Current N pricing

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Yes it is astonishing how farmers spend money today when many of our inputs like 4 wheel drive tractors are roughly 4 times what they were in 2000 whereas the product we sell is the same or less per bushel.

Which puts us in the same boat as wage earners. Real wage growth has been almost non existent in Canada over that same 25 year period. While housing and many of the necessities of life have increased by roughly the same factor of 4.

The difference being that farmers have become more productive, larger and efficient over that same period.

[TASFarms]

Which puts us in the same boat as wage earners. Real wage growth has been almost non existent in Canada over that same 25 year period. While housing and many of the necessities of life have increased by roughly the same factor of 4.

The difference being that farmers have become more productive, larger and efficient over that same period.

You really mean Farmers are being farmed on a completely higher level

[farmaholic]

Looking at these prices for crops is there anywhere that lists offers by grain company? When talking sales to China or anywhere else do the grain companies list the sales they have made? I'm sure China only buys from lowest bidder and that would reflect on what they are paying farmers, right? Or how does it work these days?

No one has answered my question if the GrainCo's make the sale before they've bought the grain from farmers. How can you sell something you physically don't own or know what you have to pay before you sell it forward? Unless it's all based on futures pricing, calls and puts...

[AlbertaFarmer5]

You really mean Farmers are being farmed on a completely higher level

I look at it the opposite way. The average wage earner can't take on one or two more full-time jobs to make up for the wage stagnation. Whereas thanks to bigger equipment, higher yields and better technology, the farmer can produce multiple times more at the same number of hours of labor.

[farmaholic]

....until the industry has every dollar of your efficiency gains.

[furrowtickler]

....until the industry has every dollar of your efficiency gains.

Exactly, which happens very shortly every time

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Would you trade your current level of income and lifestyle for an average salaried job today?

What about 25 years ago?

Having been in the workforce and trying to farm at that time, and knowing what people are making now, the answer looks obvious from my perspective.

[farmaholic]

Alot of people would never take this risk...
It ain't for the faint hearted or anyone who knows better.

[furrowtickler]

99% of the salaried people would never take the risks we do

[FarmJunkie]

Totally true. I have a lot of friends that would buckle at the first sign of adversity and there would be a lot of people that would starve to death if they were in charge of the production required to feed the world.