OK - Let's Here It From The Farmers

Neat post today to see how everybody makes a living - BUT didn't see much about full time farmers.

PS: In NO way do I mean this to be negative - you feed us and the rest of the world!

It dont offend me.The wife works out full time,and Im around here for our 4 kids if need be.The money we've saved from not hiring a sitter has really paid off me being at home a lot.I repair pick-ups,tractors,bale hay,skid loader work,have a few balancer/equalizer cows ready to calve this fall,(not a lot)but they are paid for.

I teach at a University, and am from the farm.
The gentle folks on here are old tractor buffs. We may have some tillable, and maybe not. But we are not feeding the world. (agribusiness is so far into the business end that the decision makers have no time for YTMAG) Even some of those regulars that have large ranches/farms have incomes from other employment. I wish it were different, but it takes way different machines and efficiencies to operate in today's commercial Ag business. There are exceptions to this, and they will chime in (I hope) but the reality is that it is a hobby to play with tractors like ours. Jim

It's harvest time, too tired to write! We are spending out time in the combine cabs & hgauling grain right now....

--->Paul

Jim I think that statement you mad about "feeding the world" may have came from a previous post I made.

I was referring to anyone that from selling a few dozen eggs, or garden goods to full fledged farming as someone who could self sustain life for their own, and possibly others.

If things went really bad Id have to rely on someone with small gardening as I don't have enough space here to have one that could keep a family of 4.
I'd also have to rely on another neighbor for a side of beef/ Pork for meat.

I farm with my brother. We have about seven hundred acres of crops out. I usually have 800-1200 steers on feed. I do repair work in my shop and drive a semi a little. My wife can not work out of the house. She can"t stand for very long. It is taking more and more work to just get by each year. I am lucky to own my land free and clear. If that was not the case I would not be able to make it. I feel for those wanting to start farming to day. It is almost like wanting to win the lotto. Very few can do it.

I farm 1000 ac with my parents in AUstralia. 600 ac culavation the rest grass run a small dairy 70 cows and grow all our own feed. Keeps the bank happy so that makes it all the more enjoysble. Play with a few tractors when time allows but hardly ever enough time in a day

As about everyone probably knows I am right outside of Farmington IL. We normally have 800 acres of corn and 400 acres of soybeans. Right now we have 32 cows but we will be adding a large pasture in the spring so the cow number is going to double this winter. We have a small feedlot here at my house and we finish our cattle. A few go as freezer beef the rest go to the sale barn. We raise enough hay for our own needs but barely.
I was lucky enough to find a guy who wanted to retire, cliff, so I was able with his help to buy his operation and he is still around helping when he isnt busy fishing. Keeps saying he is retired but he has put about 95% of the hours on the combine this fall. Travis is around helping out when he isnt busy putting out fires, literally and enjoying tractor pulls and shows. That being said he works his tail end off for me and I never have to ask. We work back and forth with my dad on some things as he farms a little himself along with being the highway commishioner. He is our go to guy when we need a extra hand. Nick has been helping for a couple years on weekends and evenings then joined the farm full time this spring. He has worked virtually 12 hours a day everyday since he has been here except when it was busy and then were working more. Its safe to say alot of what goes on around here is somebody elses hard work, I couldnt do this all myself, not even close. Having good help is priceless and makes my life very easy.
I better get headed out the door. Nick will be here soon and we need to get chores done. Today we are going to start on a fence building project. Tomorrow, if the weather holds, the guys are going to try to cut some beans while I start putting on NH3.
Never a dull moment!!
bill

Run beef cattle and meat goats and think all the Agribusiness stuff about feeding the World is a bunch of bull dung

I farm only about 400 acres of row crops + 200 of crp.

I call the cows my "working girls" They stay home and work so I don't have to.

Full time farmer since 1975 and part time welder.

Back in the 89"s I had to take a welding job at my friends shop to put food on the table. Did that for 14 years while growing the farm.

Own 300 rent 500. And custom plant and combine another 250. All corn and beans. Plowed the hay and pasture up this spring.

Had 70 cows till last winter. Sold em.

Had 100 sow farrow to finish hog operation from 1975 till 1995

I hire a little help in the fall to haul grain.

Some of the help is two of my 3,soon to be 4, son in laws.

I still help in the weld shop during the winter and summer as needed.

Anyone in the midwest been in a Pancheros(sp). We do all the railings and menu boards for them,

Gary

Farm raised! Does that count? We farmed right at 4000 acres, but we didnt work all of it at the same time.

Make a living of my 50 acres, selling evreything retail, vegies, straw, hay and eggs from my 1,000 birds.

i'm a dairy farmer. we milk 130 registered holsteins, have about the same number of youngstock, and raise all the forage and some of the corn grain for them.

Full time farmer near Preston, MN. Farm 950 acres with 600 being in corn, soybeans, small grain and hay. Rest is in pasture. Have around 230 head of beef cattle, cow calf operation. I run it by myself with no hired help with the exception of my sister who helps with the cattle in the fall.

