SE IA | pknoeber - 10/31/2015 12:26
I've been working my tail off, and I know of several others that are also, to try to get a chance to farm full time. There is no shortage of farmers, and there never will be.
+1. I just see farmers starting later in life because of the equity it requires. I can think of 5 guys within 5 miles that started farming their family ground. One was 45, another was 47, another was 57 another 53 and 54. And none of them were involved on the farm for the past 20 years.
The off farm income will allow the farms to survive on the family ground from the previous 3 generations. This is one reason why I do attribute Iowa's flat trendline for corn production, farmers get older and continue farming in ways they have been doing for the past 20 years, pass the farm on to the non farming heir who picks it up on weekends and evenings and does exactly what dad did the past 15 years. Old money allows them to not have to be good at what they do....which is frustrating for a young farmer chomping at the bit to farm |
shortage of farmers
