When was the last time?

[Animal]

When was the last time you woke up in the morning anxiious to face the day? Here lately the first thought in my mind in the morning is what kind of crap am I going to have to face today? I honestly can not remember the last time that I had a very rewarding day..I know that I am sniveling, but I am tired of dealing with idiots. I shipped my beans this week, paid this trucker a hundred dollars extra to get his truck cleaned so he could haul my organic product to market, the buyer called me and told me they found corn in my beans and they did not know if they would pass due to contamination..I have not raised corn in four years, you do not suppose it came of the carriers tarp do you? He claims not, that it was a contaminated sample bucket, ya right! If this does not pass it will only cost me four bucks a bushel. I have a plow that I am trying to get shares for, I have gotten more information off implement alley than the three local CIH dealers, spent four hours on telephone and computer trying to find out what the correct nozzels would be for spraying fish emulsion, this is the reply that I got from Neptunes Harvest on the subject,"If you can stick a sharp pin in it you will be fine." Now was he talking a straight pin, a fountain pen, or a hitch pin, I do not know, but that was not the answer I was looking for! I had a tire repaired on my R John Deere last fall to the tune of $200 drove it five miles from field to the yard, it stayed up all winter until two weeks ago Wed. flatter than a flitter, got with the repair man last Sat., he was going to fix it the first of the week, here it is another Sat. and not a word. These a just a few of the past weeks highlights the list goes on and on. Am I the only one, if so I think I will take up drinking, or something, I just seems to me like no one takes any pride in their work, which is their own business until it starts to affect me and then its my business. I try to get along and not be an a$$hole, but I think that attitude has got to be modified to get along in todays world.....sorry I had to vent!

 

[jeremy in NE]

Dad always cleans the truck himself. Doesn't want to go through what you are. What do you spray the fish emulsion on? Does it work well? When the sun starts shining it will get better.

 

[rrlund]

Just to answer the first question,it's been a long time. Calving season has been nothing but an exhausting,frustrating mudhole mess. Some mornings I get out of bed with such a bundle of nerves over what I'm afraid I'm gonna find out there,I'm actually shaking when I walk out the door. I don't even have my oats in yet and the weather forcast right through Mothers Day looks just as bad.
Trouble is,I know where Heaven on Earth is to me. It's sitting on the porch of a cabin in the Ozarks of Apalachians with a cup of coffee watching the sun come up. I had every intention in the world of being there by now if my son hadn't decided he wanted to farm. Trouble is,I can't afford to quit and he can't quit his job to take it over til I do.
All I can do,as I see it,is live as cheap as I can,save every dime by just getting by with things I have,then walk away and let him have it and let him try to replace everything that I've kept together with bondo and baling wire. Or I can die young of old age.

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

The only thing that gets me out of bed & keeps me above the turf, is the thought that one of these days, things will go better than yesterday. I also keep a large compost pile for all of the shutt sandwiches I've been handed. No need to apologize, here, for venting. It keeps you, me & many others from "going off".

Mike

 

[kj(seil)]

on specialty loads if any question have your elevetor folks hand probe the truck, check it again yes sample buckets can be contaminated especially when an automactic probe is used

 

[Anonymous-0]

Farming can be difficult enough without trying to be organic. Certainly can give attractive returns but one can dearly pay for this advantage with a lot more headaches and stress. Organic is not in my future for this reason.

 

[paul]

Well if you start pouring, pour one for me too.

Several years ago, I was lining up broken machines in the yard in fall. When the siderake fell apart & I brought it in the yard with a piece of twine holding the basket up, I looked up & saw 4 items lined up in front of me, and winter was coming.....

I was kinda down that day, sometimes it takes a toll on a person.

My wife & I run on sunshine, bright days make the world seem better.

It's been grey and overcast for the last forever now. Ugh! Today is supposed to be partly cloudy. As my wife says, I think they forgot the 'partly'!

--->Paul

 

[Animal]

Darn near everything, but beans mostly, I think it has increased my bean yeild about seven to ten bushel per acre. But up till now it has been a real pain to spray as it is thick as a good milk shake, but this is one battle I am going to win by hook or by crook.

 

[LeonardWD45]

Animal, I know exactly what you and everybody else is going through. I'm in the process of taking over the farm from my dad. All the equipment that we have is over 50 years old. Very maintenance intensive. Also trying to find parts and the pride of the people that we have to deal with is something that has been going out the window for quite some time. I sure hope that pride in workmanship will return.

Leonard

 

[jeremy in NE]

Is it approved for organic crops? If so how does a person purchase it?

 

[old]

Shoot dude why do you think I do not get out of bed before 9am most days and hope that I have a good day which has not happened for years. Yep know how you feel and wish the guys in the white house would get a clue what it is like for the small guy. Yep know how you feel and guess I drink to much because I to am depressed most of the time. I would go into it deeper but then I would have to explain how the gov has screwed me and you to many times

 

[kyhayman]

People with pride in their work are few and far between. Auto shop I go to was such a pleasent surprise this past week. Owner spent a lot of time just visiting with me, walked with me over to the parts store next door to show me around. They are taking over the parts line of a local dealer who is retiring.

