Hay Farmers getting out of farming

[sree251]

The Farmer is the only one who sells at wholesale and buys at retail.

Well said. The farmer is at the mercy of the free market and the whims of Mother Nature to boot. The commodity trader has an upside, and a hedge against the downside. The farmer has the short end of the stick.

 

[deserteagle71]

To the average city dweller, farmers aren't needed at all. Milk come in plastic jugs from the store, cereals come in boxes, vegetables come in cans or frozen bags. Meat comes in cans, or Styrofoam trays with plastic wrap. Fruit comes in cans or the produce aisle along with the noncanned vegetables, Why do we need farmers at all, I can get everything I need at Walmart.

^ 'Nuff said.....

 

[sree251]

Things change.

Things change.

They don't have to if we want to preserve the family farming culture. Kids who want to keep farming must be supported by the community to do so. What is a government of the people by the people for?

 

[Sberry]

Now that is funny.

 

[Hay Dude]

Farming is very regionally unique. Problems affecting farmers in the south different from farmers in the north, east west, etc.. In my area, we have a different type of pressure on farming. Its both good and bad.
Our pressure is the housing developer and the Land conservancy.
The developer is looking at farmlands ”highest and best use”. Land that generates a few hundred bucks per acre in crops, could be sold for $100,000 or more per acre as building lots. Farming is inherently exhausting work for mediocre pay. The temptation for the farmer is to sell to the developer, take the money and run. Especially the farmers kids. Generally those who internet farmland are too lazy to farm it themselves and want to make money pushing buttons, papers or something much easier.
The Land Conservancy is another consumer of farm land. They generally have a different view. While no homes will be built on the land, they generally dont allow row crops or heavy grazing (at least in MY area). They generally offer to contribute $10,000-$15,000 per acre in exchange for the rights to regulate the lands usage and do offer an alternative to plastic boxes placed 50 feet apart destroying the landscape. In exchange, you have limited rights placed on what you can do with your land. I am a farmer for 3 different Land Conservancies in my area and they are generally logical and reasonable to work with. They assign “Land Managers” to specific plots of farm land and each one is different in their approach. I have to work with each one. Challenging, but at the same time kind of interesting. They also offer unique lines of work related to farming (road maintenance, fencing, field mowing, construction, etc.)
If I were a struggling farmer, I’d be looking at sitting down and breaking bread with a couple local conservancies and explain what kind of “win/win” you can do with them.

 

[OzarkChris]

This makes about as much sense as most of what they talk about! But it works for me!

 

[ddbackhoe]

Land that generates a few hundred bucks per acre in crops, could be sold for $100,000 or more per acre as building lots. Farming is inherently exhausting work for mediocre pay. The temptation for the farmer is to sell to the developer, take the money and run. Especially the farmers kids. Generally those who internet farmland are too lazy to farm it themselves and want to make money pushing buttons, papers or something much easier.

Some odd years ago, I was told something very valuable. Lots of people want to buy what you have and lots of them will offer all kinds of deals. The only ones worth considering are the ones that have a suitcase full of cash in their hand. The rest are just sales people that will find a way to cheat you.

 

[sea2summit]

The Land Conservancy is another consumer of farm land. They generally have a different view. While no homes will be built on the land, they generally dont allow row crops or heavy grazing (at least in MY area). They generally offer to contribute $10,000-$15,000 per acre in exchange for the rights to regulate the lands usage and do offer an alternative to plastic boxes placed 50 feet apart destroying the landscape. In exchange, you have limited rights placed on what you can do with your land. I am a farmer for 3 different Land Conservancies in my area and they are generally logical and reasonable to work with. They assign “Land Managers” to specific plots of farm land and each one is different in their approach. I have to work with each one. Challenging, but at the same time kind of interesting. They also offer unique lines of work related to farming (road maintenance, fencing, field mowing, construction, etc.)

I wish I got money for conservancy land, all I get a tax break. But, on the bright side there essentially zero rules other than restrictions on building permanent structures which you have to apply for or just don't renew conservancy or change the land map both of which are faster than the application from what I hear.

 

[Hay Dude]

Some odd years ago, I was told something very valuable. Lots of people want to buy what you have and lots of them will offer all kinds of deals. The only ones worth considering are the ones that have a suitcase full of cash in their hand. The rest are just sales people that will find a way to cheat you.

Yep.
“Money talks and B$ walks”

 

[sree251]

Unfortunately, many "big city" folk wouldn't survive out here in the sticks for very long. I've seen it first hand with a bunch of them moving out around here trying to "play" Green Acres. For some reason they tend to believe that if they move to a smaller "hick town" everything will be just the same as it was in the big city. Then they do the unforgivable, they try to make the small town into the big city.

Don't "big city" folks love moving to smaller "hick towns" for vacations? They would descend on these hick town like pesky locusts. It's a love/hate relationship that the hick townies have with them. The trauma bonding goes on every summer. Then, there are city folks who stay to set up small businesses like coffee shops, restaurants, and art stores to cater to big city folks on vacation. Some even venture into small scale organic farming. They make the small towns into some of the coolest small towns in the USA.