Campground Cattle
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TUCO":1eqkksqe said:
Well you are right on good grass I can run a cow to the acre, bad years I need 2 thats why I stay around 25 head.
Hobby Farmers
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Well you are right on good grass I can run a cow to the acre, bad years I need 2 thats why I stay around 25 head.
El_Putzo
Well-known member
I'm definatley a hobby farmer. I own 5 acres and 4 heifers right now (Hey, everybody's got to start somewhere, right?). My wife and I both have day jobs and I am trying to get started in the Hereford seedstock business. I actually keep my heifers on my dad's place down the road, as I am still in the process of fencing my land. I will probably keep them there the majority of the time and bring my potential saleable cattle to put in the pen at my future residence. Anywho, my 2 brothers and I are going to be buying my dad's place in the coming years, but even then, I will still be a hobby farmer as there is no way I could make the kind of money off that farm to support the lifestyle that my wife and I lead. So, yes, I do it for a tax write off, I do it to make a little extra money, and I do it for enjoyment. But I think the most enjoyment will come when I am able to raise quality cattle to sell to others to build up their herds. That may be quite a while (10-20yrs), but I would have to say that is my main goal.
sidney411
Well-known member
I guess from most people's perspective we have a hobby farm too. We both work full time jobs, and any side work we can scrape up. The cows pretty much take care of them selves during the week. The cows pay all of the farm bills, pasture rent, taxes and also we get ag exemptions on the land we run the cattle on. We pay for any big ticket items we purchase (i.e. tractor), the income from the cows pretty much takes care or everything else. I would love nothing more then to be able to quit my full time job to farm and ranch full time, but I see no way to do that with out taking out a major loan to purchase a lot more land, and cattle.
Jake
Well-known member
there's a fine line of the hobby farmer because there are very few farmers/ ranchers out there anymore that at least one of the spouses will work off the farm to generate extra cash and be able to get insurance and what not..... so just saying having an outside job is too broad.
You can't exactly put a head total on the number of head that would make you a hobby farmer because everybody's opinion of that number would be better. I personally would say less than 15-18 head of cattle would be a hobby farmer. Now it's not that these people have bad cattle because of being a hobby farmer.... It's not that they know less about the way of life or anything against them. It's just usually the case that a beginner will be a hobby farmer for a while during the time they need to be asking questions and learning the ropes. The grace period for most folks between hobby farming and really being a farmer/ rancher is when the lazy will be weeded out and quit. It's when the ones that can't make it work in any predicament will be weeded out. Now there are a lot of good time old ranchers that can't make it after a time because something has happened and that doesn't pertain to the hobby situation on my opinion
Sorry so long winded- practicing to write a paper.....
You can't exactly put a head total on the number of head that would make you a hobby farmer because everybody's opinion of that number would be better. I personally would say less than 15-18 head of cattle would be a hobby farmer. Now it's not that these people have bad cattle because of being a hobby farmer.... It's not that they know less about the way of life or anything against them. It's just usually the case that a beginner will be a hobby farmer for a while during the time they need to be asking questions and learning the ropes. The grace period for most folks between hobby farming and really being a farmer/ rancher is when the lazy will be weeded out and quit. It's when the ones that can't make it work in any predicament will be weeded out. Now there are a lot of good time old ranchers that can't make it after a time because something has happened and that doesn't pertain to the hobby situation on my opinion
Sorry so long winded- practicing to write a paper.....
~~
Good definition~!
Having livestock costs money, regardless of how many you have and how much acerage you own/lease/borrow. It's common for most farmers, in this area, to work at least a part time "off the farm" job to make ends meet. Driving school bus or delivering the early morning papers are some of the ones my old farmer friends do to pay their medical insurance etc. The younger farmers try to keep diversifying their operations--such as starting a firewood business, tapping sugar trees for maple sap, raising chickens for an egg route--anything to help cover the growing expenses of their farms--regardless of size.
I have also seen lots of well landscaped farms that were bought with family wealth and they didn't have any urgency to make a profit or have to work any other jobs to survive. So defining a hobby farmer as someone who farms WITH money instead of FOR money seems very accurate.
However, labeling someone a "hobby " farmer just because they have a few cows, is similar to calling someone a hobby parent, just because they have only 1 or 2 kids.
Having livestock is a lifestyle choice for most of us, and we pay dearly for it in many ways, and without complaint.
Glad to see the board returning to normal conversations.
shorty":u7oar5bt said:
Good definition~!
