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| Rant time, I got into hay farming by myself (I grew up around it) about 4 years ago, and the main thing I've experienced in it is endless struggle, all day, every day, and a rolling cluster**** of various disasters. The first two years were okay, they were my small scale learning curve years. I went big in 2019, for me anyway. That year was a severe drought and this year was the opposite, I lost around 2/3 of my crop to flooding and water damage, the remaining third sold in a covid ravaged market this spring and early summer for less than half of what it normally would've brought. And it was a big operation just to get that for it. So I made around 1/6 of what I should've, because of factors that were completely outside of my control. Yes, I've made mistakes, broke some stuff etc but nothing serious enough to bring on losses like the aforementioned.
Additionally, ask anyone who knows me, I am METICULIOUS about my maintenance of things and take very good care of equipment. I have a mechanic who I hire at times whose told me that I am literally the ONLY agricultural customer that he has ever had who actually maintains things properly, by the book. In spite of this through I rarely go a full day in the field without a machine needing service or repair. For example I got completely screwed by a dishonest seller on a gently used baler that was completely raped mechanically, so I ended up buying a brand new one for around $30k in 2019 to prevent future downtime and repairs. So far its had two rollers replaced under warranty, and needed 3 sealed bearings to be replaced. Its currently sitting broken in my yard because its out of warranty now and I havent even had a chance to replace the third bearing yet. It doesnt even have a hard life, the last time I was going to use it to bale a large volume of hay, we got 3+" of unforcast rain right after I mowed which ruined that crop. I absolutely cannot win.
I simply cannot get machinery to hold together. Add to that working 40-80 hours a week at this, dealing with landlords (one ran me off his land because I refused to mow the outside of one of his fields. This outside edge was a 30+ degree slope covered in weeds, brush and tractor ruts), dealing with customers (most of the market here is hobby farmers, so thats a nice way of saying that people frequently purchase types of hay they know nothing about, then switch their animals to it within ~24 hours, and blame me when it doesnt go well [I asked a local vet if my expectation that people wouldn't do things like this was unreasonable, she told me bluntly that yes, it is, her office sees animals every week at least suffering from digestion issues caused be people changing their diets at the drop of a hat. Side note, she said they suffer from issues with this also, these owners often demand a battery of tests to be done on their suffering animal, then when they all come back "normal", they don't believe the vet that the issue is their fault and then proceed to blame the vet for not knowing what they're doing on the tests], or else they buy discount rained-on junk hay from me, that I advertised honestly, that they inspected before purchasing, then later try to return it and make me out to be the bad guy when I tell them its all sales final, etc.). Then its back to fixing machines that broke for no reason, and always need work done, regardless of how new, well kept, un-abused, etc I keep them.
It is ENDLESS struggle basically every day for approximately zero return. I grew up doing landscaping and construction so I have no issue with hard work, but this is different. This is fighting CONSTANTLY with everything. Brand new machinery that breaks constantly, old machinery that doesnt hold together, extreme drought alternating with massive flooding, idiot landowners, completely incompetent customers (I have some really good ones, but theres enough fools to wear me down) etc
And for what?
1/6 of my conservatively estimated crop, at most. I'm seriously considering selling out and going back to construction. Thats not an especially highly paying world either, but at least you have some reasonable expectation of making some amount of profit if you do your part right. I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty much at the end of my road with this. I don't know if I have it in me to chance yet another disastrous year, next year. What do you guys do to keep going through things like this? I know this sounds whiney but whatever, I don't even care anymore. How do you all get inspired to keep going? Any "successful" farmers online that you watch, music that helps, etc?
Thanks in advance, at least for letting me have a solid rant | |
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Inspiration - What do you guys do to get through the tough times?
