Something I hadn't thought of..............

Goose · Feb 19, 2014

While doing an insurance inspection on a large welding shop in an ag area last week, I got to gabbing with the owner.

He commented that one reason the next generation is getting squeezed out of farming is that no farmer in his right mind is going to turn a green teenager loose with a $200,000 tractor.

It kinda makes sense.

Aaron SEIA · Feb 19, 2014

Define "green". I know of several farmers in the area who have kids not old enough to drive running stuff worth that or more.
AaronSEIA

Bryce Frazier · Feb 19, 2014

Whoa whoa whoa, I agree that there are many kids out there that aren't worth $h!t to drive a tractor, but I think you are over looking the select few like myself.

I have been running equipment all of my life, tractors, excavators, cats, semis, you name it. I would give anything to be part of an actual "farming family" and my dream is to one day own my own farm. It really saddens me that there are a lot of kids that are given this opportunity, but pass it up because they might get dirt on their fingers.

I can however see passing something up if it isn't you. I was offered a full ride to Annapolis, I would have come out a Naval Officer, and would have only had to work 20 years before I could retire with a full pension. I however passed it up because it just wasn't something that I could see myself doing.

Remember, if you criticize the bad, praise the good. To each his own, I guess. Bryce

Hoofer B · Feb 19, 2014

Are you going to run that equipment on you .10 acre wheat field??? I am a bit confused.

oldtanker · Feb 19, 2014

(quoted from post at 19:51:58 02/19/14) Whoa whoa whoa, I agree that there are many kids out there that aren't worth $h!t to drive a tractor, but I think you are over looking the select few like myself.

I have been running equipment all of my life, tractors, excavators, cats, semis, you name it. I would give anything to be part of an actual "farming family" and my dream is to one day own my own farm. It really saddens me that there are a lot of kids that are given this opportunity, but pass it up because they might get dirt on their fingers.

I can however see passing something up if it isn't you. I was offered a full ride to Annapolis, I would have come out a Naval Officer, and would have only had to work 20 years before I could retire with a full pension. I however passed it up because it just wasn't something that I could see myself doing.

Remember, if you criticize the bad, praise the good. To each his own, I guess. Bryce

As an officer I couldn't have done it. They required too much time on staff (riding a desk). PLD time 18 months, then staff for couple of years. The XO followed by staff. Then Company CMD followed by staff ECT ECT all the way up the chain. Had a lot more fun playing....errr being on tanks.

As far as kid running 200K plus tractors, nope not many willing to give a kid a chance especially if they have little or no experience.

Rick

Rick

Royse · Feb 19, 2014

It's too late for me to do the math.
What is the ratio of $200K compared to the gross income of the
farms that run that equipment today?
What would have been the ratio of the cost of say an AC WD-45 to
the gross income of a farmer who bought one when they were new?
I'm not so sure it's a money issue.

Spook · Feb 20, 2014

It's just money. Land, equipment and input costs are expensive. And off farm jobs that pay decently are pretty rare. Unless you inherit somehow, I don't how you could do it.

DaninKansas · Feb 20, 2014

My younger brother lets his 10 year old run $100,000 equipment - when he's a teen in a few years it will probably be $300,000 equipment.

Goose · Feb 20, 2014

I was stating an opinion I hadn't seen before. And like they say, differences of opinion are what make horse races.

T in NE · Feb 20, 2014

I wouldn't let an adult I didn't know on something that expensive (or critical) until I saw him run some junk and see how he treated it.
A kid (even a neighbor kid) who's had time on smaller stuff, and spent time with another operator on the expensive stuff, I wouldn't have so much problem with (especially if he wasn't the only one in the field).

pete 23 · Feb 20, 2014

I have been repairing tractors now for over 50 years. Many farmers have offered me a job running some of their equipment. I just don't feel comfortable running the stuff. My younger brother will however do any kind of farm job, if it has a steering wheel. No wrench's.

fixerupper · Feb 20, 2014

most young guys are more aware of what is going on around them than the older guys are. The young ones sometimes don't have the experience to know when they are headed into trouble. On the harvest I saw a lot of green young men do just fine with the equipment. In fact, we old farts probably ran into more things than they did, like the time I wiped a bolted down tool box off of the back of the service truck with a 40 ft. Head. An hour later one of the owners who is a year older than me ran the end of his head up a tree and completely blocked a road for an hour. The young guys do tend to not notice some little thing going wrong just from lack of experience and they are more enthusiastic, meaning more rammy. All in all I wouldn't discount the younger generation too far. There are many, many good conscientious ones out there. Jim

Kris A NC · Feb 20, 2014

Well put. I agree with you 100%

Kris A NC (now IN)

Something I hadn't thought of..............

Goose

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Aaron SEIA

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Bryce Frazier

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Hoofer B

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oldtanker

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Royse

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Spook

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DaninKansas

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Goose

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T in NE

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pete 23

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fixerupper

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Kris A NC

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