Having livestock costs money, regardless of how many you have and how much acerage you own/lease/borrow. It's common for most farmers, in this area, to work at least a part time "off the farm" job to make ends meet. Driving school bus or delivering the early morning papers are some of the ones my old farmer friends do to pay their medical insurance etc. The younger farmers try to keep diversifying their operations--such as starting a firewood business, tapping sugar trees for maple sap, raising chickens for an egg route--anything to help cover the growing expenses of their farms--regardless of size.
I have also seen lots of well landscaped farms that were bought with family wealth and they didn't have any urgency to make a profit or have to work any other jobs to survive. So defining a hobby farmer as someone who farms WITH money instead of FOR money seems very accurate.
However, labeling someone a "hobby " farmer just because they have a few cows, is similar to calling someone a hobby parent, just because they have only 1 or 2 kids.
Having livestock is a lifestyle choice for most of us, and we pay dearly for it in many ways, and without complaint.
Glad to see the board returning to normal conversations.
V_Key
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Hobby
1: an auxiliary activity [syn: avocation, by-line, sideline, spare-time activity]
2: a plaything consisting of an imitation of it and pretends
3: An activity or interest pursued outside one's regular occupation and engaged in primarily for pleasure.
I think it is a State of Mind - some of the best -> forward thinking Farmers/Ranchers/Cowboys I know fit the above.
It's the diferance between
Somethng is wrong with that cow - Call the Vet, I've got to get to work!
and
Call work and Tell Them I Won't Be In! (That cow comes FIRST)
Good Question and one that's Hard to Answer but I think Farmers/Ranchers/Cowboys (We) can all Spot the HOBBIEST. :roll:
1: an auxiliary activity [syn: avocation, by-line, sideline, spare-time activity]
2: a plaything consisting of an imitation of it and pretends
3: An activity or interest pursued outside one's regular occupation and engaged in primarily for pleasure.
I think it is a State of Mind - some of the best -> forward thinking Farmers/Ranchers/Cowboys I know fit the above.
It's the diferance between
Somethng is wrong with that cow - Call the Vet, I've got to get to work!
and
Call work and Tell Them I Won't Be In! (That cow comes FIRST)
Good Question and one that's Hard to Answer but I think Farmers/Ranchers/Cowboys (We) can all Spot the HOBBIEST. :roll:
El_Putzo
Well-known member
sidney411":3c1yihfu said:
Amen to that! I'd love to quit my job to farm. But with the price of land and cattle around here these days, I'd be paying on that loan until the day I die!! That is unless cattle prices would stay the same or get better for the whole term of my life.
Craig-TX
Well-known member
Besides ranching I've got a town job. I enjoy (usually) the livestock. But on the other hand, there is no way we would be running cattle if it didn't pay. Too much work and not fun enough to justify it from a pure hobby standpoint. Not sure what that makes me.
Craig-TX
Craig-TX
D.R. Cattle
Well-known member
I run 38 pairs on a few different leases and a home pasture. Work in the citrus industry at a packing and marketing outfit. Guess you could call that "hobby". I don't make a living at it. I just enjoy the heck out of it. What others would call it is of very little concern to me. I know some guys running 200-300 pairs and have another job too. I call that doing what you have to do. For me just call it doing what you hate so you can do what you like?
Swiss Cowboy
Well-known member
Everybody here has made very accurate, in my humble opinion, statements what constitutes a "Hobby Farmer/Rancher". I am the ultimate "Hobby Farmer" because I keep a couple of sheep, a couple of cows for my freezer and some chickens. I do this purely because I like the farming lifestyle or shall I say the country lifestyle. I have most parts of my life lived in and around farms and animals and I want to carry on this habit.
On the other hand my "Hobby Farm" does give me a Tax break and I see nothing wrong with that. The government regularly finds ever more ways to take the money away from us and therefore it is nothing put proper to take every advantage we have to stop the government from taking more. On the other hand, and I see this right now in our neighbourhood. More and more Hobby Farms give up, the land is than quickly rezoned for residential use. In one year they build in our neighbourhood housing for 60'000 people. They call that compact housing, which means the houses are so close together that there is no room for a tree or even a shrub to grow. Naturally the property taxes went up not once but twice. I see Hobby Farms as a vital ingredient to keep the countryside and rural areas free from development. The developers and politicians have not touched our block yet, because there are still to many Hobby Farmers around. This in turn has caused some politicians to become upset with us and now they want to make a new rezoning by law that would cut future Hobby Farm parcels to one acre instead of six.
As it has been said before, Hobby Farmers also contribute to the farming economy by buying animal fed and hay in the local fed store and hay by the local farmers.
