how many full time farmers

[larryshoat]

Wish I was in my 20's and had all the answers again. gs

Ain't it the truth, every once in a while I hear or read something some green young feller said and get a little embarassed because it reminds me of how blind I was at that age.

Larry

 

[larryshoat]

I'm a full time farmer, I've never had a job other than farming. When my daughter got to be about 13 my wife went to work, I think she feels better about her self by working, and I sure as heck like the extra money and the insurance.

Greg, people are always gonna say this or that, wouldn't make any what you were doing. If you're a plumber/cattleman, it ain't anybody's business anyway, I ain't a plumber, but that don't stop me from trying to fix a pipe( it wouldn't take much for you to be a better cattleman than I am a plumber).

Larry

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Now Larry and old plumber told me one time that all you needed to no about plumbing was that sh!! wouldn't run up hill.But that ain't the true.

 

[Bama]

Call me a rancher, farmer, or hobby farmer I don't really care. I'm not really in the cattle business. I'm in the money business. I use cattle to make money. I have a full time job off the farm as well. I know how much my cattle cost on a day to day basis. I do my books every night. I look to see how much money my cattle are making me. If I can beat their income return somewhere else I will swap them for the more profitable business before a cat can lick its ass. I don't really care if I have 1 cow or 1000 cows on my place. I constantly change my operation to take advantage of all the seasonal profit swings. Sometimes I have my hay cut sometimes I buy hay off of other peoples fields. It has never penciled out to own my own hay equipment. It changes all the time. A person has to keep track of ever expense and income. Sometimes I sell calves at 500 pounds sometimes at 800. You have to do your homework to determine if the cost of gain will be less than the return. Sometimes you have to move some animals to make room for some that are more profitable. Farmer, rancher, hobbiest it don't really matter. If your in the business to raise cattle at any cost, so be it. I look at as a business. If I can take the money I have invested in cattle and put it on a cd and make more than I can raising cattle, thats what I'll do.

 

[jedstivers]

You was a staying up on high ground down there when you was running after them wemmin wouldn't you Jed??

I just stayed on the lighter ground, but just ran a big circle. Here to Dallas to little rock to even up in your part of the world. My buddy an me really liked those hillbilly girls, he liked one up there so much she cought him an still has him.

 

[upfrombottom]

I asked an old man once, after all of our local factory jobs went south of the border, "How can Mexicans work so cheap?". The answer I got was:" Anybody can work that cheap if they want to live like a Mexican."
Well I don't, so I do what ever I can to live the way I want to, which means from your definitions, I'm a hobbyist at everything I do.

 

[larryshoat]

Now Larry and old plumber told me one time that all you needed to no about plumbing was that sh!! wouldn't run up hill.But that ain't the true.

Oh, it probably is true, the problem is stopping it from dripping out along the way . :lol2:

Larry

 

[Angus Cowman]

I have been reading this and I am confused Am I a hobby or not
I have a bulldozer that I use on the farm andf that I also use for other farmers, I have all the equipment to build fence and pipe corrals for myself and i use that for others also, I have tractors,brushogs and hay equipment that I use for myself and then I also use that for others and I run cows for myself and for others on contract so am I a Hobby farmers or not
My wife doesn't have a job she does all the work around here while I drive around and make sure she got everything done :cowboy: but I am nice and let her have a hired hand so he can do all the heavy stuff so she doesn't hurt her back again can't afford another back surgery on her she has already had 1

so someone please ttell me am I a Hobby Farmer or Fulltime

 

[larryshoat]

I have been reading this and I am confused Am I a hobby or not
I have a bulldozer that I use on the farm andf that I also use for other farmers, I have all the equipment to build fence and pipe corrals for myself and i use that for others also, I have tractors,brushogs and hay equipment that I use for myself and then I also use that for others and I run cows for myself and for others on contract so am I a Hobby farmers or not
My wife doesn't have a job she does all the work around here while I drive around and make sure she got everything done :cowboy: but I am nice and let her have a hired hand so he can do all the heavy stuff so she doesn't hurt her back again can't afford another back surgery on her she has already had 1

so someone please ttell me am I a Hobby Farmer or Fulltime

Well A/C, I've carefully analyed your description and if your like me all that stuff that you do more likely than not cost more than you make, so I would rule...........definately a fulltime farmer. I'm sorry to inform you of that, I know it's painfull . :cry2:

Larry

 

[Angus Cowman]

Thanks, Larry
I was really wanting to be a hobby farmer becasue they have Way more money than fulltime farmers

My wife is sure gonna be disappointed because If you have a hobby it is something FUN now that she is fulltime that means it is a Job and I know she won't be as happy doing it

 

[skyline]

Funny how this topic comes up fairly often on here. I've got cows because I enjoy them. I still get a good feeling when I find a newborn calf. I still take pride in looking out in the pasture and seeing my cows in good condition and healthy. I still enjoy feeding during the winter (on most days). I still feel good when I look out across the pasture and see plenty of green grass. I enjoy visiting with gents that are 20 to 30 years older than me and listening to their cattle stories. I enjoy riding a horse through the herd and thinking back to my childhood. And I enjoy hanging out at the salebarn and seeing the fruits of our labor.

