- Thread starter Greg1959
- Start date
Bruce from Can.
Well-known Member
- Location
- Woodville, Ontario, Canada
No surprise to me. Farmers were experiencing an economic depression for several years before the crash in 1929. History repeats its self. Little known to the majority of the population, farmers are in an economic depression right now!
I could elaborate, but this thread would very soon be removed for being too controversial. I will only say that I feel the current situation farmers find themselves in is more to do with economic policy, than farmers being greedy, or over productive.
I could elaborate, but this thread would very soon be removed for being too controversial. I will only say that I feel the current situation farmers find themselves in is more to do with economic policy, than farmers being greedy, or over productive.
Billy Shafer
Well-known Member
I think the problem is worse than they know. I have noticed around here. That several that raised cattle have quit doing so. They have raised cattle for years. Several that raised crops have stopped.
Couple of them have told me. With the stress,regulations,equipment cost and not knowing if you will get a good price. It is no longer worth the hassle. My brother runs the local feed store. He has seen the same thing.
Couple of them have told me. With the stress,regulations,equipment cost and not knowing if you will get a good price. It is no longer worth the hassle. My brother runs the local feed store. He has seen the same thing.
bumblebee
Well-known Member
I grew up on a farm and left in early 60's. In my opinion, back in the day farmers had income from a few hogs, fed some steers, had a few stock cows, grew oats, corn, wheat, put up alfalfa and hay. Some milked a few cows. There was no farm program like they have today. It was called diversified farming.
Where I grew up there is one operator that planted 30,000 acres of soy beans this year. They have put all their eggs in one basket. Several plant winter wheat or corn. I often wonder what they do all winter.
Where I grew up there is one operator that planted 30,000 acres of soy beans this year. They have put all their eggs in one basket. Several plant winter wheat or corn. I often wonder what they do all winter.
Al Baker(pumpman)
Member
I know things are bad, but I think their numbers are way off. If the suicide rate was as high as they say for farmers each of us should know someone in our area that chose a dirt .nap over his troubles. Maybe its worse somewhere else. I haven't heard anyone talking like that's happening here. People dropping dead from Overdoses of heroin Is seen here so I would expect to see deaths from suicide If it was that popular. Al
Angle Iron
Member
I believe there is a problem and it may well be getting worse. Having said that this is nothing new. This is the same as so many other aspects of our lives. We are just now finding out how far off the numbers have been in the past. MANY many times the person or person's that found suicide situation took it upon themselves to alter the scene so as to point more towards an accidental end. This was done to save family from the shame of it all. It was hidden so family would recieve insurance or any number of other reasons. More accurate investigating plays a role in this just as better diagnosis and reporting on certain health problems show up more today than ever before. What I find very troubling is the shear number of young people, 10 to 25 years old who end their lives. That I think is a larger problem over all.
As a former farmer and small business operator in the late 70's early 80's who considered all ways out of the bad financial situation as well as ending it all. For a while the only way out seemed like ending it all. At some point I realized that nothing was worth taking my life and just let it all go and I am glad I did. It was a dark place I was in for a while. My wife to this day has no idea how bad my head was. It take a long time to get past some things and having some one to talk to outside friends and family helps some of the time. All that to say it's not a new problem.
As a former farmer and small business operator in the late 70's early 80's who considered all ways out of the bad financial situation as well as ending it all. For a while the only way out seemed like ending it all. At some point I realized that nothing was worth taking my life and just let it all go and I am glad I did. It was a dark place I was in for a while. My wife to this day has no idea how bad my head was. It take a long time to get past some things and having some one to talk to outside friends and family helps some of the time. All that to say it's not a new problem.
Thank God I'm at that age where I don't have to think about it. No debt and old enough for Social Security if I need to. I surely understand the stress of it when you're faced with loosing it all. I never stuck a barrel in my mouth,but I've been at that point of not having a clue what the other option was.
retired farmer
Well-known Member
It so happens that I do know someone that did. Back in March a neighbor who lived a half mile from us, killed himself and left a wife and grandkids.
