Floyd County, Iowa | cam360 - 3/14/2019 13:40
Disclaimer to start with, I don't make my living on the farm, was raised on the farm, love farming, my dad still farms full time on a smaller farm, I help him but I make my living with an in home business. I own 80 acres that adjoins my parents farm I bought about 20 years ago. My question is this...
I pursued renting crop ground a couple times but couldn't get it to pencil out so passed on it. Then I realized I have more fun farming 60 acres of row crop on my owned farm than farming 600 or 6000 acres of rented ground, just dealing with small margins and landlords would take the fun out of it for me. Maybe I'm not a true farmer?
This isn't to disrespect the guys that have to rent ground because they have to support there families farming this way, just wondering if everyone could make a decent living on 80 acres of owned ground would it be enough to make them happy or would some guys still want to be the biggest?
Cam
SW Iowa
I used to farm more land than I do now. I gave up the rented ground about 7 years ago, got a "part time" job in town, and farm our place. I find that I enjoy farming a lot more now that I don't farm as much. The stress level is so much lower now. Not eliminated, but much lower.
To answer the last question, if I could make a decent living off of 80 acres of owned ground, HELL YES I'd be happy to not farm more (provided I didn't have to go to 2 row equipment or horses).
But I can't, so I'll settle with being satisfied with doing what I do. |