When that enjoyment goes away, I'll sell the cows and quit. Until then, I could care less what label anyone tags to me.

 

[Calman]

Funny how this topic comes up fairly often on here. I've got cows because I enjoy them. I still get a good feeling when I find a newborn calf. I still take pride in looking out in the pasture and seeing my cows in good condition and healthy. I still enjoy feeding during the winter (on most days). I still feel good when I look out across the pasture and see plenty of green grass. I enjoy visiting with gents that are 20 to 30 years older than me and listening to their cattle stories. I enjoy riding a horse through the herd and thinking back to my childhood. And I enjoy hanging out at the salebarn and seeing the fruits of our labor.

When that enjoyment goes away, I'll sell the cows and quit. Until then, I could care less what label anyone tags to me.

Like you Skyline,I don't see why it should make any difference what you are labeled.It all boils down to putting beef on the table. I read somewhere that 96% of the beef comes from people who raise 50 head or less. So I rekon if you raise more than than that and depend totally on your cows for a living you are among the very few.
I don't know why this keeps coming up.
Do some cattle raisers feel guilty because the raise only 50 when their neighbors raise 100?
I guess I'll never understand.I do know it used to cause some hateful arguments on CT and caused some threads to be locked.
I'll venture to guess that over 96% of the members are among the,people labeled hobby ranchers and I can't see where it makes them bad people.

To some it ass up,"Personally I don't give a rats a$$"!!!

Cal

 

[mwj]

The ones that like to claim that it is easy, usually come from an area of cheaper grass and land.
In my part of the world land goes from $2500-$8500 for ag use and $250 per acre per year is common for cash rent.
It takes a sharp pencil to live off of cattle with that kind of land costs.

 

[1982vett]

The ones that like to claim that it is easy, usually come from an area of cheaper grass and land.
In my part of the world land goes from $2500-$8500 for ag use and $250 per acre per year is common for cash rent.
It takes a sharp pencil to live off of cattle with that kind of land costs.

First off, beef cattle aren't the best economic use of that land. If you use that land for beef you deserve to go broke. ;-)

 

[Angus Cowman]

The ones that like to claim that it is easy, usually come from an area of cheaper grass and land.
In my part of the world land goes from $2500-$8500 for ag use and $250 per acre per year is common for cash rent.
It takes a sharp pencil to live off of cattle with that kind of land costs.

First off, beef cattle aren't the best economic use of that land. If you use that land for beef you deserve to go broke. ;-)

that would be like me trying to grow crops on these rocky missouri hilltops

 

[backhoeboogie]

You can call me a hobby farmer and the truth doesn't hurt none.

When I retire, I'll have more time and more money from the venture.

 

[AngusLimoX]

Yes I was, wasn't the first to say it, but I'll say it again. The faster people like you get out, the happier I will be. But then again, if your a pensioner, I don't have to worry, I've got time on my side. :cowboy:

Bad news, FCC and me just hooked up for another 10 years - expanding. Been retired 7 years, but not yet 53. Big money pensions are nice.
Run/walk 30 miles a week, stll bench over 240, renewing my pilots licence medical this spring. I expect a lot of younger folks to croak before me, especially smokers. ( If they do find a shadow on your lungs or something , let me know - I do like what I 've seen of your cattle) .

Here's a clue for you, since you seem to be all out - our Province doesn't have enough cow calf producers. Regardless of whether they are on a pension or have off farm income.

I usually hold your posts in high regard, but blaming other cattlemen for our ( Ontario ) situation is entirely wrong, unless you are talking about our universal resistance to stand up and speak for ourselves as one. Maybe the backroad whiners been bending your ear too much.

 

[alacattleman]

fulltime farmer im my own boss.i have a pretty bad disslike for being around people.an i would not put up with a boss at all.yes i know im crazy.

antisocial and a seedstock producer,, hows that working out for you
:cowboy:

 

[plumber_greg]

If a thread like this has been hashed and rehashed, cussed and discussed, lets end it. I mostly wondered if having to have off farm income in order to raise cattle the way I wanted to was a regional thing or a US thing. Fornd out that if you are raising a family and want the finer things in life, it is a world thing. I knew the days of homesteaders raising a family and paying for a quarter section were dead, but isn't it sad that, with some exceptions, it doesn't seem possible for anyone no matter how much land or help you are given? We're all lucky to have some acreage and a few cattle. If an econmic disaster happens, at least we'll eat. Thanks for your replys. gs

 

[bigbull338]

fulltime farmer im my own boss.i have a pretty bad disslike for being around people.an i would not put up with a boss at all.yes i know im crazy.

antisocial and a seedstock producer,, hows that working out for you
:cowboy:

its working out real good.because when i go somewhere its where cattlemen hang out.an i let my cattle speak for themselves.i can get along with cattlemen just fine.