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Hey Allen, tell us a little bit about your operation

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Blue3992 (N Ill

09-29-2007 20:33:55




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Allen in NE, thanks for posting about your farm, and for including all the pictures. For those of us who haven't been on the board too long, give us an idea of what kind of operation you have. I gather that you've got a day job plus the farm. How many acres do you work? What all do you grow? What kind of equipment do you use?

Seems like you've been albe to do a lot with older equipment--I like that attitude.

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MNBob

10-01-2007 06:08:39




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 Re: Hey Allen, tell us a little bit about your operation in reply to Blue3992 (N Illinois), 09-29-2007 20:33:55  
Morning Allan; There are a lot of us that could be called "Losers" then. I wont go into my troubles but like you, struggle to erase the memories of being a loser. (actually a victum of circumstances but we are our own biggest critic). Hang in there and keep enjoying life. If you have open time One of these days I will take a road trip to visit our daughter in CO. and would like to swing through your area. Bob

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Bob Farrell

10-01-2007 04:57:50




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 Re: Hey Allen, tell us a little bit about your operation in reply to Blue3992 (N Illinois), 09-29-2007 20:33:55  
For some interesting reading that applies to mamy of us on this board go to: "Maslow's Hierarchy".



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Big un

09-30-2007 15:06:09




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 Re: Hey Allen, tell us a little bit about your operation in reply to Blue3992 (N Illinois), 09-29-2007 20:33:55  
Hey ya"ll.Story not so different than most of ya"ll.In the middle 80"s,about 2 weeks before corn was ready to shell we had about 11" of rain in 3 days and lost most of 135 acres of corn in river bottom farm that we had rented.Same storm blew a barn down on 7 registered Brangus heifers,3 weeks away from calfing,and killed them all.Lost most of everything.Was able to keep old home place and about 20 acres.But, I am slowly getting old iron back on the old place,due to the supreme grace of God.

Bigun

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Randy S

09-30-2007 11:03:48




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 Re: Hey Allen, tell us a little bit about your operation in reply to Blue3992 (N Illinois), 09-29-2007 20:33:55  
Hang in there Allen, and all the rest of the generation of farmers that got left out in the cold. My dad was a farmer by trade, cotton, corn and dairy. We lost everything except a small piece of the land that the home was on (guess we were lucky in that). I was following in his foot steps along with my two brothers, but now the three of us work a day job for a living.

I still work a farm of sorts, the wife raises purebred Arabian horses and we own a wholesale nursery greenhouse. My dad lived long enough to see my operation and was my best salesman, he was very proud of his kids. I dont think the memorys of turning the soil and growing the crop with dad will ever fade.

I too am working at putting some of the old iron that we owned back together again.

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Billy NY

09-30-2007 10:23:06




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 Re: Hey Allen, tell us a little bit about your operation in reply to Blue3992 (N Illinois), 09-29-2007 20:33:55  
"I'm on a mission, bolt by bolt and stick by ever-lovin' stick, to "get back" all that equipment/tools/assets that I lost those many years ago. Dumb I know, but that's what I'm doin'. :>("

Nah, not as dumb as you think, that old iron in good shape is paid for, still a nice chunk of land you have, but I'll give you tons of credit for dealing with that dry soil, that is one interesting way to farm, + assume you make a livin from another venue, and just by the posts here, no denying probably a good thing cause you enjoy it, + all the posts here, lot of good accomplishments fixing those tractors, implements etc. always looks done right ! And to boot, I'll bet you will eventually fulfill that vendetta and set things right, that will be a satisfying day. We used to have a fair amount of equipment ourselves, and maybe not such a vendetta for me, but I have replaced things we once had, either due to need, hobby or who knows why, just felt I needed it, it's a comfortable feeling to know your well equipped and capable with what you have.

"I like walking outide, having no neighbors in sight, and lots of old tractors, trucks, - and living things all around us."

