tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1842136564899097734.post5845039127012253336..comments2023-12-15T02:04:08.213-08:00Comments on meat: The myth of young farmersBruce Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995706761794063165noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1842136564899097734.post-12115253924576064152012-11-02T19:55:29.677-07:002012-11-02T19:55:29.677-07:00My Grandfather was born a sharecropper. If you can...My Grandfather was born a sharecropper. If you can call WWII a bit of good fortune it served as such for him and his brother. They saved nearly all of there earnings during the war and used it to make a down payment on the land I now live on.He worked the night shift in a local cotton mill and farmed during the day. Nothing has really changed it seems to me. If anything has changed it's our willingness to work hard. I mean really hard to have what we desire. Like many out there the once larger plot has now been chopped up to a point where I have but 15 acres. I have a job that provides well for my family but I still enjoy providing for my family out of my own soil. I have just found this blog but I look forward to reading more.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15962016406431687471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1842136564899097734.post-49466027533496472682012-11-01T09:39:01.914-07:002012-11-01T09:39:01.914-07:00I can attest to the difficulty of starting a farm ...I can attest to the difficulty of starting a farm with limited resources (and I'm also under 35). There are ways to at least make an attempt at it (eg rent land, co-ops, etc), but one can't expect to make much money as a small farm. This is an issue that I am going to try to expand upon in the next few months on my blog.Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05477013963212151740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1842136564899097734.post-19766278149747652802012-10-31T23:15:28.141-07:002012-10-31T23:15:28.141-07:00I'd like to echo what Rich said. It doesn'...I'd like to echo what Rich said. It doesn't make any difference if you're farming or going into some other buisness. Unless you come from a family in that business, and even if you come from a family in that buisness (be it farming or some other profession) you're going to have to capitolize it from some source, be than an inheritance, family members, an outside job, etc.<br /><br />I grew up in a construction family - tile, marble, mosaic and terrazzo. Eventually I became a tile and stone contractor (prior to retireing and going to farming full time). I was only able to do that after getting my journeyman's card in tile setting and having saved enough money to start my contracting business after having worked in that trade set for over a decade.<br /><br />My contracting business made enough money that I was able to invest most of it into my farming business along with an inheritance from my father when he died.<br /><br />Transitioning from one job/career into another where you're the entrepreneur is not unusual by any means, regardless whether you're transitioning into farming, a service trace, or manufacturing.Joannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06713890730631954040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1842136564899097734.post-1867243070928572242012-10-31T04:57:16.978-07:002012-10-31T04:57:16.978-07:00As a small farmer (I only use a few acres) under 3...As a small farmer (I only use a few acres) under 35, I work hard on borrowed land. We barter for the home and the land. Luckily, they owner is wealthy enough to be able to afford this arrangement. He is a doctor and a pharmacist (2 degrees). His land was sitting unused, and the house was completely empty and vandalized regularly. <br /><br />He wanted someone to manage the land better, and make use of it instead of it becoming an overgrown disaster (which it still is on many acres). <br /><br />My wife and I are looking for land of our own yet, as this arrangement, while profitable for now, I can't see being maintained for the rest of our lives here. The owner doesn't want to sell either, so I can't see how we'll be here more than 5 years. When he retires in 10 years or so he wants to move back and farm it himself (no experience at all though, interesting).Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16948064168681062105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1842136564899097734.post-49135443406491492092012-10-30T19:12:11.791-07:002012-10-30T19:12:11.791-07:00I like reading your blog because you lay out so cl...I like reading your blog because you lay out so clearly the business logic, as opposed to ideological logic of food. My father was raised on a 160 acre farm in Illinois which supported four generations well enough to fund college and trips to Florida. But when my father died, and we looked to divide the inheritance, I was astounded to find the farm wouldn't capitalize itself if we wanted any income. We had to sell a part to settle with one sibling that wanted to withdraw his share. Of course, in the old days the 160 acres could be farmed by one man and a hired hand. Now the machinery inputs are so big, one man, plus machines, farms several 160 acre parcels. I don't understand all the economics, but clearly to get the production, you need to leverage your labor with a lot of capital.plummerjhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11784248308439428766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1842136564899097734.post-75395841167125446412012-10-30T18:18:30.340-07:002012-10-30T18:18:30.340-07:00All I know is that I rarely if ever see hand-wring...All I know is that I rarely if ever see hand-wringing or worrying about whether "young" people are starting other sorts of businesses.<br /><br />And, I don't see any concern about whether or not someone inherited their business or if the money they used to start their business came from somewhere else.<br /><br />It takes capital, experience, and/or family ties to start any business, why should a farm be any different? <br /><br />If you are young, have no relevant experience, and don't have any land or money, I don't think it's going to be easy to start any business, farm or otherwise. <br /><br />But, I also don't think it is impossible to start a farm or business if your resources are limited. Richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11412944120622315804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1842136564899097734.post-17722515013797553452012-10-30T11:03:47.826-07:002012-10-30T11:03:47.826-07:00It's a lot easier to produce a product than it...It's a lot easier to produce a product than it is to get it sold. You might produce the best product in the world, but if it doesn't sell you don't have a business. <br /><br />I don't think that there's an upper limit to farming; "...For every one farmer and rancher under the age of 25, there are five who are 75 or older, according to Agriculture Department statistics."<br /><br />http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/04/average-farmer-age-rising_n_1403542.html<br /> <br />I've been an advocate of starting small, making sure that your basic assumptions are good, and then expanding. Creating a market for your product and a distribution network is a good way to start; once the market is established you can sell into the demand that you've created. <br />Bruce Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10995706761794063165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1842136564899097734.post-18069738216215479452012-10-30T05:36:43.210-07:002012-10-30T05:36:43.210-07:00Bruce,
As a landless business owner your comments...Bruce,<br /><br />As a landless business owner your comments hit home. I'm not lucky enough to have a homestead handed down to me. So I continue to work at my day job and continue looking for property. I am also during this time trying to create a network that might buy products that I want to produce (mushrooms, or pork, etc) I'm 42 and have been told I am past the age that I should start farming by a couple of market farmers local to Atlanta Ga. This has made me work extra hard at creating this network because when I meet farmers (small scale value added producers) the ones that are struggling seem to have a great product but can't get it consistently sold and end up going back to work at the day job. What are your thoughts on that?Hostetterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02999613618787257169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1842136564899097734.post-29600593071179812062012-10-30T04:06:38.641-07:002012-10-30T04:06:38.641-07:00Very nice. I think you are completely right. Very nice. I think you are completely right. becky3086https://www.blogger.com/profile/01026872543168452124noreply@blogger.com