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| Our family farm is primarily a hobby farm now. At one time my father farmed around 600acres full time (corn & soybean), and had a farrow-to-finish hog operation and 100 cow calf. Now he's down to 160acres, rents pen space from a cattle feeder for 50-100 head, occasionally buys feeder pigs and rents buildings when they are profitable, and works another job.
After I left 13 some odd years ago, he hasn't had much help except when I came back to help for harvest. The equipment is the same, and getting older. Hard to upgrade without spreading costs out over a few more acres. Realistically we would be looking toward that 400acre level between the two of us.
Keeping debt low is key. There is a 160 for sale very close, but "guy doesn't need the money" <== like I haven't heard that...and is well above average sale prices for the area...which is probably why it's still for sale. If it was priced for the market it would be sold. Land values have most definitely pulled back and I hate to be the one trying to catch a falling knife.
I've also looked into planting several 1-10 acre alfalfa patches on unfavorable grain ground of nearby neighbors and doing a small square bale operation. My uncle and another neighbor I worked for in high school both used hay as a spring board and appears it can still work today. But I'm looking into it. | |
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Probably asking for it but: How did YOU start your grain farming operation?