The ones around here mostly have second homes in someplace warm. Used to be Florida, but I know of folks going to Arizona and Nevada also. I've met a few. One of my dads neighbors in Florida was a Kansas wheat farmer. He inherited his Florida home from his parents, just like he inherited the farm.
farmerwithmutt
Well-known Member
Ever see the movie country i think that was the one. There were several out at the time. It was the late 70's and the era of get big or get out . I also remember growing up and things like my uncles mention that a neighbor had a nice farm to bad his wife had to work in town to pay the bills. This also was the time when honor and keeping your words had meaning.Also anyone remember what a good provider means ? It boils down to simply if you failed it was a lot easier to take the gun out back and solve the problem rather then have people tell you it's your fault you couldn't make it.I've been with people that took the only way out they knew.
Traditional Farmer
Well-known Member
- Location
- Virginia
My opinion people in general just expect too much and too many material things these days.When I was young growing up the richest people I knew really had less material wealth than many people on Gov't relief these days.Farmers are some of the worst over spenders I know of compared to their realistic income stream.So many 'time saving' devices which are nice IF they can afford them and IF they are going to do something constructive with their time they 'save'.Kinda hard to feel sorry for guys driving a $60,000 truck and a couple $100,000 tractors to make hay to feed some cows when they say its just no way a farmer can make it these days.I've been in farming all my life but have never depended on farming or any other venture or job to make
100% of my living too risky to put as the old farm saying goes 'All my eggs in one basket'.Yea I might be considered a hobby farmer or a Fake farmer that's fine but I ain't going broke either.Plus if I can't pay for it I don't buy it.Many farmers put up a big front with all their fancy places and new equipment over the years and stay in deep debt when it all collapses they really can't handle the truth coming out.But to kill myself over a loss of material wealth no way in this World, I'd just hitch hike to some beach down South and be a Beach Bum the rest of my life kinda appealing really.On the other hand its a free country and if a person thinks suicide is the best answer for them its their choice to make.
100% of my living too risky to put as the old farm saying goes 'All my eggs in one basket'.Yea I might be considered a hobby farmer or a Fake farmer that's fine but I ain't going broke either.Plus if I can't pay for it I don't buy it.Many farmers put up a big front with all their fancy places and new equipment over the years and stay in deep debt when it all collapses they really can't handle the truth coming out.But to kill myself over a loss of material wealth no way in this World, I'd just hitch hike to some beach down South and be a Beach Bum the rest of my life kinda appealing really.On the other hand its a free country and if a person thinks suicide is the best answer for them its their choice to make.
gene bender
Well-known Member
just another clown writing an article to get attention have you heard about any neighbor doing that
fixerupper
Well-known Member
I lost a farmer brother in law to suicide in the 80's. His wife found him hanging, got him down and was doing CPR till help came but it was too late.
As far as the 30,000 acre farmer goes, if he manages that much land he doesn't have time to go to the coffee shop any time of the year.
As far as the 30,000 acre farmer goes, if he manages that much land he doesn't have time to go to the coffee shop any time of the year.
fixerupper
Well-known Member
Oh, inheriting daddy's farm and money; how else can the family farm continue on? We all whine about the demise of the family farm but the farm boys who are fortunate enough to inherit the farm are put down as being spoiled rich with a silver spoon handed to them when they continue to hold on to the family farm. They are rich only if they sell the family farm they inherited and wine and dine the rest of their lives away.
Goose
Well-known Member
Like someone else said, farmers nowadays specialize in one or two crops, or only one or two profit centers. Then when things go sour, they have no other source of income. Our fathers and ancestors grew corn, wheat, and oats. They also fed a bunch of hogs and some beef critters and milk cows. Maybe a henhouse full of chickens. If one thing wiped out, they had income from another source.
I'm 83 years old, and I can remember the tail end of the "Dirty Thirties". It seemed we always got a decent wheat crop even if our corn dried out. Then it was a Saturday afternoon ritual to take a can of cream, some cases of eggs, and maybe a crate of chickens into town to sell at a place called the "Farmer's Union". We'd then buy groceries and supplies for the upcoming week.
Nowadays, there isn't even a place to sell cream, eggs, and produce on an ongoing basis except for the Farmer's Market on the courthouse square on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings.
