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KY | That you didn't take what I said as arrogance. I didn't intend it that way for sure. I was just trying to tell you it's tougher than anyone can imagine in the beginning without a big head start. I own a few hundred acres of multi-generation farmland, but there's only 30 acres of cropland on it. I have a few cattle but the most of my ground isn't suitable for doing anything with, steep hills and bluffs and poor logging practices in the past. Long story short, I have to rent most of my crop ground and probably 75% of it is ground no one else wanted. Some of it does well to pay the inputs and I am thinking about that every step of the way, that noone wants it because you can't make a nickel at it. Funny thing is, those pieces of ground are probably my favorite folks to work with. They appreciate the rent paying their property taxes and whatever extra they get and they don't try to influence my decisions on what im doing with their land. Sometimes you have to do that, suck it up and try to pay the bills, and hope word of mouth gets your name around. If someone sees you trying to do a good job on so-so ground, they may see the potential you have with a good piece of ground and give you a shot. I have an excellent job, 12, 16 and sometimes 18 hour swing shifts, I generally pull around 50-60 hours in four days or nights and then off for four typically, and every 5 weeks im off for 9-14 days depending on the month, so I'm very fortunate to have a farming friendly schedule. Not everyone has that, there's a lot of folks who do it on a 5 day a week job and I don't know how some of them do it. With my extra time I generally make the rule that i don't work Sundays unless I absolutely have to, I give two Sunday's a month to my employer so the other two belong to God and my wife and kids. Being a single guy I could do the 5 day a week job and farm but it would be difficult for me with a family. My family sacrifices a lot to enjoy our farm life, if it wasn't for them I couldn't do it. I just wanted to prepare you for the potential challenges that face you that some never consider until they are in deep. I do wish you the best am here to bounce stuff of it if you ever want to. I've been there done that and am still doing it. No big acreage or big new stuff here. Lots of older stuff that I fight to maintain, but they do the job | |
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Beginng Farmer
