How do farmers make any money?

[Jstpssng]

The Federal minimum wage is $7.75.

Now think about this. Federal or State Minimum wage?

"The federal minimum wage has never been set at $7.75. It's been at $7.25 per hour since July 24, 2009. This is the longest period without a nationwide increase since the minimum wage was established in 1938."

Yet farmers can make less than that.
So what is your point?

 

[Gator6x4]

Yet farmers can make less than that.
So what is your point?

If a Farmer is making less than the Federal Minimum Wage in 2025 they better be filing out the papers requesting monetary assistance.

If you work at a 40 hour a week job making the minimum wage, and you work every day you will work 2080 hours in a year. $7.75 x 2080 will give you a gross annual pay of $16,120 dollars or $310.00 weekly before taxes.

Now throw health care, phone service, electrical service, fuel for a vehicle to travel in, groceries, maintenance and upkeep of farm equipment, fuel for farm vehicle(s), etc, etc.

In February 2025, the average electric bill in the United States was $145.44 per month.

According to J.D. Power, the average phone bill is now $141 per month, which is actually down from $156 in 20232. So, that’s good news for gadget lovers far and wide.

According to recent data, the average American household spends around $179 per month on gasoline.

In 2023, the median income for farmers and ranchers in the United States was $83,770 per year. However, the average income of farmers varies depending on the type of farm and the amount of off-farm income.

That's enough. I think you should be able to see the point from the data provided.

 

[Hay Dude]

Amazing how many non-farmers know so much about farming.

 

[Gator6x4]

Amazing how many non-farmers know so much about farming.

I have been in, out of and around the farming community all my life. I also know a awful lot of farmers. Most small dirt farmers are retiring the plow. Tobacco and Cotton used to be the go to cash money crops. The demand for these are down. A lot of farmers that used to plant tobacco or cotton have switched to Rape Seed.

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The oilseed rape fields are looking great and smelling amazing. It was a beautiful day today to inspect the bees who are busy pollinating this wonderful...

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[Eagle1]

If a Farmer is making less than the Federal Minimum Wage in 2025 they better be filing out the papers requesting monetary assistance.

If you work at a 40 hour a week job making the minimum wage, and you work every day you will work 2080 hours in a year. $7.75 x 2080 will give you a gross annual pay of $16,120 dollars or $310.00 weekly before taxes.

Now throw health care, phone service, electrical service, fuel for a vehicle to travel in, groceries, maintenance and upkeep of farm equipment, fuel for farm vehicle(s), etc, etc.

In February 2025, the average electric bill in the United States was $145.44 per month.

According to J.D. Power, the average phone bill is now $141 per month, which is actually down from $156 in 20232. So, that’s good news for gadget lovers far and wide.

According to recent data, the average American household spends around $179 per month on gasoline.

In 2023, the median income for farmers and ranchers in the United States was $83,770 per year. However, the average income of farmers varies depending on the type of farm and the amount of off-farm income.

That's enough. I think you should be able to see the point from the data provided.

Median is fine (includes very high earners) and you included OFF FARM income. Now do the bottom 10%, not all farmers a great from day one.
Or do the they not matter?
I know farmers that make 100+k in full time jobs but mostly break even on farm income. It a choice some make or have to make to live the life they want.
How many hours did each of those farmers work. I know that as owner of a private Campground, I worked 10-16 hours seven days a week. Yet only paid myself for 40 hours at state minimum wage as CEO salary, My Choice not a complaint.
I never had Health care, and my average electric was $3000 per month.

 

[5030]

On this forum, what is appropriate and what isn't is entirely up to the moderators last time I checked. I do find moderation on this site to be pretty capricious most times.

 

[LHF2019]

Talk about thread drift.

 

[ultrarunner]

It happens and depending on how much time one is in the swamp eventually everything is seen from the swamp perspective.

I posted a Deere question in the Kubota forum before by mistake…

Number 1 to making money farming or ranching is access to land that makes it possible…

My farmer grandparents said the land is everything… to be cherished and passed down generation to generation.

 

[Jstpssng]

I posted a Deere question in the Kubota forum before by mistake…

Did you get a helpful answer?

 

[ultrarunner]

Did you get a helpful answer?

Yes… answer was wrong forum with link to the Deere forum…