Texas/New Mexico Stateline | The "what to charge yourself for feed" made me think of some things that I think about sometimes. Trying to be light hearted, but these are some excuses we may make to stay in the livestock business.
1. We're getting the manure from the animals. Good for the soils and a good way to recycle our nutrients. Never mind the animals broke even after a whole year of labor and money spent. Dang manure spreader is shot again, time to trade.
2. Well, messed up marketing those animals big time. Jumped the wrong way and the market pulled the rug out from under me. Sure seems to happen a lot, but it is just tuition to the school of hard knocks, learning how to do it better next year. Been paying that same tuition for 15 years, bound to get it figured out pretty soon.
3. Saved myself all the trouble dealing with "horse people" and Craigslist goofballs, and fed my hay to my own animals at my cost. I mean if I am charging the livestock enterprise full retail price, that is just taking money from the cattle pocket, and putting it into the farming pocket. What difference does it make? Still a net positive right? Vertical integration, that is what I am going to call it.
4. Keeping animals is good for the kids. Show them we can spend $4000 on a steer, and process it, and eat $7 hamburger from the freezer. That way they understand where their food comes from.
5. I'm building equity. Never have any cash, livestock just break even year after year, but I've finally got some good barns, pens and trailers. Maybe when I pass it on to my kids they will appreciate it.
6. At least I don't have to worry about getting paid renting my pasture out to somebody else. I'll burn $1500 in gas checking on those 5 cows all summer, sure beats having to track down a rent check.
7. Gotta have something to do in the winter. I'm not one of those tractor waxers with the big heated shop.
Any to add? |
The lies we tell ourselves to stay in the business
