Friday Cocktail end of February

[AlbertaFarmer5]

There is no chance in hell that anyone with the money to go back in to cattle would ever do so without someone else doing the work.

And at today's cattle prices it goes without saying what those without the money won't be doing...

Still think there is potential for some symbiotic joint venture between the people who own the land and those who have the ambition to be cattle farmers.

[Old Cowzilla]

Found out today a local big grain farm dropped a bunch of rented acres. They have lots of old owned land and the crew getting old and hard to get new help. No fence posts around the rented dirt thou

[shtferbrains]

Thought I was going to have to phone for a pull last week when I got in up to my waist going to the shed for the tractor.

[shtferbrains]

On the not being able to afford getting into cattle thing, I might disagree on the can't afford it part only because cattle can be bought to fit your budget.
You can buy whatever amount you can afford, be it 10 head or 4 semi loads.
You can breed your own to grow and buy small batches when oppertunites arise.

I'm not at all familiar with it but I think there is money available for fencing and water under some kind of sustainable farming program?

Personally think for a young person or family that wants to start out it can work if you have outside income and don't mind working long hours 7 days a week.
Most of the guys I know around here with cattle now started with nothing but a great work ethic.

Young guys with high income might also avoid sending as much in on income tax for the government to piss away?

[blackpowder]

If my profit model relies on tax write offs, should I do it?
Big Agstab payouts inevitable.
Cattle are a decades long strategy.
Anything less is straddling a razor blade. Can be done, but tricky.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Definitely possible to start small scale into cattle and grow organically. Not so easy with grain or hay etc farming. Don't even NEED a land base. Community pasture and bought feed. Or feed year round. At current local land prices vs feed prices, I could make an economic argument that feeding year around makes more sense, since unimproved pasture is a no longer an economic use of land. Maybe under very intensively managed rotational grazing on high inputs might make it economical, at least here where we do get rain.

I have a cattle farming neighbor whose operation consists of an acreage. Another who started out on an acreage and have grown to a substantial operation. You could literally feed the 10 cow herd in your example with a pitchfork in your backyard, for almost no overhead or equipment expense to get a foot in the door.

In my observation, most aspiring cattlemen are better described as aspiring tractor drivers and wishful diesel pickup owners. The cattle are only the justification to have the shiny toys.

[wrongway]

If my profit model relies on tax write offs, should I do it?
Big Agstab payouts inevitable.
Cattle are a decades long strategy.
Anything less is straddling a razor blade. Can be done, but tricky.

As soon as big payouts start the gov will come up with a newer better bigger program. Remember NISA, GRIP, AND others I'm too lazy to look up and too old to remember. Farm for profit and if you get anything from the gov blow it on something fun...

[blueversi]

An interesting quote I read somewhere a few weeks back. The guy said " it would be smarter to walk the grain off the farm than hopper it " or something to that effect.

I have seen way too many miles of fence tore out that would have provided opportunity to have a mixed farm and decide which makes more sense. Or at least allow for some additional income from fall grazing.

Ripping out the fence is what made more sense for the past 2 decades. Better off to go work for a wage somewhere else than buy in now and start pounding posts.