Our farming ventures

[Dave from MN]

Am kind of curious as to how many of us on here are into to farming, any farming. How long have you been doing it, have you increased or decreased in size of operation, have you recently started farming or quit farming. Gone out and recently started back up.. Them kind of comparisons of our ventures. This is a pretty diverse group here and would paint a good picture of what the type of change in farming really is. A while back I would have said this area will be controlled by three or 4 big operators, but as I prepare for my own cropping and cattle I have realized there are many younger, and older men and women that have actually started up there own operations and being successful and actually pulling available land away from the big operators.

For me I pretty much grew up on farms all my life. Took a tour in the manufacturing world for 12 years. Bought this poultry operation in 04, will be starting crops this spring, 40 acre total to start and plan to stay under 300 acres, starting the cattle thing as we speak. Well thats one small farm starting up. Any one else care to update or introduce your operation, cause I know many of us have talked here and there already about your operation, but there are always new eyes on here.

 

[centralilbaler]

I've farmed pretty much all my life, or been involved with ag. Back when the hog prices hit the skids, we got rid of the hog operation and concentrated on cattle. When my father passed away , i got rid of the cattle and started renting our ground out and got a job in town. The way rents are in central Illinois, I'm not sure if i'll ever get back into it.

 

[Anonymous-0]

You mention cattle: Around here you almost have to show a person a picture of cattle. There are none in this township except one person who will feed out his Holestin bull caves. He is also the only dairy farmer left in the township. What is the value of land in your neighborhood? Around here there are also no CRP acres except for strips along some ditch banks. Crops have changed. When I started working for a dealer in 1960 the special crops were tomatoes and sugar beets. We have a few on the sand that grow green beans, some peppers and carrots. Sugar beets have come and gone 5 tomato processing plants have left because of "free trade" Only tomatoes left are for a few growers and they are all processed out of state. A lot of farmers had chicken coops 4, between me and the corner (2 miles) they are either setting empty or have been torn down. Wheat straw is a bigger crop than hay. This is in northwest Ohio

 

[Tradititonal Farmer]

Farming for 55 years,have raised about any farm animal you can named now have beef cattle,meat goats and organic vegetables

 

[Dave from MN]

Land rent is everywhere from $10/acre to $250/acre(irrigated), Land "sales kinda peeked in 06-farmland across the road and down the road $9000-$12,000/acre, that was the highest- developer tossed up a huge home-not selling, They say the county average value of "ag" land is $5000, but no one is paying that unless they are 40 acres or less. Most large farm land tracts seem to be in that $2000-$3500 an acre ballpark.

 

[Brokenwrench]

Grew up around dairy farms. From 7th grade til a year after grad. I worked for the same farmer. In 10th grade, farmers son-in-law left the farm. I took over pretty much the whole dairy side, never missed a milking morning or night all the way thru HS. We milked between 60-70 cows, had about another 100-150 head of livestock, and 100 sheep, Farmed around 800 acres tillable, hay,grain,soybeans, corn.

Moved out of the area for 5yrs, did dirt work construction. Moved back home, got into the family business (repair shop). Bought a small chunk of land, now we have horses and hay.

All together now I put up about 70-80 acres of hay. Some alfalfa, the rest reed canary or grass alfalfa mix. This spring I will finish off some pasture fencing and start running maybe 5-10 head of cattle to start.

My wifes parents still dairy farm a few miles from us, so I make my way over there whenever they need help. Also have made very good friends with the crop farmer who owns the land around me, part of the hay ground I run is his land and we do it on shares... That`s it in a nutshell BW

 

[Bill in IL]

I have been around farming as I grew up. Dad had hogs before the market dropped in the 80's and I worked on the neighbors dairy farm daily, now thats gone. I moved to IL a few years ago married the farmers daughter and I help them on a daily basis. I have a small heard of dairy feeders myself I raise from bottle to feeders or eaters. I am worried now cause I have about 30 head from 150-700 but not much of a market the way things are looking. I don't make much but I do like having the animals around. Keeps the barn they are housed in in good shape. It is from the 1850's an old sears kit barn that is still in good shape for the age. I would love to buy some ground myself and start on my own but I don't see how I can do it and keep afloat the way ground prices are and thats not even figuring in equipment. Farming seems to be drying up as more houses are planted problem is they are never harvested.

 

[jubilee johnny]

I was raised on a wheat farm/cattle ranch in north east Colorado near Nebraska Allen. I wanted to farm on my own but after the blizzard of '77 and a bad hail storm I went to college and became a dentist. Now I have 20 acres in North Carolina on the banks of the Little Tennessee river to use my 2cly John Deere's and raise kids in the country.

