20 Miles West of Indianapolis Indiana | I'm the young one in our operation as well... Something I've learned the last year or two... When my dad bought a new combine or a newer tractor it would make me mad as heck. I told him every time I thought he should be spending that $ on more farmland or more tile on a farm. A better investment is what I thought.
Well after buying some more land of my own and trying to buy a little equipment of my own, I've realized... My fathers business is his business. Yes, I'll take over his operation and bring it into mine some day. But until that day, its his. Just like my wife and mine is ours. If your dad and uncle want to have a hired guy around full time to make their lives a little easier then that's their business...
I've thought and thought of ways for dad and I both to change our operations to try to allow me to quit my town job and be on the farm full time. 1 was for us to do 100% of our own spraying and buy all wholesale chemicals... Dad doesn't want to do his spraying tho. (Again, this is his choice, he has his reasons, and its not cause he doesn't want me around). Another was for him to switch to 100% non GMO corn/beans and then the premiums would allow extra $ for me to be around... (He said he's dealt with the weed issues and all that work that comes with premium contracts/deliverys, and he's not interested).
At one time this really bothered me, just as it seems to you right now...
I have a god job it town. Provides my family health insurance, pays a more then fair salary, and give me time to farm. But farming is my full time goal, as it seems to be yours as well. IDK how much you farm yourself compared to your dad/uncles operation? But think long and hard... How many of those acres would you be farming without them? Access to their equipment... Perhaps a good family name helped you pick up some ground. I can honestly say, out of 485 acres I farm, it it wasn't for my family's good name or folks being neighbors of my family, I'd have 12.5 acres... Even the 75 acres I own i got because of either the landowner selling it wanted to sell it to one of us, or the land I bought at auction I wouldn't have been able to afford without the other ground I had rented... Rented because of my family's name...
Maybe this makes me sounds like I'm where I am because of following along my family's coat tail??? But all I'm saying is just sit back, and look at things from a few different angles. Don't be mad cause you Dont think your dad and uncle aren't "making room for you". Be happy you have the opportunity to do what you are. Their are a million kids who didn't grow up on farms who'd give anything to be in our shoes... Even tho we have to work a little harder to get ahead...
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Son and Hired Man.....
