Inconsiderate drivers and tractor operators, bad mix...

[mred2]

I have a friend that is a real farmer. Him and his brother farmed over 10,000 acres for over 50 years. Kids did not want to work on the farm. They are not semi retired. The must have made a lot of money as he still lives in the same double wide trailer that he got used over 45 years ago. He drives a 1968 pickup that he got from his dad. I make twice what he ever did in a year. But I wish at times that I could have had more of that life. People today are in two much of a hurry. They drive too fast to get to nowhere quick. Because of the stress that want to take it out on others. The country takes the stress out of me. Mowing grass, feeding the horses, clearing a few trees is all good for me.
We all need to be careful on the roads and better to our friends. And if you wish for something different, be careful of what you wish for. You may get it!

 

[5030]

Like I tell my wife too often (I'm sure she gets tired of hearing it), living in a rural area, on a dirt road at the end of the powerline has distinct advantages like getting up every morning and looking out and seeing no one around. I cannot imagine living in an urban environment with neighbors only a few feet away.

I don't particularly like people anyway or should I say people's bad habits.

 

[5030]

I too respect ALL farmers. Even the tiny ones like you.

Around here, a BIG farm would be 500 acres. Most farms here are under 100 acres and the BIG ones consist of leased land, not owned.

 

[MossRoad]

Thread pruned, please continue original discussion...

 

[mred2]

When i grew up in east Arkansas, a small farm was 2,000 acres. In west Alabama, people think a 10 acres is a small farm. Anything over 40 is really big. 45 years ago in Arkansas, 12 row planters. In west Alabama, still a lot of planting done with 2 rows. Even large farms don't go above 8.
With the number of people on the roads today, all traffic is bad and the speeds only go up. As we get older, I hope we learn to slow down and enjoy the drive.

 

[MossRoad]

I've read that you can look at "sizing" farms by acreage, or by sales.

Large land doesn't necessarily mean large sales and vice versa.

Here's an interesting article on the subject, although it's several years old, it shows some interesting numbers.

Small, medium, large – Does farm size really matter? - MSU Extension

 

[CobyRupert]

When I was born, a herd of 25-30 milking cows might support a family, with a stay at home mom, and payed for kids to go to college. In my teens 3-4 of those farm families no longer existed and their former (equivalent) 75-120 cows were now being milked by one family who could barely survive on it. Let’s say it’s roughly the same acreage being farmed, the same amount of milk being produced, but now it only supports one family. Now even many of those are gone, swallowed up. The land is producing less and less, maybe not when measured in crop tonnage and production, but when measured by how many families it supports.
What does that tell you?
The market demands it goes to more consolidation, smaller margins mean you have to produce more. Scaling up costs to do that mean fewer survivors.
Time to bring the The Grange back?

 

[5030]

Always like Eddie Albert and Green Acres. Good program.

 

[ovrszd]

Around here, a BIG farm would be 500 acres. Most farms here are under 100 acres and the BIG ones consist of leased land, not owned.

How do they make a living on less than 100 acres?

 

[5030]

Thread pruned, please continue original discussion...

Thanks Mossy. I prefer to stay on subject without the 'usual' wandering.

Far as I'm concerned if a poster wants to be confrontational, they should take it to TNT, where everything is confrontational....