By growing good ol' tomaters and makin' homemade wine, a country boy can survive.
By growing good ol' tomaters and makin' homemade wine, a country boy can survive.
Farming-- America's most expensive hobby?
Steve
Richard, first thanks for the kind words. I've learned a lot from you, and also consider you a friend. I think our values are similar, but we just approach them from different ends of the scale.
I completely agree with what you said. If I had to depend on my farm for a living, right now, I'd be in an awful lot of trouble. If I had grown up on a farm, as you had, I might have the wherewithal to butcher my own animals. Alas, as much as I try to be, and to most, appear to be a country boy, I am still a transplanted suburanite. (As much as I HATE to admit it!!! [img]/forums/images/icons/mad.gif[/img] ) I just get attached to all my animals, and they become pets to me.
I think it can be done my way, but it is so much harder. My dairy farmer buddy is my ideal. He spends a lot of money on his herd of retired dairy cows, but he figures that since they helped support his family, he owes them. I agree. That's just a point of view. It's not right and it's not wrong, it's just what it is, a point of view. My friend survives as a dairy farmer, because he also has made a successful business selling hay and feed that he grows. It hasn't been easy for him and his family, but they do things the way they think is right. He could make a lot more money by sending older cows out for meat, but he won't, and I respect him greatly for that. The dairy that buys his milk is always telling him that he could farm more efficiently, but he sticks to his guns.
I'm hoping to have a successful goat dairy, and other farming enterprises someday, but I've got a very long way to go, and right now it's a good thing my wife and I have other jobs. The plan is for her to quit her job, as a nurse someday, and tend to the farm full time, and I will follow. How long that will take is very hard to tell. But we're determined, hopeful and not afraid of hard work. We have been embraced by our local farming community, and a local goat farmer is mentoring us in our dairy goat venture. Other local farmers are helping us in other aspects of farming. And we're no strangers to the cooperative extension.
Until we're successful, I can live with being called a hobby farmer. Just having farmer associated with my name in any fashion makes me proud. Just as having someone that I respect, like you, though we may often disagree, as a friend, makes me proud!!! [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
Rich
"What a long strange trip it's been."
Rich:
The dairy that buys his milk is always telling him that he could farm more efficiently, but he sticks to his guns.
This usually means new, bigger and more modern equipment that costs more but can process more. In turn more land is required and more loans and the circle game begans. It's a merry go round that's easy to get on but very difficult to tell when to get off.
Egon
Egon, that's true. As I said my friend is my ideal. He never buys new equipment. He has a full equipment shop with hydraulic lifts. All his equipment is used or even vintage. He maintains it himself, and in the long run it's much cheaper for him. For example, most of his tractors are Minnie Molines (and he has a huge fleet of tractors). He believes that you can get the most bang for the buck with vintage Minnie Molines, Olivers or Cockshuts, which were all parts of the same company. That's why one of my tractors is an Oliver. there are many ways to attain efficiency. The most modern and impressive equipment may not always be the best way.
Rich
"What a long strange trip it's been."
Every one sleeping but you?? Bet you wish you hit that snuze button a time or two? [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
As for killing the livestock. I'm with you on that one. I know we all need to eat, and I LOVE a good steak, but I just could not do it to something I raised from a baby, but I guess thats why Im selling auto parts. Just like hunting. I support the right for people to do it, but its just not for me.
Paul Bradway
That's exactly how I feel, Paul!!!
Rich
"What a long strange trip it's been."
<font color="blue"> I know we all need to eat, and I LOVE a good steak, but I just could not do it </font color>
I'm the same way. I know where it comes from, I know what it takes to get it into "steak form" (or better yet - chicken processing [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]), but I don't want to do it myself. I will if I ever have to, but I do avoid it.
I even felt a bit (just a *tiny* bit) guilty when I whapped a black widow with a hammer the other day...
But I got over that [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
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