Life on the farm … Is it worth it?

[farmaholic]

Maybe I'll post something later.
Nuts busy day today.
Getting kind of old for this.

[bigzee]

[ATTACH]5221[/ATTACH]

Maybe I'll post something later.
Nuts busy day today.
Getting kind of old for this.

Times are tough but a “little” butter wouldn’t hurt!!

[furrowtickler]

There are many reasons people farm. Treating it as a business, is probably at the bottom of the list. Treating it as a long term hedge against inflation is probably one of them. We have all heard they are not making any more land. That is the main Hutterite reason. They have diversified into other business that are money makers. Others carry on as a tradition. Some like it for independence. Others like there winters in Florida or Hawaii. I get satisfaction from growing a crop.

Ummm .... one major difference..... free labor!!
Free skilled labor , that does never have excuses not to be there and then demand higher wages ..... that is fricken huge !

[furrowtickler]

After walking thru AgriTrade, I don't think the problem is the price of the grain. They literally can't build shit big enough, overpowered enough, over teched enough, for any farmer. 85 companies willing to "help you with your data". Grain carts with 3 foot diameter augers. Add more fertilizer, SWAT map your fields, hire Decisive or 10 others to run across every acre not having a clue what they are doing, get a couple agronomists, get VT drive like an idiot, and why not an 800,000$ planter to plant canola because you can save a pound of seed.

If the race is to become the worlds most expensive grain producer, we are rock stars. Maybe the problem is a little closer to home.

Umm , our 40ft planter cost less than $300,000 , cost less than a single bid new air drill tank and can seed the same ac/hr as an 80 ft drill .
We seed canola , peas , black beans and soybeans with it .
Half the seed cost of virtually all those crops seeded with a drill .
Comes with auto individual row seed shut off and sectional liquid fert shut off .
Your a smart guy , think a bit

[grassfarmer]

Nothing free in this world furrow. If we found a worker for you that didn't want a weekly wage but required housing for life for him and his extended family, every meal and drink for the same, all their clothes, all their hydro and other bills paid, use of vehicles and transportation everywhere - and they might still run away in the middle of the night at any point leaving you shorthanded - would you still call it free labour?

[fjlip]

After walking thru AgriTrade, I don't think the problem is the price of the grain. They literally can't build shit big enough, overpowered enough, over teched enough, for any farmer. 85 companies willing to "help you with your data". Grain carts with 3 foot diameter augers. Add more fertilizer, SWAT map your fields, hire Decisive or 10 others to run across every acre not having a clue what they are doing, get a couple agronomists, get VT drive like an idiot, and why not an 800,000$ planter to plant canola because you can save a pound of seed.

If the race is to become the worlds most expensive grain producer, we are rock stars. Maybe the problem is a little closer to home.

EXACTLY, all gone to shit in last 50 years. NEVER F*CKING big enough, never enough land/iron, OMG what a shame...God dam the get big or get out mantra. Rural is empty, hope BTO's are happy NOBODY is anywhere near you. Real glad we are soon done because this is so sad.

[Guest]

But ...... there is still something i like about it
Especially when your out in a field on the spring and you can smell the dirt coming back to life
Or watching a new crop comin thru the ground
Could sell out here in a heartbeat but we are set up pretty good now and its kind of enjoyable
Enjoying our lifes work for a few more years and thatll be it
Hope we can sell the yard intact at the time , to a young fella , full of piss and vinegar
We work hard but its been good to us , cant lie
Sure feel bad for the guys that couldnt get done this year, it hurts , and it hurts all winter, been there to many times. Cant believe the rain and snow days some areas had
but you did your best , thats all you can do
Everyone gets their turn and mother nature proved that here in the NE this fall
She decided to give us a rare break , its luck and nothing more
Everyone works hard and goes any chance they get
Its luck , good or bad, plain and simple
Try and focus on the good stuff, numbnuts will pass
This useless entitled sask party will pass
Maybe someone like grant devine will come again and lead us out of this shitshow
A devine intervention if you will lol

[tweety]

Umm , our 40ft planter cost less than $300,000 , cost less than a single bid new air drill tank and can seed the same ac/hr as an 80 ft drill .
We seed canola , peas , black beans and soybeans with it .
Half the seed cost of virtually all those crops seeded with a drill .
Comes with auto individual row seed shut off and sectional liquid fert shut off .
Your a smart guy , think a bit

Talk about missing the point.

[farmaholic]

I am probably on the record somewhere on here stating I would probably be a nicer happier person if I wasn't farming. I know I personally told some of you that.
That statement wasn't always true in my career, when you're young and naive, ten feet tall and bullet proof, not averse to risk and high debt......what I call a high testosterone farmer, .....I was up to the challenge!

Fast forward 35, almost 40 years..... now old and hopefully wiser, wore out and prone, don't want to risk my own capital anymore for the risky fleeting returns, cynicism replaced alot of the blind drive to forge ahead no matter what. Jaded by "experience". Eyes wide open and dry behind the ears. Too soon old, too late smart.

The cynicism is well ingrained for very good reasons. For all the reasons the thread starter stated. The author's sarcasm, if that was indeed his intent, is only validated by the truth of the matter. Thank you for pointing it out.

I probably should have been cursing missionary instead of a fowl-mouthed farmer. At least as a missionary you know you're supposedly supposed to be serving mankind for little to no monetary return.

Scoundrels, knivers, scams and schemes, gougers, parasites, crooks......all more than ever. The weather is challenging enough without dealing with the aforementioned.

Remember...."wouldn't it be nice if it didn't matter". Yup, HillbillyWillie....it wouldn't HAVE to!

[HillbillyWillie]

Sorry if my first post was offensive but I think the question needs to be asked.
Everyone's in a different position and everyone has different reasons, like AgStar says.
But as far as I know, we've only got one life to live. And I personally don't want to spend the last few years of my life being stressed out and miserable.
I know a few guys who got out at the right time. Their families farmed for decades but they made the decision and pulled the pin.
I agree with Jazz. No one gives a shit about farmers. They care about cheap bread and inexpensive pork chops.
To me, our entire value system has been turned upside down.
Carbon tax on food production? I would have never predicted that one, but its what we got.
By the way SF, I know I'm not the most diplomatic guy and maybe I'm a bit blunt
Probably comes from being beaten across the head too many times.
But F*** Y** too for comparing me to assman and chucky cheese
Sorry you didn't get your crop off. If I was your neighbour, I'd be the first guy there to help you out