Out to pasture

[cowman]

There are a lot of farmers who need to be put out to pasture! They know it too but can't see a way out. They are in that 50-65 age group or even older. They are sick of making nothing and working harder all the time for less and less. The kids are gone onto better things and won't be coming back. These guys have some money and lots of assets.
Why is it that our government can't realize they need some sort of strategy to help these farmers leave the business? Maybe not tax the hell out of them when they leave, for starters?
Then there are a few younger farmers who are maxxed out on debt and have basically no skills other than being a farmer(or think they have no skills!). They are sick of always having the wolf at the door and living the life of a dog. They also know they will walk away with nothing. Why don't we have a program to help them leave?
Our governments have no real intention of making traditional agriculture viable. Over the last thirty years they have not supported our agriculture system in a meaningful way. You see it very clearly by the exodus from the farms to the city. Especially our young people!
What will happen when the 50-65 age group finally has to quit? It seems there are only so many Dutch, Swiss, and English farmers who are dumb enough to come here?
What happens to the small towns when the farmers are gone? Why do we need them? When I was a boy there was a small town about thirty miles away that had a school, three elevators, general store, two gas stations, lumber yard/hardware store, pool hall,2 churches and a cafe. Population about 300. Today there is one church and the graveyard! About a dozen people and all of them over 65! My Dad used to haul some grain there. He tended to like to visit at the elavator so I always had time to go seek out the local kids...and there were lots of them! Now this town is basically a ghost town! Anyone driving through it would never suspect once it was a thriving little place!

[Muttley]

I agree with you, there are many older farmers wanting out but can't do it. Or at least not with a buck in their pocket. I really feel sorry for anybody wanting to sell the farm this year.

We are seeing farmers of all ages quit, and farms getting bigger. Families moving away and business closing all over rural Canada.

I would like to see our governments and banks come up with more programs to allow young people to farm or get involved with agriculture. I figure there will be no community for my children to come home too in 20 years, how sad is that!!

[cowman]

That is sad. I remember how it was when I was young and looking at things today I don't think it is much of an improvement!
Where I live there is no community. Too close to the city, too much to do! I have been lucky that a lot of my neighbors are still at it although we sometimes look like the geriatric league! When I was growing up there were six boys the same age within 3 square miles. With about the same numbers one year older and one year younger(the baby boom). Today me and one other are still here! There is one kid who lives up the road about a mile and you have to go a long ways to find another! It is kind of sad seeing him out riding his bike all by himself. Of course his parents have him doing things in town like hockey,little league etc. He's a good kid and stops and talks to me when I'm out doing something. He always strikes me as being very lonely!
There is a major subdivision about two miles from me but the people who own these very expensive homes are not young and don't have any kids. The high price of acreages sort of limits who can own them out here. Still some of these people are very friendly and they love being out in the country. There's one old English couple who give me lots of gardening advice!