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Mike (WA)
04-25-2007 11:10:46
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Re: are the good times really f over for good in reply to northeast puller 1, 04-25-2007 06:54:42
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We milked about 35 cows through the fifty's, selling them in about '61, when I was 12. Dad always said that in the '50's and earlier, farming was a way of life rather than a money-making occupation, and because of low taxes and homegrown inputs, ability to grow a garden and eat homegrown meat, and low income expectations, you could have your way of life even tho cash income was pretty pathetic when compared to the folks in town. That changed, and not so gradually, when farmers started wanting a new car every other year, their kids wanted the toys that other kids had, etc. Concurrently, taxes and cost of operation increased dramatically, as well as costs of complying with government requirements. As income per cow goes down, the only solution most can see is more cows; now you can no longer grow enough feed, so you need to make more cash to buy it; the rat race gets faster and faster, and now the "way of life" goal is out the window, because its no longer a swell life, just a work factory. And its happened in so many other segments- the corner grocery and hardware store are gone, and everyone goes to Wally World; Service stations have been replace by gas pumps with credit card readers, and $75 per hour repair shops; and so on down the line. Will it ever be the way it used to be? Nope.
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