Greed or a Good Thing?

[denoginnizer]

I was wondering if yall think that the splitting up of Farms ought to be restricted to lot sizes of at least 20 Acres +or-.I know someone is entitled to make the maximum profit, when they sell, and most folks dont want a big spread to maintain, but Farmland is evaporating at such a rate in this Country that I'm afraid in a small amount of time, we're going to wondering what Country we should rely on for all our Food.
Realtors around here are dying to get listings to Auction off in 1-5 acre lots.I know several folks that have made legitimate offers on farms, to use as Farms, and the Realtors have told them they wont even present the seller with an offer. I believe that's Illegal.

Check out the Alabama or Georgia land trust. These folks preserve farm land by putting development restrictions on it. The landowner can often profit by tax savings and everybody else besides developers profit.

 

[Crowderfarms]

We have it here in TN too. Good thing. It's preserved thousands of Acres from Dozers.

 

[memanpa]

Speaking of age gaps... ( let the ranting begin )

I bought my own farm just over one year ago.. It's just shy of 27 acres, and I was just shy of 27 years old at the time -- and I got it on my own.. Of people my age, they might have access to family farms or own five acre tracts and a house, but as far as any of them owning their own *farm*...?? I'm the only one I know of..

It seems that those from my generation -- somewhere between "Generation X" and "Generation ME!" -- are all about consumption.. They want the biggest, baddest, fastest, and "sickest" of everything, and they wanted it FIVE MINUTES AGO..

Me? The truck I drive is almost 9 years old, and I hate it because it's more "nice" than it is useful... I have a 1950 Ford 8N tractor, and my plow and scraper blade are about the same vintage.. My house is 100 years old or better, about 1200 square feet, and only has 2 bedrooms and 1 bath -- and you gotta go through one bedroom to get to the other! I asked for gift certificates to TSC for Christmas... People look at me like, "where's your dad?" when I go to auctions and buy equipment... I keep clothes so long that I usually look like a homeless guy when I'm not at my day job... :lol:

Long story short, I have absolutely ZERO in common with about 95% of my peers... Matter of fact, I'm kind of ashamed to be associated with my own generation.. They are, for the most part, a bunch of money hungy, self centered consumers with a bottomless appetite for whatever someone tells them they can't live without.. It's sickening..

Ok, down off my soapbox..

keep your head up, it is folks like you, and millkmaid and several other young folks on this board that will oneday be the backbone of this business! gotta admire you :heart:

 

[cypressfarms]

Speaking of age gaps... ( let the ranting begin )

I bought my own farm just over one year ago.. It's just shy of 27 acres, and I was just shy of 27 years old at the time -- and I got it on my own.. Of people my age, they might have access to family farms or own five acre tracts and a house, but as far as any of them owning their own *farm*...?? I'm the only one I know of..

It seems that those from my generation -- somewhere between "Generation X" and "Generation ME!" -- are all about consumption.. They want the biggest, baddest, fastest, and "sickest" of everything, and they wanted it FIVE MINUTES AGO..

Me? The truck I drive is almost 9 years old, and I hate it because it's more "nice" than it is useful... I have a 1950 Ford 8N tractor, and my plow and scraper blade are about the same vintage.. My house is 100 years old or better, about 1200 square feet, and only has 2 bedrooms and 1 bath -- and you gotta go through one bedroom to get to the other! I asked for gift certificates to TSC for Christmas... People look at me like, "where's your dad?" when I go to auctions and buy equipment... I keep clothes so long that I usually look like a homeless guy when I'm not at my day job... :lol:

Long story short, I have absolutely ZERO in common with about 95% of my peers... Matter of fact, I'm kind of ashamed to be associated with my own generation.. They are, for the most part, a bunch of money hungy, self centered consumers with a bottomless appetite for whatever someone tells them they can't live without.. It's sickening..

Ok, down off my soapbox..

