Saying that the 80 year olds need to sell their land is rather avoiding the issue. I firmly believe that farmers in their 50s need to be addressing this issue - while they are still young enough to physically mentor and sharp enough mentally to take on this challenge.
There has got to be a recognition too that its not just about selling them land, you've got to help them get in a position where they can make a living from a smaller land-base with very limited resources behind them.

[bucket]

The problem is the 50 year-olds are near wore out as well.


Although 80 year olds are old it's probably been the 50 year olds doing the the work for the last 35 years.....they essentially treated their kids like slaves in a lot of situations.