I think the farm industry kinda did it to itself.
I'm 83 years old, and I can remember the tail end of the "Dirty Thirties". It seemed we always got a decent wheat crop even if our corn dried out. Then it was a Saturday afternoon ritual to take a can of cream, some cases of eggs, and maybe a crate of chickens into town to sell at a place called the "Farmer's Union". We'd then buy groceries and supplies for the upcoming week.
Nowadays, there isn't even a place to sell cream, eggs, and produce on an ongoing basis except for the Farmer's Market on the courthouse square on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings.
I think the farm industry kinda did it to itself.
Traditional Farmer
Well-known Member
- Location
- Virginia
And in those days farmers didn't have the 'Victim Complex' that many have today.When I was growing up on a farm much like what you described we figured we were responsible for our
own well being,successes and failures.I still look at it that way, my successes or failures are on me and no one else.
own well being,successes and failures.I still look at it that way, my successes or failures are on me and no one else.
Bruce from Can.
Well-known Member
- Location
- Woodville, Ontario, Canada
You are so correct, and accurate.
john in la
Well-known Member
With the suicide rate of farmers one has to wonder how bad the suicide rate would be without things like crop insurance and fire insurance.
farmerwithmutt
Well-known Member
1956 but that's deceptive my values and beliefs are different than most do to the ages of my parents and grandparents. My parents were 1910 and 1918 my grandfather was 1865 yes the civil war ended at the same time he was born he married the baby sitter after the first wife died his uncle fought with Napoleon in Russia. On the other side late 1800. So i was basically raised by a pack of depression era germans alot like the amish . kirche kinter and kitchen the three k 's for a german wife you won't see that today.I could say I'm the last of a dying breed the strange thing is i know what it means to stand in a line and be killed as in ww 1 and the civil war and also can understand the reasoning of a suicide bomber.
It's odd when you talk to someone older than myself and he would say that's the way my dad was.
Dying on your feet was always a better option than living on your knees
It's odd when you talk to someone older than myself and he would say that's the way my dad was.
Dying on your feet was always a better option than living on your knees
Back in the good old days, many farmers didn't know anything but poverty. These days they don't want to go back.
I thought the opening line was interesting, "imagine living on the same income you had fifteen years ago." Many people are. They just didn't have the good years in between.
I thought the opening line was interesting, "imagine living on the same income you had fifteen years ago." Many people are. They just didn't have the good years in between.
Russ from MN
Well-known Member
- Location
- Bemidji MN
My one grandfather was born in 1855, I wish I could talk to him, the closest thing is my second cousin, he is 91, and knew his grandfather. My other grandfather was born in 1881, I got to know him for awhile.
Russ from MN
Well-known Member
- Location
- Bemidji MN
Wait till the price of soybeans gets down to $5, there will be a lot more!
There was one here this spring. Processors and stores in the US have a real choke hold on dairy farmers. I recently read that dairy farm margines in the US have dipped below what they were in 2016 which were some of the lowest but national production was up by 2%. That puts the middle man in an extremely favourable position at the expense of the farmer. Supply management works for everyone. Our system in Canada that 99% of the world opposes recently called for a 3.5% quota cut to everyone. The system works. The state of Wisconsin alone produces more milk than all of Canada combined. That being said if every single dairy farm in this country just closed shop immediately it would do very little to raise the US milk price and any increase would only be short term because producers would do like they always have done when prices begin to recover,expand. Then there's again an over supply and the processor cuts your throat yet again. People can tarnish a system all they want that's served very well for decades to promote a nonsystem that is making stores and private processors rich at the expense of producers. Supply management works for all. People can complain about store prices but is the store price really fair if the producer can't pay their bills and looses the farm? There's huge money to be made off US milk at recent farm gate prices which is exactly why Canadian companies like Saputo have set up shop there. The customer gets a deal the store makes a profit the processor makes a killing the farmer gets the shaft,but nobody cares about farmers anymore right?
Kinda odd I think that I know guys on the edge or loosing it all still going on while the only recent suicide in the area was a small business owner that was fixing to loose everything.