I support my Hobby Farm with the money I make with jobs on the side, that way I do not have to take money from my regular job income. To me a Hobby is when you have to pay for it rather than be paid for it.
What I particularly like here is that we all can come together "Profis" and Hobbyist" to share our experiences and benefit from our combinded knowledge.
Take care all of you
Swiss Cowboy :cboy:
On the other hand my "Hobby Farm" does give me a Tax break and I see nothing wrong with that. The government regularly finds ever more ways to take the money away from us and therefore it is nothing put proper to take every advantage we have to stop the government from taking more. On the other hand, and I see this right now in our neighbourhood. More and more Hobby Farms give up, the land is than quickly rezoned for residential use. In one year they build in our neighbourhood housing for 60'000 people. They call that compact housing, which means the houses are so close together that there is no room for a tree or even a shrub to grow. Naturally the property taxes went up not once but twice. I see Hobby Farms as a vital ingredient to keep the countryside and rural areas free from development. The developers and politicians have not touched our block yet, because there are still to many Hobby Farmers around. This in turn has caused some politicians to become upset with us and now they want to make a new rezoning by law that would cut future Hobby Farm parcels to one acre instead of six.
As it has been said before, Hobby Farmers also contribute to the farming economy by buying animal fed and hay in the local fed store and hay by the local farmers.
I support my Hobby Farm with the money I make with jobs on the side, that way I do not have to take money from my regular job income. To me a Hobby is when you have to pay for it rather than be paid for it.
What I particularly like here is that we all can come together "Profis" and Hobbyist" to share our experiences and benefit from our combinded knowledge.
Take care all of you
Swiss Cowboy :cboy:
Medic24
Well-known member
I think shorty has said it best........
I read here that farmers don't fool with cattle? I guess it must be a geographic term, we don't have what we would call 'ranches' or ranchers here, all we have are farmers, with and without livestock.
I farm full time, I raise cattle, Llamas, and a few goats. For some added income from a alternative source I also raise trout, and ginseng, as well as Christmas trees.
I sell livestock veternary supplies to a few select customers at little profit, and work for both the US and State Forest Service when I am called. (rarely) , the Wildlife/game comission when called as well.
None of which in part or as a whole pay very much by year's end.
Thus, I depend upon my dear hard working wife to bring home the real money to support our family. As she is also our biggest spender!If it where just me and our daughter I was supporting, we could do so just fine with my income, but I have a wife who knows not the meaning of a budget, or the term, 'lets save for it', or 'We would like to have it, but we cant really afford it, nor do we really need it', I would love to hear those words come out of her mouth at least once....... This is a lady who would not be caught dead in the Walmarts (my fav store!) or the Kmarts of the world. If it didn't cost too much she would not buy it...........But hey, aint love grand? :cboy:
But by no means would I ever dream of calling this a hobby, I leave the house everyday intent upon trying to make the most money in every project I complete. (although as most folks know, thats rarely possible).
I don't worry about what the IRS thinks it is, they can check us anytime until they become blue in the face. Our records are not only clean, and honest, but impeccable in detail, (thanks to No1!) We were in fact audited several years ago, and walked out with a larger refund then originally sought.
I would never ,ever work so hard at a hobby. ;-)
I read here that farmers don't fool with cattle? I guess it must be a geographic term, we don't have what we would call 'ranches' or ranchers here, all we have are farmers, with and without livestock.
I farm full time, I raise cattle, Llamas, and a few goats. For some added income from a alternative source I also raise trout, and ginseng, as well as Christmas trees.
I sell livestock veternary supplies to a few select customers at little profit, and work for both the US and State Forest Service when I am called. (rarely) , the Wildlife/game comission when called as well.
None of which in part or as a whole pay very much by year's end.
Thus, I depend upon my dear hard working wife to bring home the real money to support our family. As she is also our biggest spender!If it where just me and our daughter I was supporting, we could do so just fine with my income, but I have a wife who knows not the meaning of a budget, or the term, 'lets save for it', or 'We would like to have it, but we cant really afford it, nor do we really need it', I would love to hear those words come out of her mouth at least once....... This is a lady who would not be caught dead in the Walmarts (my fav store!) or the Kmarts of the world. If it didn't cost too much she would not buy it...........But hey, aint love grand? :cboy:
But by no means would I ever dream of calling this a hobby, I leave the house everyday intent upon trying to make the most money in every project I complete. (although as most folks know, thats rarely possible).
