Farmers and Ranchers

LIK2HNT

Long Time Member
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3,330
Well how many of you are farmers or ranchers? If so please answer the following or just put n/a if you don’t want to disclose certain info.
Seems nowadays smaller/medium family farms/ranches are being sold out to larger corporations / big money. Part of the issue is the young generations do not want to work or run a farm/ranch. Another thing is after a couple generations to many siblings/cousins/etc. are involved and it always seems a few of them want out. And at todays cost the ones interested in it can not afford to buy the others out. The future of a lot of types of family owned businesses seems to be drastically diminishing.

What state?
How many acres?
What do you farm/raise?
Did you purchase or was it passed
down?
If passed down, how many
generations?
If purchase what year?
Any younger family members
interested in taking over, or will it
be sold after you?
Thanks
Bill
 
This is a very serious issue. People need to start getting active in local community meetings when it comes to property taxes that seem to keep going way up. It gets tougher to farm when they keep building 700K houses around you and your taxes keep going up. And then your water supply shrinks more and more. On the positive side I have noticed a ton of farms and ranches are transitioning to the subscription boxes and it seems to help make these farm and ranches more profitable. We need to fight to keep these farms and ranches alive because this whole lab grown meat, seed oils, factory farming is not only bad for our bodies it's also devastating on our soil. And there needs to be regulations on Foreign countries owning food and real estate in this country. Corporations are not the answer especially Chinese corporations. They give little nothing back to the community in taxes and if they control the food they control us.
 
The farmers/ ranchers around here are mostly older and can’t find anyone to work. The ones selling out to developers are making a killing and the ones still in it are finding it harder and harder to find lease ground which makes them compete with each other and just drive up cost more. Then the cut hay gets rained on and lowers product value. Sad deal.
 
I think you are talking out your ass again. Simple questions. You don’t want to participate positively move on. You seem like one of those talker that has not provided this site with much hunting photos or stories. Just a lot of hot air.
At least I’m not a Chinese spy trying to steal farms!!!
 
I work with many operators from cow/calf to feedyards. Only one out of all of them did not get a start by family or by marriage. He was a teacher who one day decided to be a rancher. He got very lucky, had good timing, makes good decisions, is frugal, and works very hard. Only one. Lots of others failed.
Burke Teichert, who once managed seven ranches for Deseret, told us in a college course it takes 700 cows per man (family unit) to be a profitable ranch. It takes about $10,000 per cow to own the ranch land. (1 acre at $10k in the east, 10 acres at $1k where I am, 100 acres at $100 in Nevada) Who wants to, or has as a young family, $7 million (and that's before cows, equipment, winter feed, etc) to put into a project to just to eek out a $70k wage to try to support the family? It's a game that's too capital intensive and the entry barriers are just too high for the next generation.
 
Well how many of you are farmers or ranchers? If so please answer the following or just put n/a if you don’t want to disclose certain info.
Seems nowadays smaller/medium family farms/ranches are being sold out to larger corporations / big money. Part of the issue is the young generations do not want to work or run a farm/ranch. Another thing is after a couple generations to many siblings/cousins/etc. are involved and it always seems a few of them want out. And at todays cost the ones interested in it can not afford to buy the others out. The future of a lot of types of family owned businesses seems to be drastically diminishing.

What state?
How many acres?
What do you farm/raise?
Did you purchase or was it passed
down?
If passed down, how many
generations?
If purchase what year?
Any younger family members
interested in taking over, or will it
be sold after you?
Thanks
Bill
Not today COMMIE!!!
 
Boy SS guess I have to put you into the same class as jpicket. Simple question. Just wanted peoples opinions if they were into farming/ranching. I know some on here have farms/ranches and just wanted to here from them. In-laws small vineyards are third generation and going through a shuffle soon. To many hands on the cookie jar.
 
Asking someone how many acres or cows they have is like asking how much money you have in the bank or your net worth. Ag people never give that up.

We have a small place we saved and bought 30 years ago. Paid it off about 15 years ago. Has great water rights and 3/4 mile of the river going through it.

We had some family love but no real financial help. Built the house ourselves. Built barns, corrals, fences, fixed the irrigation system and lots more. Worked a full time job, then came home and worked the equivalent of another full-time job. Still work hard.

We just gave the place to our daughter and son-in-law. We get to live here till we die. They got the big house and we built a smaller house next door. It works because we love and respect one another.