JD, you're not alone in that regard, it is nice to have a little privacy, some space you can call your own and be able to enjoy it, I've lived in a lot of neighborhoods in NY and NJ, where the houses are on top of each other, but my roots have always been right here in the dirt, the darned taxes is the rent you pay, and it certainly is not cheap, they keep uppin the anty, like they have been on this 98 acre piece. Used to make it home on weekends as much as possible to get away from the hustle and bustle, was just there to make a buck, kinda glad that is over, that last big power outage Aug '03, just escaped the subway before it happened, kinda did it for me down there, on top of everything else, like you said, having some space is something highly appreciable in my book.

So many farmers get old and have to sell, there is no next generation in many instances, much easier to sell, developers circle like vultures for the oppurtunity and tell the community they need whatever they propose.

I don't know what it is, I've always enjoyed it, since the days of our ford dealership, used to love the display we had at the fair and all the farmers, even the other kids in school, most came from farms, generations of farmers, it's way a of life that can come at a big cost, especially today. Some of my most treasured items are all from that old dealership from those days and how it represented how things were, so many people today, not all, but many, have no idea of the hard dirty work that was done by farmers back then, still nothing like a hot sweaty day, filthy dirty, getting cleaned up and enjoying an ice cold beer lookin over ones place when the day is done. Funny how the news made stories of high grain prices and it's effect on food prices, well what about the people who make the grain, I hope it gets better for them.

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Oldmax

09-30-2007 07:27:44




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 Re: Hey Allen, tell us a little bit about your operation in reply to Blue3992 (N Illinois), 09-29-2007 20:33:55  
Allen good luck hope you the best in trying to break even . My family left farm two generations ago becouse they couldn't make a living there but still own the farm, 1/2 I own & my aunt owns the other half. I try to keep fields on both places mowed so bushes won't take over . I have about 75 acres . Mosely in trees, Have a camp site in one field under a large white oak tree spend all the time there I can in summer . Is 45 miles from where I live so not practable to have varments you have to check on every day .

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super99

09-30-2007 06:47:56




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 Re: Hey Allen, tell us a little bit about your operation in reply to Blue3992 (N Illinois), 09-29-2007 20:33:55  
Hi, Allen I was on the same shipwreck, Lost everything but the car and furniture. Know what you mean. Still wake up in the middle of the night thinking what I should have done different and might have saved it. Keep up the good work, live out your dreams. I am back to 65 acres that belonged to my Grandparents and farming it. The job supports the addiction, just can't leave it alone. Doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. My insurance agent asked me one time, Why do you farm? You could rent it out and make XX$$ and not have to do anything. I asked him what his hobby was, Golf, Fishing,Hunting? Then asked him if his hobby was tax deductible. He changed the subject. I'll never be rich in $$$ but I am happy doing what I'm doing. Chris

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Blue3992 (N Illinois0

09-30-2007 08:36:08




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 Re: Hey Allen, tell us a little bit about your operation in reply to super99, 09-30-2007 06:47:56  
"Asked him if his hobby was tax deductible"

Ha ha ha. I never thoguht of it that way. A good hobby is one that's tax deductible.



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Allan In NE

09-30-2007 05:11:37




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 Re: Hey Allen, tell us a little bit about your operation in reply to Blue3992 (N Illinois), 09-29-2007 20:33:55  
Morning,

It can't be called an "operation" by any stretch of the imagination; certainly not by today's standards that's for darned sure.

That old farm is just a hobby-farm by the best of definitions. Just a silly old man's folly. It is my "therapy" and I'm just an old fool out there playing in the dirt with my old iron toys. :>(

I'm one of those thousands of guys that went broke trying to farm back in the eighties when the bottom fell out. I mean, tooth-rattling, ear-bleeding, shook-by-the shoulders broke.

It forced me to make my living in other ways, but it left me with an ever-open, festering "mental-wound" that just would not heal no matter what I tried. I'm forever packin' around this self-imposed "failure" stigma.

So, I buy this old, run-down, arid, rattlesnake and cactus infested, overpriced 1/2 section (320 acres) of Nebraska wasteland that nobody else in his right mind would want.