 

[Clint Youse MO]

I raise hogs under contract farrow Farrow 122 sows every 3 weeks run a smal cowherd and sell club calves been around farming since I could walk grew up raising hogs got out when I was 13 started working for a neighbor at 14 left to go to college tried working in an implement dealer for a year after that it was easier to get along with the hogs than to get along with peopole went back to work for the same guy and bought the palce from him 2 years ago sold my cows while in college to pay for that so I am building a herd back now

 

[paul]

Been farming all my life, same farm I grew up on. Just made it a little bigger last year, still pretty small farm compared to most around here. Mostly corn & soybeans, little bit of cattle.

Land is selling for about $4500 an acre, more or less.

--->Paul

 

[Howard H.]

I grew up on an irrigated corn/wheat/milo farm in the Oklahoma Panhandle. I got into farming in the late 80's and stayed with it for 15 years.

I was farming about 3000 acres (and working in town) when I got out. The banker thought I could make more by doing IT work (since that's what I studied in college) and "nudged" me into getting out. Didn't like it at the time, but he was probably right.

Now I just work on computers, play with my old tractors on 80 acres of dryland and help Dad and my brother from time to time.


Howard

 

[LEH]

Been around it all my life. Grandparents on both sides farmed. Dad was the first one to leave & got a job in town. When I got out of high school I wanted to farm, but Dad made me get a job in town. Stayed at that job almost 36 years and now have a retirement check every month. I farm a small part of the home place with my antique machinery and enjoy my Herefords. If you are 20 years old & have a chance to get started, I would go for it. I still enjoy farming the way my grandparents did except I don't have a team & I don't milk by hand.

 

[fixerupper]

I farm 700 acres corn, soybeans and a little hay in NW Iowa. Got out of hogs 12 years ago, though they did support my family through the eighties.

Extra income comes from driving a truck for whoever needs me for a few days, and building projects/tractor restoration in the shop.

Land rent is probably in the $200 - $220 area for good land. Jim

 

[trucker40]

I grew up on a farm.We had hogs and cows corn and beans.Then I got a job welding moved to Kansas City for about 5 years,spent another 10 years as a mechanic untill 1991 and started driving a truck,did that for about 10 years bought my own truck,but my older brother bought a farm 8 years ago and I help him in the spring when I can.He mostly has hay but this year is thinking about planting some beans.He has 165 acres.

 

[LEH]

Been around it all my life. Grandparents on both sides farmed. Dad was the first one to leave & got a job in town. When I got out of high school I wanted to farm, but Dad made me get a job in town. Stayed at that job almost 36 years and now have a retirement check every month. I farm a small part of the home place with my antique machinery and enjoy my Herefords. If you are 20 years old & have a chance to get started, I would go for it. I still enjoy farming the way my grandparents did except I don't have a team & I don't milk by hand.

 

[SuperHank]

I followed my Grandfather around his farm but we lived too far away to really get established in Alabama agricultury. He was a country doctor who spent his money farming but he loved it. I saw that there was more certain financial reward off the farm and went to law shool but as soon as I could (and my wife would agree to sign the mortgage)I bought 200 acres and a 1953 Farmall and planted pine trees but left enough out to plant corn and deer feed. I'll sell my business in a couple years and pretend I'm back in Alabama.

 

[chuck davis]

I have a "hobby farm" in SW Mich. I grow blueberries. I live in NW Indiana and travel back and forth during the season.Started in 1997, one of those deals i could not pass up. Worked in the local steel mill for over thirty years and retired. Now i drive Semi,do carpentry work any thing to keep busy.
It is by no means lucrative but it usually pays the bills and taxes with a little left over. It also keeps me out of trouble!!!!

 

[Anonymous-0]

Hi, I was a dairy farmer for about 20 years. Sold my cows mainly because of the death of my sister and brother ( a few years apart) but took the wind out of my sails I guess you could say. I want to get the farm back up and running. I have had a John Deere 4010 for years and has been like a thorn in my side. I am looking to trade it with this guy for a 1080 Massey and was just wondering if someone could tell me how the Masseys are. I am not a mechanic and just want a tractor I can do the basics with change the oil etc and go out and use it. Mainly going to use it for some field work grow some vegetable crops on a small scale and move some round bales to some steers I have. Any comments /info would be helpful. Thanks. I enjoyed reading everyone stories.

