Sad day for this farmer

[ovrszd]

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...

My large farmer friend admits he makes more money on the markets than he does in the field.

 

[Peter 315]

The farm up near me was a dairy farm ,But now they do beef and milk plus a little bit of everything else just to make it Home - Eccardt Farm

 

[teejk]

My large farmer friend admits he makes more money on the markets than he does in the field.

Doesn't surprise me at all.

 

[DrRod]

A local congressman is introducing legislation to reinstate whole milk in the schools. According to the article, Michelle Obama was responsible for eliminating whole milk in order to reduce fat intake in kids and thus reduce obesity [never mind that sugar is the real culprit]. But the kids don't like skim milk or even 1% so sales dropped by something like 60%. So he wants to bring back whole milk [and flavored milk] to the schools as a way of increasing demand. Not sure if that is the answer given the complexity of markets and subsidies but he's getting lots of local publicity for it.

 

[Bird]

Not sure if that is the answer

I don't know either, but I quit drinking milk years ago because I thought it was putting weight on me. And I NEVER wanted any of that "skimmed" milk, "1%", etc. When I buy milk, it's whole milk or nothing.

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

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?

I’m sure they are. But I’m learning everyday.

I’m not a beef provider, I have a hobby farm with cattle, I take 2-4 in per year.

My scenario is more, if a person decided to raise their own animals on their own land. I feed with round bales, rotate pastures, finish on grain (usually corn). Any beef I offer to friends and fam, I sell out in hours after I put the word out, I’m limited on ground.

Around here it’s hard to buy ground for less than $7,500 per acre tilled or wooded, most are around 10k plus. Residential is valued at 20k per acre.

If I could buy land at $3500 per acre or less I would snap at the chance and put me as many cattle on it as the land will allow, I would have no probs selling the beef locally.

 

[ovrszd]

I don't know either, but I quit drinking milk years ago because I thought it was putting weight on me. And I NEVER wanted any of that "skimmed" milk, "1%", etc. When I buy milk, it's whole milk or nothing.

I heard once that humans are the only species that drink milk as adults. I certainly can't think of any others?

 

[ovrszd]

If I could buy land at $3500 per acre or less I would snap at the chance and put me as many cattle on it as the land will allow, I would have no probs selling the beef locally.

Not being familiar with your land I have no idea how many acres per cow or cows per acre?? What is the ratio there? Does your land feed your cattle?

 

[300UGUY]

I’m sure they are. But I’m learning everyday.

I’m not a beef provider, I have a hobby farm with cattle, I take 2-4 in per year.

My scenario is more, if a person decided to raise their own animals on their own land. I feed with round bales, rotate pastures, finish on grain (usually corn). Any beef I offer to friends and fam, I sell out in hours after I put the word out, I’m limited on ground.

Around here it’s hard to buy ground for less than $7,500 per acre tilled or wooded, most are around 10k plus. Residential is valued at 20k per acre.

If I could buy land at $3500 per acre or less I would snap at the chance and put me as many cattle on it as the land will allow, I would have no probs selling the beef locally.

Same kind of prices around here, the days of somebody buying some cheap farm land and developing a subdivision are gone. A half acre lot goes for $40K, more if on a paved road.

 

[teejk]

Same kind of prices around here, the days of somebody buying some cheap farm land and developing a subdivision are gone. A half acre lot goes for $40K, more if on a paved road.

Pretty much guaranteed these days that if you are close to a major university (Ann Arbor, Columbus, etc.) your land has more value as residential than it does farming. I saw that in the Madison area. Those professors get paid a lot!