Sad day for this farmer

[Steppenwolfe]

How does a small farm stay competitive?

Falling milk prices sour a way of life for Culpeper dairy farmer | Cse | starexponent.com

I grew up working on farms, one was a dairy farm I worked on weekends. Some of the hardest work I ever saw. My future wife at the time spent 4 summers during college as a dairy maid, same story. The American dairy farmer is a lost breed, due to many reasons, but mostly, I just don't think these people exist anymore in our world. It's a loss for all of us.

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

This country at some point will hit a breaking point, the amount of beef and meats we consume is unsustainable, the population is increasing, people want more for less and want to work less and get paid more.

Farming is so removed from society that people don’t care about farmers. Nobody knows where their milk or eggs come from, nobody knows the farmers anymore unless your his neighbor.

All they care about is paying less for products and having as much “Stuff” as they can afford. People flock to the lowest price over supporting local Business even if that is a few more dollars.

So Super markets stock their shelves accordingly, they import the cheapest product rather than local, or they demand local lower their price to compete even know he prob can’t but will.

Not many mom and pop general stores around, everyone shops (including me) at the Walmart type stores where prices are lower and I don’t have to make many stops.

So by spending my money at Walmart or Kroger, I voted for big business and lower prices, that company then bullies the suppliers for the same product for a cheaper price because of “bulk” it buys. The grocery store wants a burger for .50, the farmer can’t go lower than .85 so the government steps in to subsidize the price difference, the farmer stays in business, the grocery store makes money and the people are happy because they get cheap burgers for less than they can make it for with their own land.

The government sets the price for grain, dairy and meats which puts stress on the farmer to get bigger and more efficient to compete.

So we the people elect the government officials, we vote for what we want by spending money. It’s our own faults farmers can’t compete and fail because we are lazy and want cheap products.

We are all out for ourselves, offended by everything under the sun, want to be rich and don’t want to work. The new American way.

 

[ovrszd]

As of a couple years ago the beef producer was not subsidized. Not sure today. But I think they still aren't.

 

[teejk]

Explains why so many farmers are educating themselves about how they can play in a global market. Here in the "dairy state" we continue to see the "mega-dairies" expand which leads to large cheese factories close to them getting bigger while smaller ones close up. In a way it's the same thing that happened with beer decades ago...

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

As of a couple years ago the beef producer was not subsidized. Not sure today. But I think they still aren't.

It’s all subsidized, how do you think McDonald’s makes a double stack for a buck? Or now Wendy’s is now making their double stack for a buck.

The government plays the market like a instrument, it’s been fine tuning that sucker for idk how long. Demand is X, if supply looks like it will be high it exports, if supply is low it imports from other countries to substitute, they will even pay farmers not to plant in their field if the market is too saturated and price is too low.

The 9 Foods the U.S. Government is Paying You to Eat

You can find a bunch just like it. Only reason meat and dairy is so cheap is because of government subsidies.

I have cattle, if I just feed them grass and a little grain, I would lose money at $4 per pound after butcher, that’s the whole animal, ground beef and all, no way I could make a 1/4-1/3lb McDouble for a buck. Would be like $5-$10 plus after I made the bun, cheese, raised and butchered cattle, labor etc.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

It’s all subsidized, how do you think McDonald’s makes a double stack for a buck? Or now Wendy’s is now making their double stack for a buck.

The government plays the market like a instrument, it’s been fine tuning that sucker for idk how long. Demand is X, if supply looks like it will be high it exports, if supply is low it imports from other countries to substitute, they will even pay farmers not to plant in their field if the market is too saturated and price is too low.

The 9 Foods the U.S. Government is Paying You to Eat

You can find a bunch just like it. Only reason meat and dairy is so cheap is because of government subsidies.

I have cattle, if I just feed them grass and a little grain, I would lose money at $4 per pound after butcher, that’s the whole animal, ground beef and all, no way I could make a 1/4-1/3lb McDouble for a buck. Would be like $5-$10 plus after I made the bun, cheese, raised and butchered cattle, labor etc.

McDonalds is ground up old dairy cows. The hide goes for leather, the hooves go for Jello, the bones go for bouillon and bone meal fertilizer, the head and offal go for pet food. Small operations are not very efficient, and have a lot of waste. Yes, dairy cows are subsidized, but MickeyD does not serve beef cattle in their burgers.

