News: farmers killing themselves in staggering numbers

[radios1]

it looks like farming may be going out of style soon.. Farmers are killing themselves in staggering numbers a shame..

 

[drssg]

I am not a farmer, but I believe it’s a difficult profession.

The article makes a poor first impression with a picture that is captioned “Wheat in drought field,” except it’s actually corn that appears to be doing OK. It makes me wonder how diligent they are with their editing and fact checking.

 

[Groo]

Farming is a life, not a profession to many. Its a family farm. It is family. I can't imagine loosing not only everything you've worked for, but also everything that your father and grandfather worked for. Higher sucide rates are understandable. It sure stinks though.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I just cant see how any farmer is making a living. Equipment cost are in the $100K-500K range for tractors/combines/cotton picker while crops are still selling from the farm at 1960-1970 prices. While only much smaller equipment was available in the 1960s and 70's, the largest tractor available then was less than $10K.
Farmers now have about hit the limit for farming more acreage with higher production so as to break even on cost. There is no more production to be had from the land and cost continue to rise while income from crops remain about the same as 60 or more years ago.

We as consumers are in for a bad time in the near future.

 

[LouNY]

I didn't read the article, it has been news here for awhile. The main reason here is the dairy prices, almost all the small (under 100 cow) operations have gone under and a great many of the mid sized (100-500 cows) have also, most of the big operations (2000 cow and up are still operating. Many of the small to mid sized operations kept on milking while loosing money and spent down any and all retirement and reserves and had borrowed till they were maxed out and all of a sudden they have absolutely nothing left completely broke and bills closing in and no where's to go, no way to make enough money to hang onto the farm, so what do they do? what should they do? A lifetime and many times generations of lifetimes all shot to h-ll and no way in sight to keep going.
Price wise the prices being paid for milk on the farm are lower then the prices of the 60's, these days it amounts to how much per cow do you want to pay to go to work today because you are losing money on each and every cow.
Many of the very large ones if not almost all of them are losing money every day but the banks don't dare foreclose on them because what would they do with several thousand animals, that require care and $$$$$$$$ inputs.

 

[Teachu2]

Many of the very large ones if not almost all of them are losing money every day but the banks don't dare foreclose on them because what would they do with several thousand animals, that require care and $$$$$$$$ inputs.

Around here, the banks would foreclose right on schedule on any operation that is losing money every day. They arrange for disposal of the livestock in advance, at the highest price they can get, which is often a dog food company. The trucks are scheduled before the foreclosure becomes final.

About twenty years ago, several new dairy operations settled in my area. These are large operations, and they came to town ready to own the market locally and in Los Angeles 100 miles away. These large operations continue to thrive, while the little family operations died out - because the kids didn't want to dedicate their lives to the farm. They got educated (at their families insistence) and had options with more stability, money, benefits, vacations, heat, air conditioning, and time off. Not a single family regrets the decisions to sell to the bigger corporate operations - some even became valued employees at those same operations, with steady paychecks, health care, vacations, days off.....

 

[radios1]

Price wise the prices being paid for milk on the farm are lower then the prices of the 60's, these days it amounts to how much per cow do you want to pay to go to work today because you are losing money on each and every cow.
Many of the very large ones if not almost all of them are losing money every day but the banks don't dare foreclose on them because what would they do with several thousand animals, that require care and $$$$$$$$ inputs.

I don't know where I could get milk at '60's prices, I think it was .50 a gallon? now, I pay $4 a gallon, something is odd.. where can I buy milk at '60's prices, I'd sure like to know!..

 

[ovrszd]

I don't know where I could get milk at '60's prices, I think it was .50 a gallon? now, I pay $4 a gallon, something is odd.. where can I buy milk at '60's prices, I'd sure like to know!..

I think you missed his point
He's talking about the price the farmer is paid for his product, not the price you pay for the refined product at the store. Therein lies the problem.

 

[newbury]

I don't know where I could get milk at '60's prices, I think it was .50 a gallon? now, I pay $4 a gallon, something is odd.. where can I buy milk at '60's prices, I'd sure like to know!..

Gee, sure glad gas prices have not gone up like that

 

[atsah]

I have a 500 head dairy farm that borders my property and I buy there products, it's 20% more but I like the product and I like supporting local farms. Seems every year I drive by there they have a couple new 200hp articulating dueled up John Deere tractors there, they must get some kind of subsidy or grant or something, they cost a fortune not the mention the new harvesters, choppers etc that I see fairly new over there.

These guys have two Deere loaders that are bigger than my house, some of these farms get themselves in deep I believe. $4.25 a gallon for milk plus they sell cream and all kinds of products, When I see some of these big farms crumble, some of it is there own doing.