I hear a lot of farm references in here and was wondering who all owns or works on a farm. We have a 1200 acre operation here in the willamette valley. Stayton, OR.

 

I farm...2,700 acres...Mostly all cotton,corn,and wet lands...

 

I have a cow-calf operation on 320 acres that I own. I am also renting another 450 acres from my grandfather, who retired from farming last year at the age of 86.

I am a 7th generation American family farmer.

 

I don't want to come off the wrong way but can you really make a living farming? I always hear about how hard farming is financially. Like you have to buy genetic seed, gps planters, prices for crops fluctuate, etc.. What's it really like? Are farmers really within a few dollars of going bust?

 

We own 10 sections (6400 acres). Most of that is grassland with one section under irrigation for alflafa.

 

Its a pretty cutthroat industry, around here anyways. No room for mistakes, but if your a good manager you can make a good living. we grow mostly grass seed, grain and sweet corn.

 

I work for the Natural Resource Conservation Service (used to be the old Soil Conservation Service).

I've seen the progressive farmers and those that still do it the way their Grandpa did it. Farming is becoming more and more competitive. It's not a matter of having GPS and genetic seed, it's the ability to put pencil to paper and prove that your system works. I've seen too many that just see the income at harvest time and think their making money. They need to figure their costs for the entire year. Yes, you can make money farming, but you need to be as shrewd as a corporate CEO and able to weather a few hard years if the rains don't come.

When a producer walks in the door and says, "I'm just a poor dumb farmer." I get a bit ticked. Farming is damn hard and watching the weather, crops, weeds, fuel costs, etc is a full time job.

My hat is off to those that walk this path and I thank God for them. They work harder than most people know and deal with problems that most people wouldn't, couldn't, deal with.

 

We've got 100 acres here. Aprox 20 acres of bush, the remaining 80 or so of cleared land we lease to a local farmer. All shared with the local and migrating wild life

 

My father's a county extension agent, so we're just into the alfalfa hay business part time. But I have been working for a farmer full time (2,500 acres or so) during my summers for the past 3 years, and when I graduate with a degree in Agronomy, I plan to go back and get started on my own. You can make a living and there is a future in farming. I see it done all the time, and I'm going to do it too!

 

Here in alberta , located in the Socialist Republic of Canada
we got about 350 acres with 80 cows

 

My father and I farm about 3000 acres of dryland wheat in the Texas Panhandle. He makes his sole living from the farm and I operate a small business and work on the farm part time. It's tough to make a profit in this business. Too many factors that you cannot control, weather and governmental meddling in the markets, etc. I'll get my land paid for about the time I die and the kids can fight over it, then.

 

hey 99banshee,

I didnt know their was 1200 acres in Stayton.

I'm not to far from you. (Aurora) bout 40 minutes.

I dated the Stayton Cheif of polices daughter for a while. long drive every night after work.

Good to see another Oregonian on here too.

I see you have a banshee also. You go riding in the sand?

 

I live and work on a farm/ranch. We have about 7,000 acres we own and lease and farm on shares. We run about 300 cow/calf pairs and farm about 1500 acres. The farm life runs in our family I guess, the place we live on has been in the family for over 100 years, and the house is 97 years old. Farming is tough and things are tight at times. Fortunately we have been established long enough we don't have to worry about losing the place, but things still get tight. We also have a good banker who understands the business and both my dad and grandpa have great credit. It would be really hard to get started today without having family already established that you can take over for or to help you get started. We raise wheat as the main crop around here, because that is what grows the best and what there is a market for. It seems that as long as you keep the dependence on cattle and grain about 50/50, you'll do alright. And as far as having the latest and greatest equipment, that'll make you go broke. You do need the equipment to do the job, and have good equipment so you don't lose time from being broke down and have the added repair bills. You also have to update equipment when you can afford it. With the way land prices are right now, it is really hard to expand unless you don't depend on the land to produce enough to pay for it and rely on other means. It's late and I can't think of anything else so I'll shut up now, but reserve the right to add more later if I think of anything

 

We only own 350acres that we run about 25 head of cattle on. Black Angus. We rent or are given an extra 1500 acres that we raise 8 acres of Tobacco and the rest Beans and Hay. we do 4,000 square bales and 400 round 2200 pounds a piece. my family all together owns 5k acres most is hay but 10 more acres of Tobacco. with 100 acres for cows that my uncle Tom owns 20 of. Don't forget the 9 horses we raise and 6 others that we board for people. Nothing like driveing to the bard and seeing 5 HOTT girls rideing around in tight pants and shirts. Makes all the work worth wile.

 

we go riding over at sand lake mostly just because of the short drive, but florance is soooo much better