Whew, that was a rant. I don't just think that younger people are "consumption and me" oriented.I think that a lot of people, regardless of their age are like this. I'm only about 10 years older than you, but I don't believe that the materialistic lifestyle you live makes you more or less of a good person. Don't forget, "our" generation was raised by the previous generation. I believe that a parents influence has much more to do with how a person turns out than whether the person was raised in the 60's or 90's. I have 3 children, and I wonder all of the time that I'm not providing enough for them. I don't mean enough food/shelter etc. I mean enough MORAL integrity to be a good citizen for our great country.

 

[Beefy]

Speaking of age gaps... ( let the ranting begin )

I bought my own farm just over one year ago.. It's just shy of 27 acres, and I was just shy of 27 years old at the time -- and I got it on my own.. Of people my age, they might have access to family farms or own five acre tracts and a house, but as far as any of them owning their own *farm*...?? I'm the only one I know of..

It seems that those from my generation -- somewhere between "Generation X" and "Generation ME!" -- are all about consumption.. They want the biggest, baddest, fastest, and "sickest" of everything, and they wanted it FIVE MINUTES AGO..

Me? The truck I drive is almost 9 years old, and I hate it because it's more "nice" than it is useful... I have a 1950 Ford 8N tractor, and my plow and scraper blade are about the same vintage.. My house is 100 years old or better, about 1200 square feet, and only has 2 bedrooms and 1 bath -- and you gotta go through one bedroom to get to the other! I asked for gift certificates to TSC for Christmas... People look at me like, "where's your dad?" when I go to auctions and buy equipment... I keep clothes so long that I usually look like a homeless guy when I'm not at my day job... :lol:

Long story short, I have absolutely ZERO in common with about 95% of my peers... Matter of fact, I'm kind of ashamed to be associated with my own generation.. They are, for the most part, a bunch of money hungy, self centered consumers with a bottomless appetite for whatever someone tells them they can't live without.. It's sickening..

Ok, down off my soapbox..

I agree that we have GOT to figure out some kind of incentive to get young people back on the farms, even if its part time (and realistically just about has to be at this point). Otherwise, me and Jake and ol' CM are gonna be REAAL busy. and i'm busy enough now...
Most of my friends live in the city, on 1 or 2 acres. their concerns are paying for their house, their car, their other car, the things in their house and their acre. these people work 9-5 (maybe!), get weekends and holidays off, get to go on vacations with the money they make/save. sure they have stressful jobs and your average stresses that everyone has but they have no clue. they dont understand when i cant drop what i'm doing and go out with them. its hard to have any kind of a social life really with all the responsibility. there are certainly trade offs, at this points teh positives outweight the negatives for me.

 

[Crowderfarms]

Beefy, Those are some great thoughts. The average person, has no idea what it takes to arrange a few days off when you Farm/Ranch.I had a week off 2 years ago, and all I did was worry the entire time I was gone.A few of the good Boys I 've known around here, that live on Farms want nothing to do with farming anymore.It's a sad thing.Most young folks dont have the drive and dedication to Farm, or the one's that do, cant get the start up funds to start out.Big problem here is drop outs, that think an education does not matter.I'd say the average age of a farmer/ Cattleman around here is 60+ probably higher. There's VERY few of us young guys here.

 

[dun]

Beefy, Those are some great thoughts. The average person, has no idea what it takes to arrange a few days off when you Farm/Ranch.I had a week off 2 years ago, and all I did was worry the entire time I was gone.A few of the good Boys I 've known around here, that live on Farms want nothing to do with farming anymore.It's a sad thing.Most young folks dont have the drive and dedication to Farm, or the one's that do, cant get the start up funds to start out.Big problem here is drop outs, that think an education does not matter.I'd say the average age of a farmer/ Cattleman around here is 60+ probably higher. There's VERY few of us young guys here.

