Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Rural Living How the other haf lives.

What, $750,000 ?

WOW...prices have really shot up! I left a John Deere Dealership 18 years ago, and prices were bad then. I love all you farmer's, from the bottom of my heart, but I'm happy to be out of the business!

Best times of the year, spring and fall, too many hours at the Dealership. But the farmer's were for a good part, nice, honest and hard working people. I miss a bunch of them.

Now I work in the gambling industry, on the machine end, as technical support. Have problem's with machine? Call my 1-800 phone number.
9:00 -5:00 are my current hours, Mon-Fri. Good job and pays well, but I still miss my farmer friend's.

Keep up the good work guys, on feeding our country!

Your point? Success for those that worked their azzez off in pizzwhole places?

Ed, in my attempt to decipher Richard, I think all he meant was machinery is getting expensive.


Everything is getting expensive.


Figure new tractors are about $1k per HP.



And just like used cars, used machinery is going up.

Times change, If I had the money that cost I'd buy land.

By the way, we owned land in Idaho once.
Sandpoint.

Well, there ya go!

Friend that grew up outside Wichita, was there recently visiting family and got to drive this monster.
He’s 6’4” for reference. Don’t know model.

I couldn't afford the tires for that!

I have a friend out in eastern CO that has three each of those big machines.Tractors, combines, no till planters, sprayers, semi size grain trucks, one of those track driven machines and a few other things.He and his two sons farm 12-14,000 acres. Most of it is leased,corn,wheat, soy beans. Irrigated and dry land. I knew the family when they were in the beef business and running 300 or so head .They got out of that and went to straight farming, All three have degrees in agriculture and business. Great down to earth hard working family that have made it all on their own like most farmers and ranchers

My gripe with the high steppers, is, all too often they run families off the land.

They pay top rent, and end up with little to show for it, other than putting on a show.

And, there are 8 (eight!!) tires! Hold into the pneumatic.

I was impressed by the size of the discer too! He said it’s fifty (50!) feet!

Kidding about pard’s height. He’s really about 5’7”.

The people I know that lease land, mostly lease land that the husband has died and the older widows come to them or younger kids inherit it and want to keep the land, but don't want to farm it. He does buy some when it comes up for sale. Win-win because the land doesn't get broke up to small parcels, widows and such have an income and can still live in their home of 50-70 years. This is a common problem with farming communities now days

Those guys paying top rent go bust in a few years.I think it is the conglomerate and foreign buyers that are running families off their land.The family I know are 4th generation farmers that have been in the area since it was homesteaded

I grew up in an orchard, and couldn't see a viable economic future in it -- and my brother proved the point by losing it in three years. I'm looking at a 180 farm next door right now with one of my managers, and I can't figure out why on earth anyone would buy land to farm. Even figuring hay yields 30% above the county average, the revenue from the hay would leave only about 30K a year after paying the bank to pay for everything else, water, power, labor, diesel, equipment...... never mind labor. I just don't get it -- at some point, you have to look at it as a business, and the business sucks.....

New equipment, especially the big stuff, is priced through roof. I couldn't afford it 40 years ago when I was farming, and certainly couldn't today.

Been this way for a long time, but folks with a well-maintained diesel JD 3020 or 4020 are sitting on a gold mine. My uncle still has the 3020 he started farming with back in '68. It's a 'utility' tractor now - grinds feed, pushes a little snow, grades the driveways.

No way can you buy land to farm with today and make a living unless you inherited it.Borrow money to buy it and you won't break even.If you already have the money,you can invest the same amount it would cost to buy land and sit on your butt from the proceeds

All my life. I've heard, it takes one piece of equal sized land to pay for one other.

About ten years ago 2 local 20 year olds went into the diary business.
Rented an idle farm, got a milking herd, equipment.....

Not from rich families, neither was big into diary.
They all claimed there was no gubment money involved!

Who the f... they thought they were kidding, I have no idea.

Within 18 months they weren't fair farmers anymore.

Perspective:

I reckon I'm a small operation...

Yep,those disc need to be able to unfold to do a 130 ft swath