Cattle people/ farmers are getting old.

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Otha said:
If I understood everything I've read in these 8 pages it sounds like y'all have narrowed it down to two problems. The first is young people don't have a good work ethic(or patience) and the second being that maybe land prices really have surpassed ag production profits.

On the first point, is the current generation really that much lazier than previous or does every generation curse the one younger than them? And if we are really that much worse than previous generations who's to blame? Might it be the people complaining about us are to blame. Someone did have to raise us after all. I'll add some personal experience. My grand father calls me about once a week around 8pm to check in. If I am working he exclaims, "Is that all you ever do? Work!" He's 88 and if he was lazy he must have also been very lucky because he put together a nice farming and ranching retirement that has lasted this long and he'll likely leave his kids something worth having.

On the second point, if land really is to high what can be done? I don't think there's enough of us on this board to make any changes to the current markets but I do bet there is someone most of us know that we could help get started. That's all it really takes and it is happening in some places. I've been helped plenty and so has my friend that's running cattle. He just bought him a little land. He got to pay market price for it, but he's had some help in other ways to make the deal happen and get the place ready for cattle.
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Nail on the darn head for most of that. I read a thing the other day that said complaining about the youth verifiably dates back to at least ancient Rome. We sure have made some progress since then.

The land thing... can't even be argued. It's too high, but what goes up must come down.
 
Lee VanRoss said:
To my knowledge there are only two men in history that time hasn't caught up with and neither of them is you or I. tick toc, tic toc
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Seems I misunderstood you.

Caustic Burno said:
Mine won't be here either. The kids will have hauled the cows to the salebarn before the last shovel of dirt lands on me.
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Just hope it's a good sale day.
 
Otha said:
If I understood everything I've read in these 8 pages it sounds like y'all have narrowed it down to two problems. The first is young people don't have a good work ethic(or patience) and the second being that maybe land prices really have surpassed ag production profits.

On the first point, is the current generation really that much lazier than previous or does every generation curse the one younger than them? And if we are really that much worse than previous generations who's to blame? Might it be the people complaining about us are to blame. Someone did have to raise us after all. I'll add some personal experience. My grand father calls me about once a week around 8pm to check in. If I am working he exclaims, "Is that all you ever do? Work!" He's 88 and if he was lazy he must have also been very lucky because he put together a nice farming and ranching retirement that has laasted this long and he'll likely leave his kids something worth having.

On the second point, if land really is to high what can be done? I don't think there's enough of us on this board to make any changes to the current markets but I do bet there is someone most of us know that we could help get started. That's all it really takes and it is happening in some places. I've been helped plenty and so has my friend that's running cattle. He just bought him a little land. He got to pay market price for it, but he's had some help in other ways to make the deal happen and get the place ready for cattle.
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I have a millennial couple that rents hunting rights from me and they would love to farm and would likely be good at it. For their age they have really high income. He's in commercial construction, she's a doctor. They can't afford enough land to be useful.
 
shaz said:
I have a millennial couple that rents hunting rights from me and they would love to farm and would likely be good at it. For their age they have really high income. He's in commercial construction, she's a doctor. They can't afford enough land to be useful.
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No, no, it's all work ethic doncha know.
 
I operate in this in mind - we are in the era of financialization and as long as that lasts asset prices wont drop. Previously I thought that era would last longer but Russian sanctions may have accelerated that.

We have talked about this before but most of the younger people I see making it are selling direct or in premium niches. Organic, local, whatever. Grass fed beef, maple and black walnut syrups, forested pork. My take on this is that the middlemen and packers are taking a increased portion of revenue, the middle class is shrinking and the upper class has a lot of disposable money.

Hedges? Haven't tried any but I hear a lot about airbnb, RV parks, farm experiences, hemp, hosting events. Seems to be all about experiences, not food.
 
Gobbler'sKnob said:
No, no, it's all work ethic doncha know.
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These happen to be two exceptional 30 year old kids. My city step kids wouldn't last 2 seconds. They've never been that hot or cold or worked so much for so little return. Add to that what the land and cows are worth. Even though my farm is profitable they don't have calluses and don't want any either.
 
dave_shelby said:
I operate in this in mind - we are in the era of financialization and as long as that lasts asset prices wont drop. Previously I thought that era would last longer but Russian sanctions may have accelerated that.

We have talked about this before but most of the younger people I see making it are selling direct or in premium niches. Organic, local, whatever. Grass fed beef, maple and black walnut syrups, forested pork. My take on this is that the middlemen and packers are taking a increased portion of revenue, the middle class is shrinking and the upper class has a lot of disposable money.

Hedges? Haven't tried any but I hear a lot about airbnb, RV parks, farm experiences, hemp, hosting events. Seems to be all about experiences, not food.
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Thank you for the input, hadn't thought of some of that.

shaz said:
These happen to be two exceptional 30 year old kids. My city step kids wouldn't last 2 seconds. They've never been that hot or cold or worked so much for so little return. Add to that what the land and cows are worth. Even though my farm is profitable they don't have calluses and don't want any either.
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I was just grousing because that was all the previous commentary really came out to.
 