I couldn;t agree more. But there is one young man that's busting his hump to support his family of 3 1/3 kids plus a wife. She doesn;t work but he does everything he can to support them. He quit a really good job a couple of years ago because it was going to start making him be on the road 4 days out of 7 every week. He got a job hangin drywall until he got a serious job. I really espect that guy and when I see what he's doing and accoplishing I start feeling like there's still hope for the younger generation

dun

 

[TxStateCowboy]

I've read all of your posts on this thread, and I agree with just about all of it.

I'm 20 years old and have been working with cattle since i was a toddler. I've dedicated much of my life to working on the fairly large sized ranches that my father has bought through pure hard work over time. Theres nothing i enjoy more than working cattle, working on the ranch, doing this and that to make it better and more productive, and just being there feels good. I would like to buy my own ranch one day- preferably the land around our area now- expansion of this type of land use is key to the preservation of it.

As a 20 yr. old, i feel very out of place in my world- as hardly anyone in my generation wants to really become a farmer/rancher- "it's too much work"...

I plan on raising cattle untill the day I die.

 

[preston39]

tX....,

Congrats on choosing to be different....with all respect to your comtemporaries.

Your comments causes me to be a little nostalgic..for what it's worth.

From a family of eleven from the hills of KY...I couldn't go to college... so I traded uncle sam (Army..82nd Aiborne/66th special forces) 4 years of service for school. Eight years ...4 nights per week later I had a BA and MBA..plus LLB.
I hasten to add.... thats nothing.

A young man(22) we helped get started three years ago in lawn care with an old chevy PU and a used Dixie Chopper....long story short...he made $50,000. this year and will do over $65,000. in 06. Last year he bought 55 acres of woods and is hand clearing it with a chain saw..up too about 15 acres now ...seeded with 5 cows.(He had a bull we told him to sell it and bring a cow over when she comes into heat) His wife works at the local nursing home as an aid and cooks for a retiree who is partially disabled. They both clean two churches each week. His objective is to have a 200 acre ranch before he is 35. If I were a betting man my money would be on them getting that ranch.(p.s. he is an orphant from a 60's heavy drug family)(p.s#2..they don't have a TV..."don't have time for it")

Hard? You becha...depends on how much we want something and a little common sense of how to get it. The opportunities are abundant. Set your objectives and plan a way to achieve them....all the while asking your Creator for help!!!

This is America...land of the free and home of the brave!!! ..and that means we can say;

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to All!!!

 

[Bez!]

tX....,

Congrats on choosing to be different....with all respect to your comtemporaries.

Your comments causes me to be a little nostalgic..for what it's worth.

From a family of eleven from the hills of KY...I couldn't go to college... so I traded uncle sam (Army..82nd Aiborne/66th special forces) 4 years of service for school. Eight years ...4 nights per week later I had a BA and MBA..plus LLB.
I hasten to add.... thats nothing.

A young man(22) we helped get started three years ago in lawn care with an old chevy PU and a used Dixie Chopper....long story short...he made $50,000. this year and will do over $65,000. in 06. Last year he bought 55 acres of woods and is hand clearing it with a chain saw..up too about 15 acres now ...seeded with 5 cows.(He had a bull we told him to sell it and bring a cow over when she comes into heat) His wife works at the local nursing home as an aid and cooks for a retiree who is partially disabled. They both clean two churches each week. His objective is to have a 200 acre ranch before he is 35. If I were a betting man my money would be on them getting that ranch.(p.s. he is an orphant from a 60's heavy drug family)(p.s#2..they don't have a TV..."don't have time for it")

Hard? You becha...depends on how much we want something and a little common sense of how to get it. The opportunities are abundant. Set your objectives and plan a way to achieve them....all the while asking your Creator for help!!!

This is America...land of the free and home of the brave!!! ..and that means we can say;

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to All!!!

A young man(22) we helped get started three years ago in lawn care with an old chevy PU and a used Dixie Chopper....long story short...he made $50,000. this year and will do over $65,000. in 06.

Good on ya'

Regards,

Bez!

 

[Texan]

I've read all of your posts on this thread, and I agree with just about all of it.

