Ed Winkle - 4/3/2014 10:27

That is a top loaded question but I get so many email and  phone calls from the younger guys, I wonder what do you really think?

My parents and grand parents taught me that farming is a "bad" occupation and we should seek employment elsewhere.

-I think the older generation "perceived" farming as a bad occupation since it's hard work and you're not guaranteed a steady paycheck. I remember telling my grandpa when I was 6 that I wanted to e a farmer, his response: why would you want to do that? Let's face it, farming in the 80's, 90's up until 2007/2008 was tough and farming parents always want better for their children so they told them to get a job in town. Maybe farming will remain tough from here on out, but there's a lot more opportunity/markets/technology to help make a profit.

I see controversy all the time between young and old.  I see true respect from younger guys who I think just may have had a decent upbringing and they really listen to us older guys who  have "been there and done that."

-I deeply respect the older generation. they have been there and done that, they have survived the 80's, the ones still farming have established a nice farming operation and retirement account (land). I don't mind taking the older generations advice on the business side of farming, but on the production/technology side, it's time to move into the 21st century. You can't improve if you keep doing the same thing every year. It seems that most of the older generation is set in their ways, which is fine, but the only way to improve is to do something different or try something new: VRT fertilizer, VRT seeding, VRT spraying, yield mapping, autosteer, micronutrients, fungicides, foliar feeding, strip till, etc, etc. Again, You can't improve if you keep doing the same thing every year.

I have tried about everything known to man but I still cannot answer all of the postings I read on here.  That is good.

-the knowledge and wisdom of the older generation can answer a lot more posts than I can

What do you guys younger than me, I have to sign up for Medicare before December 19 say?

-help the younger generation into farming, I'm not saying sign up for medicare and move to florida. give us a chance be a part of the farming operation, give us a chance to make some of the decisions, give us a chance to take over more land every year, give us a chance to sit in the drivers seat for a while. If you're still farming when your over 65, that's fine, just give us a chance and enjoy your retirement without the stress of farming.

Do you think we are nuts and what we say has no meaning to you or do you think history will repeat itself?

-history will repeat itself, we just won't know when. the older generation teaches us to be prepared for that time.

I know it is a broad question but I think you get the gist of my meaning.

Ed Winkle

I am thinking Crop Science here but this just well be Ag Economics, more suitable to the Café.

Thanks,

EW