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thinking of getting out

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Rich Iowa

07-19-2006 19:06:29

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I've been giving it some serious thought, and I think I'm gonna get out of this farming stuff, but not completely. I'd love to farm, but I've come to the conclusion I can't deal with the risks. I'm not a big risk taker. I love baling hay, but I'd rather help others bale and let them worry about the weather, balers not tying, machinery breakdowns, etc. I'm thinking of selling all my equipment, (except my Oliver 1650 and 3pt sickle mower) using that money for part of a down payment for an acreage or at least a house in a very small town. I am being given my late uncle's Oliver 770 and I'm trying to get my late grandpa's Farmall B, plan is to restore both of them and take them to shows, plow days, etc. I don't think i could farm, but the lifestyle and the country is in my blood and I'd like to be as close as I can to my roots. Anybody like to buy some equipment?

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davpal

07-20-2006 01:31:00

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Re: thinking of getting out in reply to Rich Iowa, 07-19-2006 19:06:29

I have felt the same way lately. We had the best crops this year we ever had and the weather turned on us and we have gotten 11 inches of rain in less than ten days in Michigan where I live. I think we have now lost 75% of our soybeans. I can't hardly even look at them when I drive by. It was a lot of work getting everything done and a whole lot of money to watch it evaporate in a week of horrible weather. It is suppose to rain thursday, friday and saturday too. I may try to talk dad into letting it sit next year and save our money. Farming can be very rewarding and also very depressing too. You can not control the weather and that is a bitter pill that people find out in this occupation. I have a job that supports the farm "hobby" if that is what you want to call it. There is no money to be made at all in farming. We do it because it is in our blood. Here in Michigan you can work 100 hours a week farming and worry about the weather and kill yourself slowly trying to keep your head above water or you can go get a state job working for the state of michigan for 40 hours a week, no overtime, full medical, air conditioned office, paid sick days, 45 vacation days a year, and a full pension and 401 k plan and make $50,000 dollars a year for basically doing nothing, or you can farm and make basically nothing for doing everything! That is why farmers are throwing in the towel, plain and simple economics.

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led

07-19-2006 21:25:02

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Re: thinking of getting out in reply to Rich Iowa, 07-19-2006 19:06:29

You might want to look into organtic farming!! I know it takes a long time but C0-Ops & markets help you get there. Some people want food that is raised the old way. No chemicals. Just a thought.
Hang in there, We need small farmers.

Led

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07-19-2006 20:06:55

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Re: thinking of getting out in reply to Rich Iowa, 07-19-2006 19:06:29

Rich,

I'm in your exact situation verbatum. I put up about 85 acres of hay in small squares. It was fun and games for awhile, but it has just gotton to be too much. Dealing with the weather, customers, fuel prices, fertilizer prices has just made my business spiral out of control. Ya, I make more money with hay, but I really started looking at my costs and time investment, and I realized my true profit was not as great as I thought. So, the heck with it....someone else can deal with putting up hay.

Right now, my plan is to get a no-till planter and put most of the land into roundup ready soybeans. I'll keep enough hay ground for about 1000 bales which I can sell off the field.

I feel your pain. This year has been an absolute disaster for hay in Southern WI. In the past 10 years, I can't recall ever having a year where it was so difficult to get good weather.

Best of luck with whatever your decision is.

Eric

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Rich Iowa

07-20-2006 18:30:49

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Re: thinking of getting out in reply to e, 07-19-2006 20:06:55

I only bale 5 acres, and I'm thinking I can put my time and money to better use. I'm one generation removed from the farm, mom moved off the farm after high school, and somehow I am the one in the family that caught the bug. I've allways wanted to raise hogs. I've been planning on getting into raising hogs for Niman Ranch from the begining. I just need to find a place to put them. After thinking bout it, I'm gonna sell what I don't need, and put my energy into the hogs, along with getting a place of my own and restoring these tractors. Thanks everyone for giving me the great advise.

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youngfart

07-19-2006 19:59:33

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Re: thinking of getting out in reply to Rich Iowa, 07-19-2006 19:06:29

I'm 25 farmed all my life never gave up never will, tried to get a government loan, they told me to sell out, I told them to go home and walked out. now the local bank gave me the same loan, at a better rate. for my two cents that would be the dumbist thing to do, selling out. when I say all my lfe at a year and a half playing farm, then driveing tractors for my dad to load hay on wagons. now its my job plus a hundred cows, where dad only had fifty. hope to go for more some day. so don't give in, things happen if you let them!!!!! !!!!

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Dave from MN

07-19-2006 19:29:35

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Re: thinking of getting out in reply to Rich Iowa, 07-19-2006 19:06:29

Rich, dont give up! There is gonna be a real demand for farming in the coming years, so what if you arent farming 10000's of acres, why let some one else get rich renting out your land. Every year engineering increases yeilds, but not at a rate exceeding the loss of farmland and the demand to feed a exploding world population. Us smaller guys going out of farming is just what the big guys want, then they can run our ground and cash in. Some qualify for so many programs that a large percentage of thier profits come from all our tax dollars. IMHO I think in the next year or two even some one bringing in 20 acres of a grain will make money, and with what is happening on the other side of the world, we may be shipping lots out in the future. Stay on your local extension agent about programs available and apply for all of them, most times it seems only the large farmers seem to know about them. The big guys will if they rent your land. I am just getting going and am some how hoping to be at 200 acres in 2 years, I have 25 tillable right now that I own, cant buy more at $10,000/acre and expect to make money farming it. So I am gonna pick up as much as I can of what the "big" guys cant get into. Rent from neighbors that retire and dont want to see their farm pounded with round up and chemical fertilizer. I have no issue with the guys that farm 2000+ acres as long as they arent screwing the neigbors. I just think if the smaller guys hang in there a few more years, get ambitious with running the farm as a business, there will be good money to be made for the small guys as well.

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Dachshund

07-19-2006 19:28:39

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Re: thinking of getting out in reply to Rich Iowa, 07-19-2006 19:06:29

Depends on what you have and how much! Just make sure you don't get to far away from your roots, you'll end up missing it in the not so distant future. You don't have to farm, to live on the farm and still be close to it. Take care!

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