I'm 20 years old and have been working with cattle since i was a toddler. I've dedicated much of my life to working on the fairly large sized ranches that my father has bought through pure hard work over time. Theres nothing i enjoy more than working cattle, working on the ranch, doing this and that to make it better and more productive, and just being there feels good. I would like to buy my own ranch one day- preferably the land around our area now- expansion of this type of land use is key to the preservation of it.

As a 20 yr. old, i feel very out of place in my world- as hardly anyone in my generation wants to really become a farmer/rancher- "it's too much work"...

I plan on raising cattle untill the day I die.

I like your attitude, TSC. Well-spoken, too. There are some other great young cattlemen (male and female) here that share your feelings, so you're in good company. Welcome to the Boards.

 

[TxStateCowboy]

Thanks Texan, the warm welcome is appreciated. You're right, I am in good campany. After reading many of the posts on these boards i'm feeling smarter about the industry as a whole too.

 

[stocky]

There have been alot of new housing developments going up around here in the last 10 years. About 15 miles from here they are turning a 1500 acre ranch into 1500 homes. I hate to see all this rural area grow up in houses. At the same time, I am adamantly against any government or any group of people, even neighbors, telling me or any other land owner who we can sell our land to or how many acres. It is beyond imagination, to me, that a group of neighbors think they should have the right to tell a farm owner that he cant sell his farm for 500,000 for houses, he has to take 100,000 to keep it a farm, just because they like the view or they like it better as a farm. If the neighbors like it better, let them pay whatever price the farmer could get for it and let them keep it in whatever condition they want. It infuriates me to no end for people who have no financial investment in something to try to tell other people what they can do with their property. I have bought land piece by piece, as I could afford it over the last 25 years and have no intention of ever selling an acre of it as long as I am alive, but that gives me no authority to tell someone else they cant sell to a developer if they want to.

 

[rwtherefords]

There have been alot of new housing developments going up around here in the last 10 years. About 15 miles from here they are turning a 1500 acre ranch into 1500 homes. I hate to see all this rural area grow up in houses. At the same time, I am adamantly against any government or any group of people, even neighbors, telling me or any other land owner who we can sell our land to or how many acres. It is beyond imagination, to me, that a group of neighbors think they should have the right to tell a farm owner that he cant sell his farm for 500,000 for houses, he has to take 100,000 to keep it a farm, just because they like the view or they like it better as a farm. If the neighbors like it better, let them pay whatever price the farmer could get for it and let them keep it in whatever condition they want. It infuriates me to no end for people who have no financial investment in something to try to tell other people what they can do with their property. I have bought land piece by piece, as I could afford it over the last 25 years and have no intention of ever selling an acre of it as long as I am alive, but that gives me no authority to tell someone else they cant sell to a developer if they want to.

I couldn't agree more. If I own it, I can do with it as I please!

 

[Scotty]

There have been alot of new housing developments going up around here in the last 10 years. About 15 miles from here they are turning a 1500 acre ranch into 1500 homes. I hate to see all this rural area grow up in houses. At the same time, I am adamantly against any government or any group of people, even neighbors, telling me or any other land owner who we can sell our land to or how many acres. It is beyond imagination, to me, that a group of neighbors think they should have the right to tell a farm owner that he cant sell his farm for 500,000 for houses, he has to take 100,000 to keep it a farm, just because they like the view or they like it better as a farm. If the neighbors like it better, let them pay whatever price the farmer could get for it and let them keep it in whatever condition they want. It infuriates me to no end for people who have no financial investment in something to try to tell other people what they can do with their property. I have bought land piece by piece, as I could afford it over the last 25 years and have no intention of ever selling an acre of it as long as I am alive, but that gives me no authority to tell someone else they cant sell to a developer if they want to.

I feel the same way. Thats the reason I fear we are in trouble. There are more people that don't believe as we do. Laws being passed to make it legal for land to be taken weather it is good for the whole or not. It is hard to get me on the wagon with land for the greater good such as roads but now land being taken from a private citezens to another private corp for industial and commercial bisinesses.


Scotty