Otha said:
If I understood everything I've read in these 8 pages it sounds like y'all have narrowed it down to two problems. The first is young people don't have a good work ethic(or patience) and the second being that maybe land prices really have surpassed ag production profits.

On the first point, is the current generation really that much lazier than previous or does every generation curse the one younger than them? And if we are really that much worse than previous generations who's to blame? Might it be the people complaining about us are to blame. Someone did have to raise us after all. I'll add some personal experience. My grand father calls me about once a week around 8pm to check in. If I am working he exclaims, "Is that all you ever do? Work!" He's 88 and if he was lazy he must have also been very lucky because he put together a nice farming and ranching retirement that has lasted this long and he'll likely leave his kids something worth having.

On the second point, if land really is to high what can be done? I don't think there's enough of us on this board to make any changes to the current markets but I do bet there is someone most of us know that we could help get started. That's all it really takes and it is happening in some places. I've been helped plenty and so has my friend that's running cattle. He just bought him a little land. He got to pay market price for it, but he's had some help in other ways to make the deal happen and get the place ready for cattle.
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My two cents. the young generation isn't all lazy as a group. There are many that work in the AG sector, construction, etc. and they want to work and get paid a reasonable wage and not go backwards year over year, which seems like the result of farming or ranching if you are not part of a fairly large family AG business.
 
I've got a down the road nieghbor/friend down the road.
He's a millennial. He's bought a couple. Hundred acres of 10,000 land over the past few years. I know who he bought it from owner financing. He's got most of it payed off. He owns a commercial/residential septic installation company. Works like a madman. Guys got one of the biggest engines I've seen in a man. Heck I told once to take it easy. He says fence I just gotta get something to leave my kids.
There's millennial s out there with the iron to do it. And prove it can be done.
 
I keep hearing how you need to own land to make it with cattle. I know a lot of people who started by leasing land. At least one or more in each of the last 8 decades. I hear people saying there is no land available to lease where they live. So why continue to live there? A friend of mine from church was managing a ranch a little north of here. The owners of that ranch decided they didn't want to own cattle any more so he had to go to another job. Those owners might not own cattle anymore but someone will be running cows there. That is a lease which was available. There are others. You just have to look.
I know young people today who work for bigger ranches where the ranch allows them to run some cows as part of their pay. Next thing you know their herd out grows what they are allowed and they are finding a lease of their own. Plus they have been learning the business while getting paid.
I have reached the point where the negativity on this board no longer surprises me. There are people young and old who accomplish things by not listening to the negativity and stepping out and following their dreams.
 
When they put that last shovel of dirt on me I expect that my son will last for an hour at a "reception at the church" and then go out to the pasture and spend some time with my old retired milk cow (not his thing with dairy cattle) ... cry a little then look at the sky and realize that the hay needs raking and mom isn't here to do it so he had better get to it. Sad thing is , he never married, no kids, so it will only be put off a generation. We have talked about trying to find a "younger generation" to bring into the equation... one that was willing to work another job and do part-time stuff to help since I am getting older and cannot do the rougher stuff like fencing and all, like i used to. His girlfriend's sister has a little boy that is 2 and loves anything to do with the farm... but in 40 years who knows what things will be like... and how spoiled he will be between now and then.
We started with nothing as far as farm land goes... he works a job, as I still work, and has bought land and is greatly in debt but wants this to retire to.

We sold calves for 2.00/lb a month ago, but I have seen booms and busts.
Used to raise sows and sell feeder pigs... had 10-12 sows, and would sell 20-30 pigs every month or so... have seen 2.00/lb 30 lb feeder pigs and .10/lb pigs... now they are in the 2-4.00/lb range...
Agree that the ones that cater to the "specialty" markets can make it work better... but it takes hard work... and also working SMARTER not just harder...
 
Dave said:
I have reached the point where the negativity on this board no longer surprises me. There are people young and old who accomplish things by not listening to the negativity and stepping out and following their dreams.
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I guess we are being negative. The guy I bought most of my farm from was the WORST and I hated to keep hearing about what can't be done. Now I'm being negative, thanks for pointing that out.
 
Gobbler'sKnob said:
complaining about the youth verifiably dates back to at least ancient Rome.
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I've never known a time that young folks didn't complain about older folks having it so much better and I can remember my grandfather complaining about high land prices in Bowie and Hopkins County Tx.
 
puzzled in oregon said:
There is a big difference in those that say "I can" or "it can be done", and those that say "I can't" or "it can't be done."
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Lot's of people spend way more time looking for excuses why something can't be done than the time it would take to just go out and do it.

As has been pointed out previously, there's no shortage of lenders willing to finance land that appraises what the asking price is.
 

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