 

[Wagtail]

It’s all subsidized, how do you think McDonald’s makes a double stack for a buck? Or now Wendy’s is now making their double stack for a buck.

The government plays the market like a instrument, it’s been fine tuning that sucker for idk how long. Demand is X, if supply looks like it will be high it exports, if supply is low it imports from other countries to substitute, they will even pay farmers not to plant in their field if the market is too saturated and price is too low.

The 9 Foods the U.S. Government is Paying You to Eat

You can find a bunch just like it. Only reason meat and dairy is so cheap is because of government subsidies.

I have cattle, if I just feed them grass and a little grain, I would lose money at $4 per pound after butcher, that’s the whole animal, ground beef and all, no way I could make a 1/4-1/3lb McDouble for a buck. Would be like $5-$10 plus after I made the bun, cheese, raised and butchered cattle, labor etc.

Well that was a strange, slanted/biased 'article' you've linked.

Information provided from the US government (no Department listed) in 2009, leading to a list of 9 foods (list from the "Atlantic" publication), assembled into a commentary in 2011 by "Doctor" [buy my books!] Mercola.

Yes, I put quotation marks around his doctor so called qualification/title as, after doing a wee bit of reading waaaaaaaaaay down at the bottom of the link under 'Who is Dr. Mercola?', then wading through a half page of fluff/gobbeldegoop he finally admits to no medical/scientific qualifications at all.

 

[widefat]

and another, albeit a bit of a different scenario - but still not good.

Heritage Hollow farmers hesitantly leaving Rappahannock for greener pastures – Rappahannock News

This touches on another problem in our area - the value of land. Farm land in the Va piedmont is doggedly pursued by developers. The value is high, thus the taxes are high. It is not uncommon to see a family farm sold when the last parent dies because the kids have no interest, and the land is eyed for development.
Lease farming is, or could be, a viable way for farmers to make a go of it. But as seen, that also is a hard road to hoe.

 

[ovrszd]

It’s all subsidized, how do you think McDonald’s makes a double stack for a buck? Or now Wendy’s is now making their double stack for a buck.

The government plays the market like a instrument, it’s been fine tuning that sucker for idk how long. Demand is X, if supply looks like it will be high it exports, if supply is low it imports from other countries to substitute, they will even pay farmers not to plant in their field if the market is too saturated and price is too low.

The 9 Foods the U.S. Government is Paying You to Eat

You can find a bunch just like it. Only reason meat and dairy is so cheap is because of government subsidies.

I have cattle, if I just feed them grass and a little grain, I would lose money at $4 per pound after butcher, that’s the whole animal, ground beef and all, no way I could make a 1/4-1/3lb McDouble for a buck. Would be like $5-$10 plus after I made the bun, cheese, raised and butchered cattle, labor etc.

I believe your view of subsidies is a bit skewed. But mine probably are too.

I didn't realize you were a beef producer. How many beef cattle do you market per year?

 

[ovrszd]

and another, albeit a bit of a different scenario - but still not good.

Heritage Hollow farmers hesitantly leaving Rappahannock for greener pastures – Rappahannock News

This touches on another problem in our area - the value of land. Farm land in the Va piedmont is doggedly pursued by developers. The value is high, thus the taxes are high. It is not uncommon to see a family farm sold when the last parent dies because the kids have no interest, and the land is eyed for development.
Lease farming is, or could be, a viable way for farmers to make a go of it. But as seen, that also is a hard road to hoe.

Here in my County land prices have risen dramatically but they are behind the normal range because of the remoteness of our location. I live on 20 acres. It's worth $5K p/acre because of it's small size. Farmer won't buy it. Someone looking to live in the country will. 80 acres of arguably the best farmland in this county recently sold for $480K. Average land 50% tillable will bring $3,500 p/acre. Anything will bring $2,500. Very, very, very hard to pay for any of these examples with $3 corn.

Four city guys bought 1,800 acres 2 miles from me for $5.2M. They bought it to hunt on. These types of sales drive nails in the small farmer's coffin. A 40 year old farmer borders the property. He didn't even consider purchase at that price. No way could he hang onto it.