Well, I kinda left a lucrative construction career, or took a break from it, construction management/project management & general contracting/specialty contracting, high dollar, complex projects, mostly highrises in NYC. (did not respond to the initial thread on this, little background here, also spent many years in the trades, sitework, underground utilities, very proficient operating equipment etc.

Back to the farming, where I grew up, everyone around us besides residential neighborhoods, was small family dairy operations, boy has that changed, we had horses, upwards of 30 at one time, on 98 acres. We also had a Ford Tractor dealership at one time, I never lost interest in these things over the years, having some land in 2 places, the other is an active stable on 50 acres.

I remained good friends with the dairyman/farmer who planted this soil here before I was born, he's still in it and since I have been around here full time, I have helped him as needed, doing some trucking, grain, hay/straw, as well as harvesting hay, oats, spring planting etc. He was doing 250 acres in corn, 150-200 in hay, and now about 150 in oats. He stopped with the corn and gave up some rented land he's had since before I can remember due to health reasons, and a fire (arson) stopped his dairy operation in '95. I enjoyed and am proud to have worked the same fields, it don't pay much but the work was fun, even with breakdowns, maintenance, weather and repairs, I liked spring planting the best. It was interesting to run the larger equipment, though I never learned the combine or the round baler. I was also able to help with some welding repairs, using my machine. His health is delicate, so whenever he needs a hand I am glad to help, been friends a long time and it's hard to watch things decline, hard to say how much longer they will be in it. I've been full time at our place and 1-2 of his 3 sons must have helped out to get through this season, though they both have full time work away from the farm. We have been friends for years, I buy hay from them when I can, we have a guy near us who provides the majority of it, + I have to truck it 30 miles if I do buy from them, so it limits things on that.

Currently I work with another person at our stable, which at times may have 20 horses, though we have had close to 40 (don't want to see that again) however, now we are down to 8 and soon 6, and it will stay around that for the winter, we do the chores, maintain the place and repair what we can, not a lot of money in this and I may have to go back to construction, land taxes here are ridiculous. For some silly reason I have enjoyed a good part of it, some not, sure keeps a person in shape with all the hard work, but you can have the cold winters and frozen pipes LOL !

i used to have a 20 cow dairy farm,sold it,moved to Canada,ran a 100 hd cow/calf operation for some yrs,sold the beef cows and went into bison 15 yrs ago.

currently i'm 60 yrs old and fulltime ranching with 180 hd bison on 1800 acre,all bij myself,the wife helps out if need be wich is not very often as bison is only 5% work and 95% management.Life is easy.

I still have a on farm repair business but scaling down on that.

5th generation on my family farm. 46 cows (45 holstein, 1 holstein/swiss cross... with room for 52, but just can't seem to get the barn full), about 28 head of youngstock, crop 345 acres. Do a little custom work (mostly combining) and some tractor repair. Guess that qualifies as full time farming.

Check this out: www.farm.ewg.org I need to figure out how to get the Gov. to throw some my way for doing my job. I help provide power to over a million and a half people including the Gov. and hospitals, that should qualify you think.
Charles

Born and raised outside Tampa when remember SR 60 changing to dirt and gravel road and all the diary farms that are now "Brandon". Moved to Ocala national forest 15 years ago to remain near wildlife of the four legged version.

Wife just cleaned out what was left of her WallyWorld 401k and we bought a 3 acre farm in the middle of horse country. Plans are for small blueberry farm to start with and grow to one of several nearby undeveloped properties that may be available around then. Somewhere around another 15 acres for that jump. Getting the farm cleaned up and ready to plant by next spring/summer is plan with us moving onto it full time by then. Even at that size should be able to provide decent income to quit our day jobs. Having the land paid for is the only way we could possibly do it. Cleaning the crap left around and piled under in holes will keep me out of trouble this winter. Learning about my older Ford tractor here has been blessings, along with the very different culture of Farm people. Being in my low 40's and my wife a few more than me, we can see this as being our future and retirement. Nothing would make us happier than to never have to work retail again. "You build/grow a farm, you don't buy one" is sweat equity my wife and I look forward to toiling with very very much.

Any time you raise any kind of animal for sale or slaughter the meat goes outside your family to feed others, so basically the world then gets energy from your toils.

Thanks guys!

Always wanted to farm since the mid 70's but not enough ground in the family to make a living so headed off to the "city".

Still like them "old" tractors though!

I grew up on farm of 1000 acres, all lost, am looking for farm Hand work.. drop me a email.

I grew up on farm of 1000 acres, all lost, am looking for farm Hand work.. drop me a email.

21 years old farm about 400 acres of grain, around 200 acres of hay and have about 30 head of cattle. Tryin to make it the only way I know how, sometimes it discouraging but I love doin it.