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Wanna help shape a young guys life? HELP NEEDED..
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WeaveFarmer
Posted 9/26/2016 08:40 (#5549691 - in reply to #5549500)
Subject: RE: Wanna help shape a young guys life? HELP NEEDED..


Boone Co. Iowa
I agree that farm life is overrated. It does offer good benefits like the ability to write off things like motorcycles, (gotta check the crops), maybe a camper (parked it so I could baby-sit the grain dryer all harvest season), machine shed for tractor/combine/boat/camper/snowmobile/atv, etc. and the ability to have as many bees, chickens, pigs, etc. as well as no limit to the size of your garden, sweet corn patch, etc. that city folks don't have the option to do. And the ability to be your own boss is a big thing. And hobbies like fishing, shooting, motor sports, are much better located off the farm rather than at local cul-de-sac.

I would encourage you to stay in college, even if you transfer to a community college. If you really wanted to farm, and you really wanted to make money, I'd work summers for the local tiling outfit.

Last fall I sat down with the local tiling guy in his motorhome at college football game, and he mentioned that he has just picked up his new tiling machine. He said he could have bought an 80 for the same price. Let's say $650,000. He figured he'd make $100,000 per year with that machine, and probably have it paid off in 5 years. If you buy and 80 try to pay for it, I suspect you make maybe 100-200-300 / acre. That is $8000/$16,000/$24,000. And any corn or soybean farmer making $300/acre this year is both an excellent marketer and excellent grower, input shopper, mechanic and blessed with great weather.

Start a tiling business. Good way to get into farming on the side.

If you have an opportunity at an education, I would encourage you to take it. Lots of good advice on this thread.

Lots of folks said to drop truck and payments. Not disagreeing with them, but that is probably the choice(s) you are going to be facing every day the rest of your life if you hope to make a living as a farmer.

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