Just living here and being able to look out and see deer and other wildlife makes my life whole. Plus grandkids next door. I'll be buried on this place and I hope it never leaves my family.

I also have my long-range rifle range and my gun shop here. We have hayfields and a garden. A pretty simple life that keeps us busy and out of mischief. Ag isn't for everyone but we feel blessed.
 
Asking someone how many acres or cows they have is like asking how much money you have in the bank or your net worth. Ag people never give that up.

We have a small place we saved and bought 30 years ago. Paid it off about 15 years ago. Has great water rights and 3/4 mile of the river going through it.

We had some family love but no real financial help. Built the house ourselves. Built barns, corrals, fences, fixed the irrigation system and lots more. Worked a full time job, then came home and worked the equivalent of another full-time job. Still work hard.

We just gave the place to our daughter and son-in-law. We get to live here till we die. They got the big house and we built a smaller house next door. It works because we love and respect one another.

Just living here and being able to look out and see deer and other wildlife makes my life whole. Plus grandkids next door. I'll be buried on this place and I hope it never leaves my family.

I also have my long-range rifle range and my gun shop here. We have hayfields and a garden. A pretty simple life that keeps us busy and out of mischief. Ag isn't for everyone but we feel blessed.
Thanks for the reply.
Did not mean to be intrusive.
Just seems that after a few generations to many are involved. To that off with the younger generations not wanting to farm.
 
Asking someone how many acres or cows they have is like asking how much money you have in the bank or your net worth. Ag people never give that up.

We have a small place we saved and bought 30 years ago. Paid it off about 15 years ago. Has great water rights and 3/4 mile of the river going through it.

We had some family love but no real financial help. Built the house ourselves. Built barns, corrals, fences, fixed the irrigation system and lots more. Worked a full time job, then came home and worked the equivalent of another full-time job. Still work hard.

We just gave the place to our daughter and son-in-law. We get to live here till we die. They got the big house and we built a smaller house next door. It works because we love and respect one another.

Just living here and being able to look out and see deer and other wildlife makes my life whole. Plus grandkids next door. I'll be buried on this place and I hope it never leaves my family.

I also have my long-range rifle range and my gun shop here. We have hayfields and a garden. A pretty simple life that keeps us busy and out of mischief. Ag isn't for everyone but we feel blessed.
Your a lucky man and you earned it.
 
Meh agriculture is likely at an all time high, someone has to feed all these F——— trophies in this world…
 
I've been on my place my entire life. inherited it from my dad and bought a lot more since he died.

Ive sold off quite a bit but I still own 700 irrigated acres. I've leased it out except the 300 acre home place because I can't hire help anymore. I'll quit in a few years and I'm not sure what I'll do with it. selling it would be the smartest thing but I'd rather have the land than stocks at the moment.

Commodity prices are great right now and life is good, but the cure for high prices is high prices so it won't last that long. calf prices are up but not enough to offset the production cost so that is a slippery slope. but most cattlemen today are in it for the experience not money so it really doesn't matter.

The big will get bigger and the little guy will get pushed out just like every other segment of the economy. unless you inherit the place or a bunch of money it's not a game you can work your way into. really hasn't been for years, I wouldn't encourage young people to try.

Ag's been good to me but I'm over it. . maybe if I'd ever known another lifestyle I'd have a different view, but I think those on the outside have a rosier picture of it than those on the inside.
 
Asking someone how many acres or cows they have is like asking how much money you have in the bank or your net worth. Ag people never give that up.
That's interesting, I didn't know that was a faux pas. It makes sense though.
 
I spent a career on the periphery, working for ag consultants, 2 years running herbicide trials for big ag, and 30 years on a 120 acre University research farm. There were only 3 of us permanently on the farm so we did it all, farming, research, fixing broken run down equipment, and running my bean seed program. In a sense I got to farm without the financial risk. CSU Agricultural Experiment Station.
 
Asking someone how many acres or cows they have is like asking how much money you have in the bank or your net worth. Ag people never give that up.
That is exactly right! None of anybodies business.

Maybe LIK2HNT just didn't realize that but it's a quick way to offend someone. Some might give it up but you don't ask.
 
If it offends someone it's usually because they don't have many acres or cows. but it's true it's not something you normally ask.

