Stocker Steve
Well-known member
Reported today that Canadian prairies are adding 2 growing days per decade, plus more rain, with Manitoba growing over 7 million acres of soy beans this year! What is up around you Aaron?
Nesikep":266kq7h7 said:That's the point I don't get.. all these advances everywhere haven't REALLY paid off for the farmer, yet they all tout the great benefits of it...
Aaron":1g3srko4 said:Funny thing is here you have guys clearing and tiling land to put crops in and have $2500-3000 invested in land 'improvement' alone and they think grain cropping is the way to go. One bad year and they will be bankrupt.
Nesikep":2ejij5sw said:People used to be able to make a living (albeit slim) on a quarter section, rural towns did well, because there were people there, all with their little plot of land...
Don't worry, they make up for it on volume! :dunce:Stocker Steve":1i3eq6a5 said:Nesikep":1i3eq6a5 said:That's the point I don't get.. all these advances everywhere haven't REALLY paid off for the farmer, yet they all tout the great benefits of it...
Technology could pay off with $7 commodity corn, but at the current prices the folks who invested recently are making less/losing more per acre than more traditional farmers. This has all been documented in FinBin data.
If technology allows you to run more acres, but you are losing $ on each acre, then more acres means...
When I went to my bank to pay the operating loan in March, my banker asked me if I just wanted to pay the interest or what. You could of knocked me over with a feather! I said no, I want to pay the whole thing. Apparently, paying interest only must be the trend this year. I can't imagine having more than one years' operating money out there (by choice), but my entire line of equipment probably wouldn't buy a new 45 foot Draper head either. I guess I can live with winning ugly instead of losing pretty.Stocker Steve":3fk4yc2y said:Aaron":3fk4yc2y said:Funny thing is here you have guys clearing and tiling land to put crops in and have $2500-3000 invested in land 'improvement' alone and they think grain cropping is the way to go. One bad year and they will be bankrupt.
We have had 3 high yield / poor profit grain years in a row. One local cashed in his life insurance to put a crop in this spring.
Equity lending is coming back. Banks here talk tough - - but accept interest only, or term out some debt to extend and pretend.
Lots of microbreweries here too, though not quite local.. we do have a lot of wineries, and a local one (Fort Berens)Stocker Steve":oizztyue said:Nesikep":oizztyue said:People used to be able to make a living (albeit slim) on a quarter section, rural towns did well, because there were people there, all with their little plot of land...
Consolidation is a big trend for production ag - - trying to make U$S 25 to 50 per acre on thousands of acres by buying inputs by semi load from out of the area, running 5,000 to 10,000 cows in a herd, beginning farmer loans to build new confinement buildings...
The local food focus is a positive trends. We are saturated with micro breweries, but now there are a number of on farm distilleries starting up. I went to a local tasting session to be a good neighbor. :nod: Nesikep - - is BC doing this yet?
Nesikep":1cl6wo00 said:Lots of microbreweries here too, though not quite local.. we do have a lot of wineries, and a local one (Fort Berens)Stocker Steve":1cl6wo00 said:Nesikep":1cl6wo00 said:People used to be able to make a living (albeit slim) on a quarter section, rural towns did well, because there were people there, all with their little plot of land...
Consolidation is a big trend for production ag - - trying to make U$S 25 to 50 per acre on thousands of acres by buying inputs by semi load from out of the area, running 5,000 to 10,000 cows in a herd, beginning farmer loans to build new confinement buildings...
The local food focus is a positive trends. We are saturated with micro breweries, but now there are a number of on farm distilleries starting up. I went to a local tasting session to be a good neighbor. :nod: Nesikep - - is BC doing this yet?
Little guys are getting swallowed up, the "eat local" is maybe a bit of a niche.. but Blue Goose has spent about $50 million on buying ranches in my area. they like the bigger ones of course, I have no idea where they're getting the capital for investment, but they own the only federally inspected slaughterhouse in BC.. they have about 6 ranches or so of 600 head and up.. just spent $5.5M on another one a few weeks ago.
Aaron":2ir6e0a9 said:Nesikep":2ir6e0a9 said:Lots of microbreweries here too, though not quite local.. we do have a lot of wineries, and a local one (Fort Berens)Stocker Steve":2ir6e0a9 said:Consolidation is a big trend for production ag - - trying to make U$S 25 to 50 per acre on thousands of acres by buying inputs by semi load from out of the area, running 5,000 to 10,000 cows in a herd, beginning farmer loans to build new confinement buildings...
The local food focus is a positive trends. We are saturated with micro breweries, but now there are a number of on farm distilleries starting up. I went to a local tasting session to be a good neighbor. :nod: Nesikep - - is BC doing this yet?
Little guys are getting swallowed up, the "eat local" is maybe a bit of a niche.. but Blue Goose has spent about $50 million on buying ranches in my area. they like the bigger ones of course, I have no idea where they're getting the capital for investment, but they own the only federally inspected slaughterhouse in BC.. they have about 6 ranches or so of 600 head and up.. just spent $5.5M on another one a few weeks ago.
Everybody declared eat local as the saving grace here until they learned that consumers want it at the same price in the store. Lots of guys got sucked into feeding small groups of cattle, hoping to cash in. Until they learned that people want payment plans, paying by credit card and not paying at all. Some guys got burnt on one animal and learned their lesson and some just continue to be a beacon for financial punishment. I only feed single animals for myself and family and I name the price or the animal can be nice well go to the auction mart. I lose enough money on the ones that die, sure not going to lose on the ones that are alive.