I don't worry about what the IRS thinks it is, they can check us anytime until they become blue in the face. Our records are not only clean, and honest, but impeccable in detail, (thanks to No1!) We were in fact audited several years ago, and walked out with a larger refund then originally sought.
I would never ,ever work so hard at a hobby. ;-)
Arnold Ziffle
Well-known member
"hobby" is a pretty unsavory term to use when discussing our bovine based enterprises this close to April 15 :lol:
I agree with you about being a farmer Medic -- in order to have any chance at success with our ranching operations, be they small, large or in between, I'd say we all need to be pretty good at farming grass, as well as selecting some good "grass harvesting equipment"
I agree with you about being a farmer Medic -- in order to have any chance at success with our ranching operations, be they small, large or in between, I'd say we all need to be pretty good at farming grass, as well as selecting some good "grass harvesting equipment"
jerry27150
Well-known member
actually farmers tax returns have to be in by march 1st
jerry27150":2a6lv3sf said:
Actually it says
"March 1, 2005 Farmers and fishermen. If you did not make estimated tax payments for 2004, you can avoid penalties by filing your tax return and paying any tax due. "
Medic24
Well-known member
Oh Wewild.... why did you have to rain on my parade, pee in my cherios, kick me out of my fantasy "living happily ever after" life?
I have never seen that written about March 1st before............dang.
Need i worry now? Naaw.........they owe us......... we dont owe them at this point in the game I am sure they won't be in any hurry to see our return any sooner then April 15th!
Wonder though where they are going to get that $2.6 billion dollars they owe us on our refund? We got a new and very 'creative' tax account this year to help us with our taxes! :cboy:
I have never seen that written about March 1st before............dang.
Need i worry now? Naaw.........they owe us......... we dont owe them at this point in the game I am sure they won't be in any hurry to see our return any sooner then April 15th!
Wonder though where they are going to get that $2.6 billion dollars they owe us on our refund? We got a new and very 'creative' tax account this year to help us with our taxes! :cboy:
steveaust
Well-known member
I am a hobby farmer in victoria australia.I have 20 steers on 17 acres of dry sheep country.I would love to own more land and be a fair dinkum farmer but they have driven property values over the moon since we bought here 5 years ago.Their are no tax lurks in australia for hobby farmers, to be classified as a primary producer you must turn over more than 20 grand a year while not earning more than 40 grand doing something else.Small landholders in aust are known as "Blockies", this is not a term of endearment.I am welcomed around here because 30 years working in stinking factories as a fitter means i can just about fix anything that moves.My grandfather used to say that once you had lived in a place for more than 40 years your a local ,i will be 85 years old.(the steers live on supplementary feed i get for free from one of those stinking factories)
Medic24
Well-known member
Well Steve, my in-laws have a station over in W.A. , it's really a bit dry there. they have a little over 10,000 acres, and are not getting any younger......And as far as I know, no one in the family is anxiuos to keep it going....would you be interested if they were to sell all or part? That is , if it's good value.
Truth is, I don't think cattle would do as well as sheep and goats there.
A few years ago they added a bunch of meat goats and they seem to holding their own there.
And I might add for all my fellow Yanks on the board... when Steve mentioned fair dinkum....it means real, genuine, the real thing, authentic, or the like. Eh mate???
lol
What I miss is sitting down after a long day, and tossing a few stubbies of Cascade in the gloaming, while watching the sheilas play about. :cboy:
Truth is, I don't think cattle would do as well as sheep and goats there.
A few years ago they added a bunch of meat goats and they seem to holding their own there.
And I might add for all my fellow Yanks on the board... when Steve mentioned fair dinkum....it means real, genuine, the real thing, authentic, or the like. Eh mate???
lol
What I miss is sitting down after a long day, and tossing a few stubbies of Cascade in the gloaming, while watching the sheilas play about. :cboy:
steveaust
Well-known member
......And as far as I know, no one in the family is anxiuos to keep it going....would you be interested if they were to sell all or part? That is , if it's good value.
One day i hope to retire to the back blocks on large acres but my young kids live 20 miles from me at the moment.I plan on somehow making a quid by repairing machinery around here for a while yet.I think it would also be possible to rear 100 calves at a time on small acres ,so long as you can sell them of at weaning.Maybe i would not be a hobby farmer then.
One day i hope to retire to the back blocks on large acres but my young kids live 20 miles from me at the moment.I plan on somehow making a quid by repairing machinery around here for a while yet.I think it would also be possible to rear 100 calves at a time on small acres ,so long as you can sell them of at weaning.Maybe i would not be a hobby farmer then.
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