It will never pay it's own way, it will never make a dime; might pay the taxes if we're real, real lucky. However, it gives me a place to park all my old junk. :>)

I'm on a mission, bolt by bolt and stick by ever-lovin' stick, to "get back" all that equipment/tools/assets that I lost those many years ago. Dumb I know, but that's what I'm doin'. :>(

Tryin' to raise wheat, cattle, hay and so far only accomplishing to raise a heck of a lot of dust. :>)

Allan

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David Snipes

10-01-2007 13:54:25




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 Re: Hey Allen, tell us a little bit about your operation in reply to Allan In NE, 09-30-2007 05:11:37  
I really enjoy your photographs, Allen. I have several of them in my computer for screen backgrounds.



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Lee in Iowa

09-30-2007 20:33:30




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 Re: Hey Allen, tell us a little bit about your operation in reply to Allan In NE, 09-30-2007 05:11:37  
Allen, I was lucky to be young enough to see the 80's happen, but not be directly involved. I watched what happened and tried to learn from it. My dad lived thru the 30's and was very conservative (tight). I've taken more risks than he did, but I've always tried to keep in mind what he would have done. I've made plenty of mistakes, but been lucky enough to live thru them and stay on the farm. Best of luck to you, all us guys with old IH's need to stick together. Lee

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pair-a-dice farm

09-30-2007 12:28:55




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 Re: Hey Allen, tell us a little bit about your operation in reply to Allan In NE, 09-30-2007 05:11:37  
Allen you've got a lot of company. The same thing happened to me. I was young enough at the time (I was 26 in 1984) to go get a good job and start diggin out. In 2000 I was able to quit my town job and farm full time again. Just in time for the world to really get screwed up. I'll be out of debt in 4 years but in the mean time I'm sweatin bullets.



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jdemaris

09-30-2007 07:19:17




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 Re: Hey Allen, tell us a little bit about your operation in reply to Allan In NE, 09-30-2007 05:11:37  
Not that you asked, but some of that sounds similar to our situation. However, years ago - I wasn't farming. I was a Deere mechanic (and many other things) working on farms all over, and really wanted the life-style - or at least - how much of it appeared. I worked on farms all over Vermont and New York. I started buying land and equipment 30 years ago, and still haven't stopped. But - my wife and I always bought the "bad" farmland that nobody ever made any money on - usually steep hillside, muck, deep forest,scrub, or hardpan. We've got around 300 acres of non-contiguous land scattered around - and 70 here all in one piece. When I worked for several Deere dealerships, I had the luxury of getting many good buys on trade-in equipment. Also, my boss was an ex-chicken farmer turned Deere-tractor seller and was a real good, old-fashioned, straight-up guy. He sent many good deals my way. His business model was based on a simple concept - no deal is worth doing unless both parties benefit from it. He meant it, and lived by it until the day he died. In business today, city or farm - that's kind of rare. We've been growing/raising and selling maple syrup, goats, eggs, hay, and sweet corn for years - and I am sure, never made anything close to a profit - if all was caculated strictly from a monetary basis. Working and living on a farm is our version of a never-ending "mortgage payment." We don't have any loans or mortgages - but we work alternative jobs to pay for our farm. But, as much as I complain - constantly - about taxes, realestate development, etc. - my wife and I wouldn't trade in our lifestyle. I like walking outide, having no neighbors in sight, and lots of old tractors, trucks, - and living things all around us. Much of the land though, that was $400 an acre just a few years ago - is now $3000 an acre - so I don't know what the near future will bring. We work other jobs to support our "farm life' now -but with taxes constantly going up - I don't know. Heck -there I go again complaining about taxes - I'll stop.

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R. John Johnson

09-30-2007 06:18:15




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 Re: Hey Allen, tell us a little bit about your operation in reply to Allan In NE, 09-30-2007 05:11:37  
Allan

Lot of folks in this old world should wish they could have things work out as well as they have for you! Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about things on this end, but there's a lot of unhappy people out there.

John



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Allan In NE

09-30-2007 06:35:09




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 Re: Hey Allen, tell us a little bit about your operation in reply to R. John Johnson, 09-30-2007 06:18:15  
You ain't just a kiddin'.

I've been there and done that and believe me, I know how fortunate I am. Not many get a second chance at this "expensive" game.

Allan



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