 

[Randy S]

Was raised on a farm dad did corn cotton and later went into dairy farming. Went out in the 80's and saved the farm at least, only to sell it later. I got a small part of it and raised produce mostly tomatoes until the lack of labor put me out of that. We now farm in greenhouses, wholesale/retail flowers and the wife raises pure bred Arabian horses. I have worked off the farm most of my adult life mostly to support the farming habit, but its been a good mix and paid the bills.
I am planning on comming home and farming full time in 3 or 4 more years, cant wait.

Randy

 

[John N Mi]

I left the farm in NE Kansas to join the Navy instead of being drafted into the Army for Korean War. Learned about telephones in the Navy and did telephone work for 39 years. Now my farming is a small time maple syrup operation and garden. I just play with my old tractors.
John

 

[HeyPigFarmer]

I was born and raised on a farm. We had a small hog operation, never more than 100 head at a time. It was always just something on the side for my dad, he was a mechanic turned telephone employee. In my younger years he put his mechanic skills to work fixing anything we could buy cheap to use and then sell and hopefully us kids could learn something from it, and boy did we ever. When I was 14 I started to buy my own equipment to fix and sell along with working with a guy who was big into restoring Oliver tractors or any other thing he wanted that day. Of course when I would only charge $350 labor to pull the motor, major it, install and do the break in he couldn't see doing it himself, that and he bought the parts and brought them to me so who knows what deals he cut on that. Cutest one was a Massey Harris Pony, had the tiniest little parts in it. Anyway, around that same age I started to work for other local farmers, learned a lot more about farming from them than I had anywhere else. Then I spent a few years in school to become a civil engineer because I figured you can't count on farming to pay the bills all the time plus you need insurance and a retirement. While I was in school I was calling the shots on our family farm because dad didn't believe me I could increase yield while decreasing the amount of money we were spending. From that year on I was in charge. While at school I managed to spend a lot of time scouring the internet and found a few good deals I couldn't pass up, that's how I got my TR70, 4430, 7000 MaxEmerge and our Semi. Now finally got done with school, got a job, moved back home, looking for a place to buy of my own, get back into the hogs and maybe a few cattle. It's hard fighting with developers, and idiots from the city. They'll pay through the nose to buy a 40, plant a house in the middle of it, put the rest in CRP and think they have really done something because they are living in the country.

 

[Bill in Colo]

Farmed and ranched most of my life,mined coal for a few years to supports my habit. Nearly went broke raising wheat, put the ground in crp and consentrated on cows and custom haying.Gave up custom work two years ago. Currently watching the ranch be drilled for natural gas so far two good wells,forunatly we own a good share of the minerals, a few more and I,ll be looking for a place in SE wyo or western neb, want to watch the wyoming grand kids growup.

 

[JoshuaGA]

HeyPigFarmer, just curious, have you developed a few profit analysises for those hogs and cows. I want to restart our hog operation but the only way I can cashflow in our area is by direct marketing, and I'm not even sure of what the demand would be in our area. Just curious how you plan to do this.

JoshuaGA

 

[JoshuaGA]

Masseys are good tractors, just don't overtax that motor. It doesn't like heavy tillage. An 1100 Massey is a much safer bet if you need heavy tillage, otherwise, if the heaviest you get is a 3 bottom plow, you should be happy. Treat it as if it was a 180 instead of a 1080. What kind of vegetables do you intend on growing?

JoshuaGA

 

[kyhayman]

I grew up farming on my dads place; hay, burley tobacco, beef cattle, and custom work. Spent 17 years working off the farm after college and farming part time. Back to full time farming now. Same mix of stuff; hay, custom work, beef cows. Started with my own stuff on rented ground in high school in 1983, bought my own place in 1987. Added to it in 2001 and again in 2005. Running right at 300 acres now, plus the custom work. My dad is getting ready to retire so I'll pick up his place in a few years. Last land I bought cost me 7250 an acre in '05 but it was a small tract. Decent 100 acre parcels are selling in the mid 3000's an acre.

 

[HeyPigFarmer]

I haven't done any profit analysis work or anything for either animal. When I say a few cattle I mean 3-4, very few. For the hogs I only want 30-50, we still have our feed grinder, huts, panels everything so there is almost no start up cost other than a trailer. I live ~20 miles from the St. Louis Michigan Livestock Exchange and my brother works in a chemical plant so there is no shortage of people that want to buy a hog or two so they can put it in their freezer. As long as I'm not losing money on it I'll be happy.