Don’t Buy A Farm Unless You Understand A few Things

[Ledgemere Farm]

Don't Buy A #Farm Unless You Understand This (small farm)

 

[shooterdon]

He did not address what happens down the road when he is in his 70's. Even with the best intentions and understanding of what it takes to live on homestead life, it is a risky way to live.

Two years ago, I broke my ankle. I thought it was just a bad sprain and walked on it for a month and carried in firewood. If I had livestock, it would have been tough to deal with. It only takes one hiccup to go from living hand to mouth to not making it.

This guy is honest about living hand to mouth. I know a guy and his wife who live like this and they are in their late sixties/early seventies. They do not have two nickels to rub together. They are not going to make it. Good people but have not planned for the future.

 

[Have tractor did travel]

I had debated with myself, if to post after viewing Ledgemere Farm's video, and decided not. Then after reading ShooterDon's comments, I decided to add my $0.02.
"Farming provides a great life, but it's hard way to make a living."
Factoring injury and death, it's also one of the most dangerous ways to make a living. Trying to do a 2 man job with just yourself, trying to do the job with the tools that you have, instead of the right tool, because you don't have it, and can't afford it, are accidents waiting to happen.
Age weighs on my mind, as well as my shoulders. I'm trying to make this formerly derelict farm as easy to maintain as I can imagine. I'm already well into my 70's, and hope I can finish my objectives before hitting 80.
As a lifelong business person, I ponder how this "job" can be so low paying.
1. We have not differentiated our product from that sold by mass producers.
2. We sell our product to a middle man, based too frequently on weight, or bushel, rather than selling to the end user.
3. We choose the work we do, based on our desires, not based on perception of the market for our capabilities. (much like teachers)
3. We can subsist with mediocre skills and little education. Those that develop the skills and education to apply those skills, IN THE SAME MARKET, compete against those that do not have skills and education, and who set a low bar

 

[tractortroof]

Basically if God wants you to be a success you will and if he doesn’t you won’t. We spent $350k building the “farm”. And made $14k in sales this month (month #13 of farming)

This was made breeding dogs .

There are ten thousand ways to make money when you have the room. I don’t accept the idea that you can’t make incredible money doing “farming”.

We have several acres of blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries and plant other crops. These are a long term investment, except for strawberries which fruited 8 weeks after planting. Thank you, God.

Freezing them to manufacture wine.

We need to make over $100 k per year and we are definitely not as frugal as we ought to be.

I have HVAC services to augment income. Full time farming would take several years to produce enough income.

When you see things coming together it’s encouraging, but only God can make anything gain, no matter what direction you go in life.

I’ve been injured plenty this year…dislocated shoulder, shoulder pain, tore some muscle in rib cage, etc etc etc. I have a large family that helps a lot.

It’s not always fun but sure can be rewarding. Why the hEll am I doing this? I have no idea really. Why does the ant build its nest?

 

[beowulf]

True, true and true. I have had my share of injuries, most not that serious - but one required eye surgery (a triple procedure- $40k but had insurance) and right eye no longer dilates, a chain saw injury had me driving to town with a roll of paper towels wrapped around my arm, and a few back injuries, some falls, and more. For the past month I have been limping around with signifigant knee pain (injured while climbing and triming some trees)but that has not deterred me from doing what is necessary and doing the things I want to do - but playing with the dog a bit less now with the bum knee. There will always be the emergencies - well issues, freezing issues that need attention in the middle of the night, equipment failures, and animal emergencies. I could go on and on.

I will be 78 soon, but I would not trade this lifestyle for any kind of life in the city - I would not be able to tolerate that. I have told my wife that if I was forced to live in the city there would be a 50-50 chance I would become a serial killer within a month.

This is precisely where I want to be. But, I have not had to make a living from farming - so there's that - a big difference.

 

[hosspuller]

Farm life is a continuum. From the Gentleman farm on a few acres to the multi thousand-acre corporate sized farm. And the lifestyles match the continuum.

Ledgemere Farm is somewhere in the middle of the continuum. He chose the lifestyle. We should all be lucky and blessed to be able to choose.

I live on a farm. In name only. It doesn't provide a living for me; I support the farm. I and Wife enjoy the work, space, animals, the need to get up and out every day energizes us. I believe otherwise we would quickly degenerate into unhealthy old people. That's our farm lifestyle. We chose this as many of this forum's posters have too. When our health eventually goes away, we'll leave the farm and go to the next thing.

No different than choosing to live on a boat, apartment, subdivision, etc. The key is the ability to choose.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Growing up as a kid working on several different types of farms, all I ever saw was broken down, old farmers. There is hardcore farming, and there is playing at farming, which is why I am a carpenter...

 

[ovrszd]

I was able to buy the farm I grew up on. The farm generates enough money to support itself and make yearly improvements. I am Blessed with a good retirement income that pays the bills. We live in a new house. I'm sitting in a new all weather shop. We are debt free.

I am 70. As beowulf said, I couldn't live in town/city, none of them. I need this space and the contact with nature to remain sane. I intend to live here and die here. This lifestyle soothes my Soul.

 

[oosik]

I have 80 acres. I'm 79 and in reasonably good health. It would be really tough to try to make it off my land. If I ate deer and grew a garden - it would help. But there just isn't enough land for cattle - nor much of any other way to make $$$.

We started life here 40+ years ago - debt free. Been able to keep it that way all this time.

I'm very fortunate. I had a wonderful wife who planned for our retirement. I live quite comfortably off my retirement income. I, also, will be here until the day I die.

 

[shooterdon]

When I was 12, my dad sent me to a farm for two weeks during haying season. An older couple ran a small dairy operation. Of course they seemed old to me, but were in their late 50’s.

I had never worked that hard. We ate well and I slept like a log.

The farmer could not afford a conveyor so we tiered bales of hay. Lifted each one up to stack the hay up. What a wonderful smell.

After the two weeks were up, my dad picked me up and we talked. He said, “You can get an education or look forward to working your ass off for the rest of your life...your choice”

A couple of years later, the old couple lost the farm. They were not stupid or lazy. It was a heck of a lesson.

I live in the country but I will never farm. I am not smart enough or willing to work that hard.