Maybe Its time to Leave the Club! But what to do.

[Casered]

When it goes well Large acre farms make multi millions .it has been going well here for about a decade. Exponential growth to maximize gains in the proper timeline of a career. Why should a farmer in this era make less than his counterpart at a desk in the city?
You stay the same size and then you never buy land. The end game is farmland ownership. Accumulate wealth. Large acre, large cash flow to make land payments . Everything else is perhiphreal. Lease the iron, pay salaries but ultimately own more land when you decide to say “stop”.
How many farmers are going to scribble around living miserly and resentful on 1000 acres Waste of time, rent it out and go get a job. Then you have spending money to live.

If things go bad large farms can lose millions too. The last ten years have been great. Does that mean it always will be? I meet very few large farmers that enjoy managing 10-15 employees at the busy times. Isn't farming supposed to be fun? If a guy buys land he's renting he can stay the same size and own land over time. Growth isn't the only way to success. I think buying land at close to 4000 an acre in the palliser triangle is too risky. Alot of mega farms here never pay any principle on land they purchase. They just pay interest. If land prices fall back like they did in the 80's or interest rates rise guys buying land at the peak and just paying interest on their land will be in trouble. But land can't go down right? Haha. Farmland ownership is great if you bought in the past at today's values I see alot of risk. I consider a large farm 20000 acres or more. Our 8000 seems like a small farm these days.

[biglentil]

Sooner or later ....

"How did you go bankrupt?” Bill asked.

“Two ways,” Mike said. “Gradually and then suddenly.”

The dialogue above is from Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 novel,*The Sun Also Rises.

[TSIPP]

Probably the CO-OP came close to breaking even, I really don't know but sure would be nice to have a list of these deadbeats and planed bankruptcy where they come out smelling like roses.

Can't seem to find a list of the Farm debt review board. Would be nice to find out who the real pillars of the community.

[Rareearth]

Tsip, I agree!

Case how old are you? I feel like your 1/2 full glass should be refilled ( to the top).
I worry, work, and live to my own drum. The big guys don’t have any unfair advantages, maybe it’s good luck, or just 5 generations of good, bad and ugly.
The focus should be what’s right for you and your family.

[TSIPP]

Yup, all the power to the BTO's someone has to do it, and I sure don't want to run a farming crew.

I'm just hopping when your done you can pay most of your bills.

[Casered]

Tsip, I agree!

Case how old are you? I feel like your 1/2 full glass should be refilled ( to the top).
I worry, work, and live to my own drum. The big guys don’t have any unfair advantages, maybe it’s good luck, or just 5 generations of good, bad and ugly.
The focus should be what’s right for you and your family.

I don't have a problem with big farmers there are lots of them that are great people and great farmers. My glass is only half full till the rain fills it up. Haha.

[Rareearth]

The reason I asked your age was that every farmer south of the yellow head has experienced drought if they were farming in the eighties and nineties, or more recently. Many to the north have frost and harvest challenges.
Our yield have easily doubled with min till, fungicides, better understanding of fertility, so has our risk when I look back and remember. It’s very difficult financially and emotionally when it doesn’t rain when you want it, or when it misses by two miles. We’ve experienced wicked drought losses when neighbours and province has bumper crops. Most farmers with experience (age) understand the challenges and remember. Maybe because I remember I have left to many opportunities on the table.

Is it more difficult to operate a small farm than a big one. Small ones like any other business you have so many challenges , where when you get bigger you have more resources and people that can be deligated, vs doing it all yourself.

Your 8,000 acres I would guess to be a average size now a-days.

Make sure you have a plan, and not excuses.

[Guest]

Probably the CO-OP came close to breaking even, I really don't know but sure would be nice to have a list of these deadbeats and planed bankruptcy where they come out smelling like roses.

Can't seem to find a list of the Farm debt review board. Would be nice to find out who the real pillars of the community.

Just dig out an old RM map not hard to see ? Land bank and fcc owned a third of the land in this RM in the eighties .lots of those ****ers never made a payment for 6 years. . Theyre important , smart people now , no shame at all

[fjlip]

And us dummies paid the land off, NO deals, NO breaks! Same in this RM, rented for SFA from banks and FCC, then a half price or less buyback. Real BIG operations now. Some never paid Coops and Northeast Terminal for inputs. Those were written off.

[Rareearth]

And to be fair, I can look around and many of those families are no longer farming, or living in the communities any longer.

It’s almost most the same as a sports team. Coach brings in a bunch of recruits, after a time the players cut them selves, quit, etc. In the end not only the best athletes remain but they are the team players.