Buy or Bale My Own?

[Fixastuff]

A picture from month of so ago. Now harvested with soybean plants a few inches high.

 

[Fixastuff]

Never said “I lose money all the time”
Nice try

Ok, you win.

 

[MoKelly]

Here are my soybeans.

To be honest, I don’t farm. A neighbor farms my place plus a few others so he has about 300 acres to farm all at once. Economies of scale help.

He does ok. He has raised 2 kids thru college and does not starve. But - he works very hard and earns every penny. He also has some cattle and does hay to feed the cattle. I must admit haying is an amazing process. The bailer is simple yet amazingly complex. Unfortunately, it tends to break a lot. But, he can usually fix pretty quickly.

MoKelly

 

[TheMan419]

Ok, you win.

cant argue with someone that changes the story all the time.....

 

[lman]

I think the only time my dad made any substantial money on the farm was when he sold it.

 

[MoKelly]

I think the only time my dad made any substantial money on the farm was when he sold it.

I think you are very correct.

Didn’t the term “land rich and cash poor” come from a farmer?

MoKelly

 

[BleedingOrange]

Every farmer I have ever know, always cries hard times, but the majority, end up with a ton of cash, when they finally decide to move on from farming. From what I have noticed from my friends that are farmers, they live well, and kinda enjoy crying poor, and tough times, to anyone that will listen.

 

[MoKelly]

Every farmer I have ever know, always cries hard times, but the majority, end up with a ton of cash, when they finally decide to move on from farming. From what I have noticed from my friends that are farmers, they live well, and kinda enjoy crying poor, and tough times, to anyone that will listen.

Kind of harsh huh?

I know only a handful of farmers. They own many acres that, when sold, (God willing) should make them good money so they can retire.

But, in the meantime, they work very very hard to make a manageable life. Every farmer I know, if you take their income by the hours they work, makes wages no one would consider excessive.

Plus - their whole lives - they face risk from weather, markets, insects, pests, and equipment breaking. They have only themselves to rely upon. No employer, boss or other who they can say “let them worry about that problem”.

Farmers are not unlike any self employed business owner. They work very hard and long hours, build the business into a success then sell for a nice profit. That is their pension and 401k. They earned every cent.

But - and this is a huge but - to get their pension/reward they must sell their home and the place they lived and raised a family. No other business owner or employee has to suffer that sacrifice. It’s not easy.

I completely admire farmers.

MoKelly

 

[Fixastuff]

EWG's Farm Subsidy Database

EWG's Farm Subsidy Database put the issue on the map and is driving reform. Just ten percent of America's largest and richest farms collect almost three-fourths of federal farm subsidies; cash payments that often harm the environment.

farm.ewg.org

Check this out, it may surprise you. I know farmers around here get mad if you bring this up when they're telling you how poor they are.

 

[Hay Dude]

Kind of harsh huh?

I know only a handful of farmers. They own many acres that, when sold, (God willing) should make them good money so they can retire.

But, in the meantime, they work very very hard to make a manageable life. Every farmer I know, if you take their income by the hours they work, makes wages no one would consider excessive.

Plus - their whole lives - they face risk from weather, markets, insects, pests, and equipment breaking. They have only themselves to rely upon. No employer, boss or other who they can say “let them worry about that problem”.

Farmers are not unlike any self employed business owner. They work very hard and long hours, build the business into a success then sell for a nice profit. That is their pension and 401k. They earned every cent.

But - and this is a huge but - to get their pension/reward they must sell their home and the place they lived and raised a family. No other business owner or employee has to suffer that sacrifice. It’s not easy.

I completely admire farmers.

MoKelly

Yep, people with no knowledge generally make stupid, I’ll-advised comments about farming and farmers in general derived from ignorance.
Then they cry like little babies when you throw rocks at what they do for a living.
But thanks MoKelly. You have always been gracious.
Good looking farm property! Keep it going!