But the bright spots are few and far between on these cloudy rainy days. I need a week of decent weather when I feel decent to get my repair work done. Spent this evening with a ham sandwich, a bottle of red wine, and some Bob Dylan. Just dont feel like doing much of anything, and with the price of everything it costs too much to do it. About the only bright spot I've had was last Tuesday I sold 19 fall calves. They were light but the price was right. Avg net was right at 600 dollars each.

 

[Animal]

I want to thank all you guys for your replies, believe it or not it really helps to know that I am not the only one out their in this boat. It means alot to me to have a place that I can tell some one exactly how it is....again thanks a million!

 

[GordoSD]

You don't owe your son a free farm. Offer to sell it to him now, or put it on the market. Take the profit and go live your dream. Life is not a dress rehersal.

 

[Animal]

Yes sir, its omri approved, google up organic gem or neptunes harvest. I am also looking into this SEA=90 its supposed to be full of trace minerals

 

[rrlund]

Yea,I know I don't "owe it to him",but I'm third generation here and he wants to be the 4th. If I try to sell it,my brother is going to end up buying it and then my nephew will end up with it. My son feels like his cousin has already gotten too much handed to him and doesn't want to see him end up with this place. My Dad told my son,before he passed away that he had always thought he'd end up with the place,so now he wants it even more because he thinks it's what Grandpa wanted. So.......it's all complicated. He has some student loans that he needs to get payed off before he can quit his job and farm. He's got some cattle here,so he can build in to it SOMEDAY.
Many's the day,I wish I'd have gone out and bought a place that nobody had any emotional attachment to,so I could have just sold it when I was done with it. Anybody longing to own the "home place",take my advice,you have no idea what you're doing. You'll never "own" it. You'll always just be the caretaker until another family member can afford to buy you out for a deeply discounted price. That's just the way it is. I've got other places that weren't part of the original farm that I could sell,but if my son wants to make a living farming,he'll need them too. Once I sell them,they'll be gone for good and he'll never be able to get them back.

 

[Bob Bancroft]

Indeed, there are no easy answers. I am the sixth generation to farm on this road. My father oversaw the destruction of everything his forefathers worked for when he left everything to my wicked mother, who handed everything to the one child she favored. It's all gone but one and a half acres and a trailer.
My wife and I worked, struggled, and sacrificed to build our own. We are very close to no debt, and would be except for a little obstacle called income tax. Nothing would please me more than to have someone come along and run with what we've started. The only possiblity now is a grandson. So, if we can continue for a while, and he grows and is interested, we would sacrifice once again to see it happen. If not, when I can't work it myself, I will be free to sell it, as you say.
I am thankful to live in a place and a time where some freedom still exists.
Best of luck.

 

[scotc]

My friend sold a used tractor to a couple of vegetable farmers. He asked her if they were certified organic while he was looking the tractor over. He even printed a checklist and brought it with him, of things to look at. Anyhow, she said they use less chemicals than their neighbor who is certified organic. She said they would only have to make a few small changes to qualify, but think it's a crock and want nothing to do with it.

Things have actually been looking pretty good here lately. Amazing how a ZIP code change and getting away from that pile of BS known as trucking can do that.

 

[randallnMo]

Well there you go. I believe you're gonna make it. That's the attitude that keeps all of us going. Bull headed determination. Keep on plowing dude!

 

[okierob]

As far as fish emulsion nozzles, check out AgGrand web site.
For field sprayers, AGGRAND has found the use of the following TeeJet® Technologies spray nozzles effective: XR TeeJet®, Turbo FloodJet®, and StreamJet®. If your system or sprayer has an owner’s manual available or is covered under warranty, please refer to the recommendations of the manufacturer as any alterations without the manufacturer’s consent may void the warranty.

 

[Anonymous-0]

No one owns a family farm. One generation gets the use and the next gets the same. I have no ground of my own, rent it all. But a close friend always said that. If it came from family then you're only renting it from the next generation. ESPECIALLY if his son wants to farm. If he had no intention then I could see different. There are literally no young farmers in my area. I put myself in but I only run 60 acres part time. If you look at the families that sell the "family farm", where is the money 30 years later? It has all been spent with nothing to show, ground lasts forever and always makes money.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Now if you bought it all yourself then thats a different story, family ground should stay in the family. I guess I assume that rrlund hasn't got it handed to him. But I would hate to see one less young farmer.

 

[Animal]

Thanks, I spent quite a while on the phone with T jet, and we came up with a #5 turbo flood.

 

[Tom from Ontario]

Animal: i got into the same thing with molasses and fish. Wound up diluting it with two parts water to one part mix and then BIG nozzles. got sick of plugs and doing that emptied the tank in a hurry, but I can pump water faster than I can blow out nozzles 10 times on every load.

 

[Anonymous-0]

In spite of everything this old world has to throw at us, I TRY to get up and get at it every day with a song in my heart. Having a good attitude doesn't guaranty life will be a pleasure, but a bad attitude DOES guaranty a lousy day.

We only get one shot at this life. You have to go at it like those classic wedding vows say, "For better or worse, richer or poorer, until death do us part...." Yeah, some days ARE tougher than others.