how did you start farming?

[kentucky gardener]

just curious. how did you?

 

[casecollectorsc]

Got out of the Army in 68. Neighbor told Dad that he was going to retire and would put in a good word for me if I wanted to farm. Borrowed 15000 bucks from FHA and bought machinery and milk cows and started farming at 20 yo...still at it,

 

[flying belgian]

Always wanted to farm but timing wasn't right to take over family farm. So started a couple other businesses. Then when Pa died and I had chance to rent farm from Mother I had a very successful business going for myself. So Mother rented farm to neighbor. That went on for several years until neighbor was going to retire. That's when I sold my business and started farming.

 

[Texasmark]

I had to get the kids out of town and was growing out of my city lot with rolling stock things. What I didn't know was that the country had its problems with the kids too, just different types. Bought a little place that the county had taxed in AG status, basically over grazed, weed infested, somewhat eroded land. Difference in taxes for that vs just regular land was staggering...no way could I let it go back.....besides learning.....trying to learn the basics, I would up with a lot of equipment that I enjoyed using and messing with. That was 1978. I'm still learning how to farm. Not a day goes by that I learn something new.

 

[trackrat]

born into it, started working at 6-7 years old still at it at 73 not all on farm but still live the life

 

[sleepy1]

I got shoved into it by my father and half brother . They decided that they were going to get some cattle and not rent the farm out. They took care of them for about a week when it was feed time. After that my mom and I ended up feeding them in the morning and myself after school at night.The last straw for me was I was working a night shift job to get a place of my own , and still helping with the farm, I had come home from work they expect me to haul hay all day while they went to sale . After that I got the closing date pushed up on my own place , never said a word until the day I packed up and left.Bought a small farm , sold it several years later and moved 800 mile away and start a small but profitable hay and cattle farm , and worked a factory job for 47 years .

 

[jwal10]

I was 12 and things were not good at home. Took my heifers, ewes and a Farmall B, mower, rake and baler to the neighbors. Rented 19 acres from her and continued to work for her in trade for rent. Worked 60 acres of hers for wheat that fall. Kept growing the farm acreage, hers and other rented ground. Bought the 19 acres and a 300 acre farm next door. Married at 17, farming 1600 acres by 20. Homesteaded the 19 acres but farmed separately, until polio relapse at 37....James

 

[Bob Bancroft]

just curious. how did you?

Grew up on a small crop farm, but no room was made for me. During my senior high school year I worked half days at a local farm machinery dealership. This became a full time job at graduation. 7 years later, as I was frustrated with my job, and my uncle was slowing down, I started renting some ground and working with the extended family(father, cousin, and uncle worked together) 5 years later I quit my job, and for several years we thought we might fold and starve any minute! But we got through it. Family is all gone, so I farm alone. None of the offspring are interested, so I am most likely the 6th and last generation to farm on this road. Which is too bad, as after 40 years I have built a solid, debt free business, with substantial equity.

 

[urbancase]

took over when my dad got to the point from age that he couldn't keep up, i had helped on 3 farms growing up my dads and 2 uncles that were not married. the other uncle same thing started taking over when he had problems doing it from age. working 12 hours days in factory and volunteer on the fire and life squids. one farm i second gen the other i am 5th gen as being family farms and working to turn over to the boys now. the one thing i have done is get equipment modernized. to working off farm also.

 

[rrlund]

It feels like I was just reincarnated into it from another life. Next time, I want to come back as a cat and just lay in the sun.

 

[John M]

Born into it. My brothers and Iwere always doing someing farm related, feeding the chickens, workig in the garden when we were younger, helping Dad work on equipment, then around 10 or 11 we got to run that equipment with Dad until we got old enough to knowledgeable enough to run it ourselves. Big brother got killed, Dad got a promotion and retired from farming and handed it over to me and my little brother, who really didnt care except he wanted his greedy little share of the profits, sorry................I made good honesty money on hay until my biggest buyers died, and others thought they could get better deals from other people, so I just sold what I had left equipment wise. Now I rent 99% of the fields I use to work and make twice as much as I did farming.

 

[MARK ROBKE]

Born, grew up on a dairy farm, which Dad was born into also, and had to switch to beef cattle when I was 15. We were the only/last real farm around, surrounded by growing suburbia. We did a lot of outside custom work, plowing gardens, seeding new home's yards, baling hay, bush-hogging, and so on. When the farm was sold to be developed, I had met and married my present wife, and we both wanted a farm of our own. So we bought this place and raised kids, tobacco, hay and cows. Built 2 barns, 1 garage, an addition to the house, and lots of fence. Now just hay and cows. Slowing down- a lot! Mark.

 

[marloweg]

started when i won a million dollars farmed for a week then i was broke again

 

[JOCCO]

It feels like I was just reincarnated into it from another life. Next time, I want to come back as a cat and just lay in the sun.

I want to come back as a cat You don't know how many times i say that and sleep 20 hours a day!

 

[JOCCO]

Grew up doing it, kind of took it over from parents, expanded a little.

 

[caterpillar guy]

Grew up in it also. bought equipment and rented land then about lost it all in the 80's went to work off farm for several years then got back to it more later as dad slowed down and my youngest brother got into it from a good job he has as an engineer. So now he has bought a good bit of ground and I work my place and dads. Left the truck when the electronic hostage program started. Was driving for an owner operator for a few years and then bought my own.then got stupid and had to have my own authority also to become a motor carrier for another 15 yers while farming more land than what we had with my brother.

 

[Texasmark]

It feels like I was just reincarnated into it from another life. Next time, I want to come back as a cat and just lay in the sun.

I don't want that route. I get bored stiff taking a seaside vacation and just sitting in the sun....got to be doing something constructive.

 

[paul]

Followed dad around while he greased and fixed on machinery. Fetched tools. Put hitch pins in or out. Picked rocks.

Picked rocks.

Picked rocks.

Picked rocks.

….

Paul

 

[rrlund]

Followed dad around while he greased and fixed on machinery. Fetched tools. Put hitch pins in or out. Picked rocks.

Picked rocks.

Picked rocks.

Picked rocks.

….

Paul

I planted wheat for a guy one fall who told me that he never had to fire anybody. He said all he had to do was send them out to pick stones and they'd quit. Maybe your dad was trying to tell you something. lol

 

[MARK ROBKE]

I planted wheat for a guy one fall who told me that he never had to fire anybody. He said all he had to do was send them out to pick stones and they'd quit. Maybe your dad was trying to tell you something. lol

We used to do side jobs of leveling, grading, and seeding yards on new homes (with tractors). We were always picking rocks, and doing some grading and finding more rocks to pick up! Mark.