how did you get started farming

My grandpa got out of.the army worked a outside job bought the farm got it doing enough to support himself and family and farmed full time then milking cows! Grandpa retired sold the cows off! and sold the farm and equipment to my dad! Dad and mom got a outside job! Started over milking with 4 cows dad kept of his own and finally after ten years of.working and milking they were big enough the farm could support itself! So thier full time milking now! So now on to me been working off farm job for 8 years making decent money living on my own trying to get started fatming rented 20 acers last year got 20 more this year want to get more for.next year! Dad isnt ready to retire dad is 20 years younger than what my grandpa was when he was my age! and my sister wants to milk cows so me taking over from my dad isnt happening anytime soon! So i half to go find my own farm somewhere and with these prices for farms these days it just seems imposible for a young person im 26 to pull it all off! Even buying older equipment the good stuff isnt cheap have a 1066 966 two 806s a 400 and a M so im good for tractors for now! Love my old girls! But grandpa and my dad niether one had to or even just hoped to be able to afford to run 40 year old equipment! My corn planter i hire that out new planters just do better worth the.money i think! Did it seem imposible to start in your beginning days?

Are you going to do this every 3 or 4 days???

I started picking rocks.

Paul

You should ask how I got out of farming?

this is like groundhog day....

On April 1st, 1901 my grandfather and grandmother purchased the farm I now own. They made the last mortgage payment in 1914. That's the only mortgage ever. Bought two more farms, one in 1915 and the other in 1930. Paid cash. At first, had dairy, beef, hogs and chickens. (diversified farming as preached in all the schools). Eventually became all dairy. Six horses (no mules ever), two hired men and my grandfather and father and then my brother and me. First car in 1914 followed by one-ton truck and several more Model Ts and then more Fords. Fordson tractor around 1917 and then Allis Chalmers after that. Silo in 1911. Barn expansion in 1915. Dairying ended in 1967 when my dad retired. My brother made his career in the Army (West Point 1964), I made mine in the flying world (still do). When my folks passed on in 1997 (ages 95 and 93) I purchased my brother and sisters shares and purchased one of the farms from an aunt who had become owner through inheritance. I sold the dairy barn for it's lumber which went to California. Silos came down in about a half an hour and put up a big Morton machine shed to store my equipment which I use for tillage, planting, harvesting, etc. Raise corn one year and soybeans the next. Pay cash for everything. I'm coming up on 80 years of age, still pass my FAA Class I medical, am qualified to fly single and multi-engine airplanes and am type rated in several large helicopters, BV107, SK58 and SK61, etc. Have been farming for 70+ years and flying for 53 years and hope to get another 20 out of both.

Long story made short. The farm that I run has been in the family since 1906. I can't say I own it even though my name is on the deed. I'm just using it for a while. I worked at town jobs and had a chicken farm but 5 years ago I moved back to the home place. Hopefully I'll have someone to pass it on down to.