And I have to disagree with Bruce: When you are competing in a world market and as a group you produce more than the world can use the price goes down. Don't matter if it's farm produce or hard goods from a factory. Simple business. It falls under supply and demand. When supply meets demands the supplier makes decent money, the manufacturer makes decent money and the end user pays a fair price. When demand exceeds supply the supplier makes a premium, the manufacturer may have to raise prices but will mostly try to cut cost elsewhere and the consumer get held up, generally resulting in lower sales forcing layoffs and factory closings. When supply exceeds demand the supplier gets far less, the manufacturer will make bank and the end users may enjoy lower prices.
Now there are several ways out of an over supply situation. Like with a factory you can idle production. Like some have tried to do with AG production and find another way to use it like making ethanol. Or for the farmer cutting production. Another way is to spark a trade war by barring certain imports or putting high tariffs on goods. But if you look at history that most often doesn't work well. I has and can spark a recession or depression.
But the simple fact for farmers is if you have a market for 1 bushel of grain or one gallon of milk that doesn't mean you have a market for twice that.
Rick
And I have to disagree with Bruce: When you are competing in a world market and as a group you produce more than the world can use the price goes down. Don't matter if it's farm produce or hard goods from a factory. Simple business. It falls under supply and demand. When supply meets demands the supplier makes decent money, the manufacturer makes decent money and the end user pays a fair price. When demand exceeds supply the supplier makes a premium, the manufacturer may have to raise prices but will mostly try to cut cost elsewhere and the consumer get held up, generally resulting in lower sales forcing layoffs and factory closings. When supply exceeds demand the supplier gets far less, the manufacturer will make bank and the end users may enjoy lower prices.
Now there are several ways out of an over supply situation. Like with a factory you can idle production. Like some have tried to do with AG production and find another way to use it like making ethanol. Or for the farmer cutting production. Another way is to spark a trade war by barring certain imports or putting high tariffs on goods. But if you look at history that most often doesn't work well. I has and can spark a recession or depression.
But the simple fact for farmers is if you have a market for 1 bushel of grain or one gallon of milk that doesn't mean you have a market for twice that.
Rick
MarkB_MI
Well-known Member
- Location
- Motown USA
I suspect farm suicides have long been under-reported. Historically there's been a bit of shame associated with suicides, and "accidental" deaths are seldom carefully investigated in rural areas as they would be in a city with a full-time medical examiner.
My own grandfather died by suicide back in '29. No doubt the economy in rural Oklahoma was a factor, but he was facing gallstone surgery which was risky back then and apparently the choice between incredible pain and high-risk surgery was too much for him. My mother was very young at the time, and didn't realize he had died by self-inflicted gunshot until sixty years later when she was researching her genealogy and obtained his death certificate. She then got the full story from her brother and sister.
My own grandfather died by suicide back in '29. No doubt the economy in rural Oklahoma was a factor, but he was facing gallstone surgery which was risky back then and apparently the choice between incredible pain and high-risk surgery was too much for him. My mother was very young at the time, and didn't realize he had died by self-inflicted gunshot until sixty years later when she was researching her genealogy and obtained his death certificate. She then got the full story from her brother and sister.
Heck there are some life insurances that see suicide as a mental health issue. I know of several such companies that pay in the event of suicide if it's committed at least 2 years after the policy goes into effect. Most people on the edge are not going to wait 2 years.
But it's still interesting reading that report with living in a farm area. Several farmers here have failed in the last year, couple more on the edge. An as I said the only suicide in the last year in the area connected with failures is the one store owner.
Rick
But it's still interesting reading that report with living in a farm area. Several farmers here have failed in the last year, couple more on the edge. An as I said the only suicide in the last year in the area connected with failures is the one store owner.
Rick
Angle Iron
Member
hat is a very ignorant statement. I hope no one you know ever goes through it. Very ignorant, happy your no kin to me.
Russ from MN
Well-known Member
- Location
- Bemidji MN
Well, they won't be voting for him again!
Similar threads
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.
Copyright © 1997-2024 Yesterday's Tractor Co.
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.
Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters
Website Accessibility Policy