"young" farmers revisited

My wife and a daughter in law took and supprising me :shock: :shock: passed a sustainable farming program at the community college :lol: :lol: . Glad she doesn't read this forum 8) 8) .

Because of this I have gotten to know a couple of the craze eyed, foaming at the mouth, eager, younger wanna be farmers.

One, has no mechanical abilities. If it wasn't for his father in law being a successful farmer he'd be in deep trouble and would have failed already. So far he's sold some eggs and a few pigs. If his wife didn't have a state job he'd have to quit. What's really bad is he has no marketing skills and no interest in equipment at all.

Another with a new born baby has failed already but is still trying, on welfare, wife works in town and asking for help where ever he can get it. Knows nothing about mechanics. I had to fix his car about 2 weeks ago. Nice enough kid and has offered to help me work on things so he can learn how to do it himself.

The only person who has a fair shot at being successful is my wife. We already own land. I own some equipment. We both have livestock experience and knowledge. We are a couple of dinks (double income, no kids at home). Me retired Army/VA disability she has a job in town. No I can't do a lot in the garden but I can run a tractor and do other farm type things. Plus if we really need help several of our kids are close enough to come and help with fencing and other task that are hard for me.

Makes me wonder why these kids can use federal money to take this course with littleoppertunity of being successful.

Rick

You ask.... "Question is, why are we retraining people for a career that has far fewer jobs than the career they already had?""

Im sure you already know the answer Mike, once a Big Brother "Guvment" program begins it never ends but gets more funding every year and to hear them tell it the world as we know it ends if we stopped funding, you know how it goes. Thats why were 16 TRILLION in debt and are borrowing 41 cents of every dollar we spend. Were goin the way of Greece, not if but when is the question, and it cant be long the way the debt keeps piling up NOTE theres no mention of abundant or Conservative here, this is a non partisan fact of life and simple arithmetic

Ol John T Anyone ever think about livin within a persons or countrys means?? Reckon not

Real simple they're "Green Jobs" Gov't doesn't have a clue and bureaucrats could care less if the money is wasted.

Right on!! Now how does one spell Solyndra ?? LOL All those "code words" like "Green" and "Comprehensive Immigration Reform" (Code for Amnesty, but whatever DO NOT protect the borders now) or "Social Justice" instead of Equal Justice. Oh well

John T Christian Conservative Patriot NO CODE WORDS THERE I mean EXACTLY what the words say, dont have to hide words that way lol

Arizona State University is building a new Trade-Tech college facility about 1.5 miles from our house. I doubt that they are teaching anything about agriculture, but at least it is a start in the right direction. When it opens, they will probably be swamped with enrollment.

[Agriculture is handled by the University of Arizona in Tucson, so ASU stays away from that area.]

LLA, now thats funny, these 2 young men are both city boys......couldn"t have taken and AG classes in HS and darn sure didn"t learn anything about mechanics in a HS auto class. Maybe they took residential construction......heck the one was a chief.....maybe he took home ec.

Rick

Forgive me Ralph but for some reason I had you pictured being in your mid 50's..

Forgiven!! I smiled when I read your post, told my wife about it and in her infinite wisdom she said, quote: "You are a child at heart but have an old soul...." ...Hmmmmmmmm....
I suppose I can and am pretty goofy most of the time, but most of my friends are mid 50s and well into their 80s....farmers, people I work with etc..... I do value old time values such as business by handshake, proper manners, honesty, a man's word, etc. Do I slip sometimes? Sure, who doesn't but the older I get, the more I miss "old days"....maybe that's why I am into old farming equipment?? I grew up in a village of 9000 in Germany, basically a city, but always wanted to be in the country, live there....
Now you got me rambling! Better quit while I'm still ahead! LOL
Ralph in Oklahoma.

PS: Pic was taken in Dec of 2011, benefit event with tractor show for a friend who had a stroke. My 4320 and I.

(quoted from post at 19:34:18 09/23/12) Forgiven!! I smiled when I read your post, told my wife about it and in her infinite wisdom she said, quote: "You are a child at heart but have an old soul...." ...Hmmmmmmmm....
I suppose I can and am pretty goofy most of the time, but most of my friends are mid 50s and well into their 80s....farmers, people I work with etc..... I do value old time values such as business by handshake, proper manners, honesty, a man's word, etc. Do I slip sometimes? Sure, who doesn't but the older I get, the more I miss "old days"....maybe that's why I am into old farming equipment?? I grew up in a village of 9000 in Germany, basically a city, but always wanted to be in the country, live there....
Now you got me rambling! Better quit while I'm still ahead! LOL
Ralph in Oklahoma.

PS: Pic was taken in Dec of 2011, benefit event with tractor show for a friend who had a stroke. My 4320 and I.

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LOL could tell you from Germany by the picture.......the blue coveralls are a dead give away!

Rick

You wish! LOL! Sure, we got the "Blaumaenner" (blue coveralls) everywhere in Germany, but I actually bought these here in OK at Wall's, a cheap outlet store chain, kinda what Bud's (from Wal-Mart Inc.) used to be. I like them, especially if the Dickies or Carhartts are too heavy and warm, even with the insulation taken out. The blue ones are just enough to break the wind and keep dirt, critters, and stickers at bay, when out and about. Plus, they had them in my size!! Gotta get it when they got it!! lol.
Ralph in OK

Great picture Ralph of you and your 4320...When you said that you had been in Germany with your mother it still didnt dawn on me that you grew up in Germany..There has to be a story about how you ended up in SW Oklahoma...

Anyways its great that you are here helping save all that old iron..You seem to have good a very good knowledge of it..

It seems like lots of my friends are older but at age 63,someday I"ll be the old guy with younger friends..