Hay Farmers getting out of farming

[Steppenwolfe]

First off we don't farm in Wyoming, we ranch.

I can work long hours at my office job, doesn't make it tough. A truck driver can drive for 12 hours, doesn't mean it's a tough job. See how that works?

My neighbor does run his cattle on my meadows. In exchange for that he keeps up the ditches, fences and hays if he wants. He dosen't have to do anything if he dosen't want to...but he does.

I also work at a job, weeks at a time on the road doing construction. Any time I get home and get on my tractor, it's PLAY TIME!!! I sure as $&!! don't complain about that being hard... I wish I could run a tractor all day and then go home and get in my own bed... Life would be real sweet.

 

[Snobdds]

I also work at a job, weeks at a time on the road doing construction. Any time I get home and get on my tractor, it's PLAY TIME!!! I sure as $&!! don't complain about that being hard... I wish I could run a tractor all day and then go home and get in my own bed... Life would be real sweet.

Guess what you have coming for you...

 

[Citydude]

First off we don't farm in Wyoming, we ranch.

I can work long hours at my office job, doesn't make it tough. A truck driver can drive for 12 hours, doesn't mean it's a tough job. See how that works?

My neighbor does run his cattle on my meadows. In exchange for that he keeps up the ditches, fences and hays if he wants. He dosen't have to do anything if he dosen't want to...but he does.

But, you farm out your land to a rancher....

 

[Snobdds]

But, you farm out your land to a rancher....

However I don't charge him...so I'm still not farming out anything.

 

[OzarkChris]

Did that help with the inheritance tax liability for the kids? I would say I'm asset rich and cash poor. It's a concern I've yet to ask a tax advisor.

Hopefully y'all have trusts that will (at least now) limit the tax liability. Who knows what going to happen this year though.

 

[Hay Dude]

First off we don't farm in Wyoming, we ranch.

I can work long hours at my office job, doesn't make it tough. A truck driver can drive for 12 hours, doesn't mean it's a tough job. See how that works?

My neighbor does run his cattle on my meadows. In exchange for that he keeps up the ditches, fences and hays if he wants. He dosen't have to do anything if he dosen't want to...but he does.

So why are you participating so much in a hay farming, not ranching, thread?
I mean 1 or 2 posts makes sense, or the irrigation comments are fine, but mocking and making farming sound like it was only for HS drop outs and a dozen other associated derogatory remarks?

Driving a truck 12 hours probably borders on illegal and would be an exhausting day.
Ive done it before. You haven’t
See how that works?

 

[Hay Dude]

However I don't charge him...so I'm still not farming out anything.

On the porch sipping coffee, while the men do the work.

 

[Hay Dude]

I also work at a job, weeks at a time on the road doing construction. Any time I get home and get on my tractor, it's PLAY TIME!!! I sure as $&!! don't complain about that being hard... I wish I could run a tractor all day and then go home and get in my own bed... Life would be real sweet.

Problem is, farming ain't about sitting on your butt on a tractor all day.
So much more to it than that.

 

[OzarkChris]

So, farmers are doing better than city folks. That's good to know.

Some do, some don't. Farmers/ranchers have to "play the odds" when it comes to their commodity - be it animal or non-animal. Let's just look at this winter, I wouldn't want to be an orange grower in FL right now. Small crop, low juice, still have the same overhead. Even though the frozen OJ futures are up it doesn't usually trickle down to the farmer.

I remember 15-20 years ago (I was stationed in Yuma AZ), lettuce had a terrible year. The person/company that made the most that year decided to plant a third time in CO. Very few others did and the winter held off just long enough to harvest. Where lettuce would normally sell for $6-10 a box it was going for $70-90 that year by the time they harvested.

They could have just as easily gone bankrupt if the weather didn't hold - I recall hearing that crop insurance wasn't available for that cutting.

Too many folk think that farmers/ranchers just sit around all day and somehow, magically, the seeds get planted/weeded etc, cows get fed/watered and doctored up all by themselves so all we have to do is ride around in our tractor to the bank and get paid. Go to a row cropper or cattle farm/ranch people are working long hours 7 days a week. Funny thing about farming, weekends are just like weekdays, animals still need feeding. Crops still need tending.

 

[Hay Dude]

Chris,
Thanks for your service and sacrifice.