I don't have nearly the acres or cows I used to have, but in reducing the numbers I have a lot more money now. I know guys with lots of cows who can't afford to buy the hay they need this winter and they don't know what they're going to do yet. so is it really a question that means anything anyway ?
 
It’s not something I would ask someone in person, but on MM, if someone doesn’t want to answer, they can just ignore the post, no big deal right? Doesn’t seem like anyone should be offended because the OP asked the question on his own thread. Also, 0 cows, 1/16th of an acre for me, 25 years until it’s paid off. ?
 
If it offends someone it's usually because they don't have many acres or cows. but it's true it's not something you normally ask.

I don't have nearly the acres or cows I used to have, but in reducing the numbers I have a lot more money now. I know guys with lots of cows who can't afford to buy the hay they need this winter and they don't know what they're going to do yet. so is it really a question that means anything anyway ?
This REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY offends me. This insinuates I have very few acres and cows. Kidding.
I think the beef business is extremely difficult and stressful.
I live in a huge farming area and the established farming companies clean up. They have so much ground they can diversify to where they are pretty much guaranteed to grow something that will yield good profit. Just talked to one yesterday and those that are growing broccoli right now are hating life....$7-$8 a box. :( Peppers and cilantro...hot commodity right now.
 
This REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY offends me. This insinuates I have very few acres and cows. Kidding.
I think the beef business is extremely difficult and stressful.
I live in a huge farming area and the established farming companies clean up. They have so much ground they can diversify to where they are pretty much guaranteed to grow something that will yield good profit. Just talked to one yesterday and those that are growing broccoli right now are hating life....$7-$8 a box. :( Peppers and cilantro...hot commodity right now.
If I had farm ground in Santa Maria I'd have it leased to a daredevil farmer for the going rate of $2000 an acre.....
 
Interesting. Around here, most of the “leases” (farming) are sharecropping arrangements. Cattle is cash.
 
you pussies, you can’t offend Me. I got 580 acres in a canyon surrounded by tribal lands. 100 acres of alfalfa with a creek running through the entire place. Deer and elk on the place Most of the time except when a lion shows up and runs them off for a while. Seen 19 bucks up there Friday night. Don’t let me catch you trespassing though that is when we will have a problem.
 
you pussies, you can’t offend Me. I got 580 acres in a canyon surrounded by tribal lands. 100 acres of alfalfa with a creek running through the entire place. Deer and elk on the place Most of the time except when a lion shows up and runs them off for a while. Seen 19 bucks up there Friday night. Don’t let me catch you trespassing though that is when we will have a problem.
Don’t get scalped….
 
you pussies, you can’t offend Me. I got 580 acres in a canyon surrounded by tribal lands. 100 acres of alfalfa with a creek running through the entire place. Deer and elk on the place Most of the time except when a lion shows up and runs them off for a while. Seen 19 bucks up there Friday night. Don’t let me catch you trespassing though that is when we will have a problem.
Horse corn will get death by punta!!
 
I work with many operators from cow/calf to feedyards. Only one out of all of them did not get a start by family or by marriage. He was a teacher who one day decided to be a rancher. He got very lucky, had good timing, makes good decisions, is frugal, and works very hard. Only one. Lots of others failed.
Burke Teichert, who once managed seven ranches for Deseret, told us in a college course it takes 700 cows per man (family unit) to be a profitable ranch. It takes about $10,000 per cow to own the ranch land. (1 acre at $10k in the east, 10 acres at $1k where I am, 100 acres at $100 in Nevada) Who wants to, or has as a young family, $7 million (and that's before cows, equipment, winter feed, etc) to put into a project to just to eek out a $70k wage to try to support the family? It's a game that's too capital intensive and the entry barriers are just too high for the next generation.
Go to your brokerage account buy ticker symbol LAND. Do things the easy way, let the most efficient organizations do the work. Nothing but a very bright future owning LAND.
 
Irrigated land around here rents for $150-$200 an acre.

The majority or real ranches these days aren't owned by ranchers but by absentee investors. and some of those are really investing in a hunting property.

About 10% of the ranches in eastern OR make a living for the owners. for the rest a profit is nice but not necessary. that's the reason I'm pretty much out of the cattle business, I didn't enjoy it anymore and who wants to be in a business where your competition doesn't give a FF if they make money.

Farming isn't nearly as romantic, and that's why you can make money at it.
 

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