News: farmers killing themselves in staggering numbers

[ovrszd]

To get this back to farmers.

They are asset rich and cash poor. To be cash rich they have to sell their assets.

Holding real estate assets and then cashing in at a higher price only increases the net worth if the money isn't reinvested in inflated property.

If things are as depressed as explained in Maine, and assets there are sold, and the money reinvested in Florida, I'm afraid it won't go very far.

 

[Diggin It]

and I know they had at that time three combines operating in the fields running

Only three? Paupers!

A big Ag company from a few counties away did some 1200 acres around me the past few years. Alternate between soy beans and corn. Couple years back bean pickin', they brought in 8 combines and ran them side by side, staggered a bit. They also had 10-12 semis that would load up, run to the elevator 20 miles away, dump and return. Each semi probably made at least a dozen trips in that 24 hours of non-stop operation. Rolled in about noon one day, rolled out about noon the next day.

 

[Diggin It]

Neighbor farmers I know personally are all over 60 and have had medical problems that have slowed them down. Some lease acreage to other farmers, some don't. Some only grow whatever their cows eat, no production crops. No male kids, or the kids are doing things other than farming. The property I and several other neighbors live on was all owned by one family some years back. They broke a lot of it up in 50 acre pieces and sold it off. Some smaller pieces. That family doesn't farm at all any more.

 

[ovrszd]

Neighbor farmers I know personally are all over 60 and have had medical problems that have slowed them down. Some lease acreage to other farmers, some don't. Some only grow whatever their cows eat, no production crops. No male kids, or the kids are doing things other than farming. The property I and several other neighbors live on was all owned by one family some years back. They broke a lot of it up in 50 acre pieces and sold it off. Some smaller pieces. That family doesn't farm at all any more.

And where are you located?

 

[JNA]

Good posts .Good reading .I believe it has to do with over population.We were very poor in the 1960's but living was simpler.I harvested the ocean's ....... same story!

 

[ovrszd]

Good posts .Good reading .I believe it has to do with over population.We were very poor in the 1960's but living was simpler.I harvested the ocean's ....... same story!

Good points.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

This has been going on since the beginning of the industrial revolution. In America, 175 years ago 90% of the workforce was in agriculture, today it's about 2%. To put it another way, back then nine farms fed ten families. Today two farms feed 100 families.

 

[ultrarunner]

The tide is actually going the other way in some areas of Northern California and especially Oregon since Marijuana is legal...

Oregon Christmas Tree farms are going to Marijuana… know several that were sold to Pot Farms...