how many full time farmers

[Ryder]

In the past this hobby/non-hobby thing has been cussed and decussed to death. Not going to find a definition that works in all cases. A hobby is something one likes to do in their leisure time.
There are a lot of people involved in farming/ranching that derive most of their income from another job, but they sure don't have any leisure time after attending to agricultural pursuits. :help: So that knocks out that hobby business.

On the other hand, there may be those that make a living with cattle that have no other source of income. But have leisure time for fun or "hobby" things. Like playing on the computer. :lol2:

 

[aussie_cowgirl]

5,000 hetacres, 22,000+ acres, full time jobs, wow I thought I worked a lot. I really admire those hobby farmers. How do they find the time? I'm always behind and have nothing like that. gs

See a lot of the places here are really isolated. Like, where I was doing harvest they had a school and a hall that was also the pub and that's it. Most of the wives worked in the school as school nurse, teachers, bus drivers, office staff. In towns like those the town is what the inhabitants make it, the hall was funded 1/3 by the locals which ended up being like AUD$100,000. And no one wants to go out there and work see so they do it all themselves. Mind you these are whole families running farms, one farm I know has maybe 7,000ha and there's uncles, fathers, sons, cousins etc running that. And they do hire staff. I wouldn't be surprised if the wives do a lot of the finances. Seems to be the trend.

 

[cowboy43]

I am a full time rancher , my wife's and my hobby are working off the ranch to support our family and ranch because the income off of my full time occupation ( ranching) is not enough to support them. You do not have to get 100% of your income off the ranch to be a rancher. It is what is your heart that makes you a full time rancher.

 

[AngusLimoX]

I'd be willing to bet that if the IRS ruled that income derived from hobbies was not taxable 99.7% of everyone on the board would be a hobbyist. Some just may have larger hobbies than others.

Along the same lines, the only folks whose opinion matters when determining if my operation is full time or not is the gubmint. Even they get confused ( imagine that ) and have to have audits and hearings.

Up here farm income should exceed off farm ( generally ) in order to claim full time farm expenses.
Hobby farmers are limited to something like $7000 in expenses. Canucks correct any of this if I am wrong, haven't had to speak to those folks in a while.

 

[gizmom]

After reading all the post on full time or hobby all I am is tired! How bout I just claim to have cows and let the IRS decided if it is a hobby or not. I need to go and roll some hay out to take care of the 83 momma cows that don't much care what I call myself just so long as I don't forget to feed them check their water tanks and mineral feeders and roll out the hay. One thing I do know is that if we didn't love what we are doing none of us would be on this board.

Gizmom
http://www.gizmoangus.com

 

[Aaron]

Angus, your mistaken about the $7000 limit on farm expenses. There is no limit.

Dad and I are full-time farmers/ranchers. Mom took a job in '90 to supplement the expansion of our home (something I will always view as a mistake) and kept the job afterwards. I view it as being more along the lines of an operating loan from the bank. It provides income to pay for short-term bills until cattle are sold in the spring or fall to refund that money. Until '90, dairy and beef farming was 100% all we did. Dairy was sold in '93.

I suppose my biggest concern is with people who supplement their ranch with off-farm income to subsidize it beyond the point of practical. One of the first things I ask a rancher is his cost of production. Most with off-farm jobs can't tell you. That irks me in a real nasty way. Or, they come out with claims that if they didn't have their job, they couldn't survive. I blame their expectations in life based on keeping up with the Jones. Any of the CDN's on here who get Cattlemen's magazine will notice an example of this in the last issue. A claim of how this couple expanded their herd going to pasture calving. A big deal for a full-time producer and worthwhile read. But in the article itself, it explains that both the husband and the wife have good paying off-farm jobs, all the while detailing the great investments in machinery and buildings and such that have come about as part of their cowherd expansion. BS.

Now I am much in favour of a very humble lifestyle. One that we had before '90. Vehicles weren't brand new, our home was quaint and life was simple. The parents and siblings have a much different view. While I do see the comforts of running water, indoor toilets, electricity and phones, I don't have the same viewpoint for such things as new vehicles, large homes, lavish decorating or satellite television or farming practices that require large amounts of inputs or machinery.

The cows pay for all their bills, (fuel, fertilizer, mineral, drugs, parts, etc.) and our electricity, phone, insurances, taxes, gas and food, with some money still left over...which makes me quite satisfied. It is all of the extra conveniences that, when added, produce the need for an off-farm job. Swallow your pride, invest in good management and good cattle and they will pull you through. As long as I can make money on one cow, I will keep plugging away and expanding the herd. :cowboy:

 

[TexasBred]

I don't even consider myself a part time farmer...I raise cattle..buy most everythign they eat except the grass. Own very little equipment and don't intend to buy more anytime soon. Takes a couple of hours a day unless there is something bigger to fix. When I dairied it was the same way except we had about 700 head to deal with. I just love cattle and love being around them. Still work "part time" just to have something to do but do it when I want to. Wife has never worked except on a part time basis running a rurul mail route. Have never punched a clock in my life.

 

[alabama]

By your definition I am a hobby farmer but the truth is somewhat different. I have a job in town that is my hobby. It gives me a chance to rest up and earn a little money, retirement, and health insurance so that I can keep working as a farmer.
I would also like to note that most of the full time farmers I know have someone in the family, often the wife, with an outside job if for no other reason than health insurance. Other farmers I know are in the national guard or retired from the national guard just for health insurance.

 

[AngusLimoX]

Angus, your mistaken about the $7000 limit on farm expenses. There is no limit.
For a part timer?

Dairy was sold in '93. Any regrets?? :lol: Now I am much in favour of a very humble lifestyle.
People with no money often say this.

The cows pay for all their bills, (fuel, fertilizer, mineral, drugs, parts, etc.) and our electricity, phone, insurances, taxes, gas and food, with some money still left over...which makes me quite satisfied.
No kids to put through college?

It is all of the extra conveniences that, when added, produce the need for an off-farm job. Swallow your pride, invest in good management and good cattle and they will pull you through. As long as I can make money on one cow, I will keep plugging away and expanding the herd. :cowboy:

You the same falla on Ranchers saying all us pensioners should get out to maker it easier for you?

 

[plumber_greg]

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

 

[kerley]

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.

Bigbull,
I don't think you are crazy, you are just not married.
Tom.

 

[bigbull338]

yeah im an old bachlor tom.if i was married the wife would throw a fitt when i spend money.just spent $460 on 10 protine tubbs for the cows.so i guess i work for the cows.

 

[Aaron]

Angus, your mistaken about the $7000 limit on farm expenses. There is no limit.
For a part timer?

Dairy was sold in '93. Any regrets?? :lol: Now I am much in favour of a very humble lifestyle.
People with no money often say this.

The cows pay for all their bills, (fuel, fertilizer, mineral, drugs, parts, etc.) and our electricity, phone, insurances, taxes, gas and food, with some money still left over...which makes me quite satisfied.
No kids to put through college?

It is all of the extra conveniences that, when added, produce the need for an off-farm job. Swallow your pride, invest in good management and good cattle and they will pull you through. As long as I can make money on one cow, I will keep plugging away and expanding the herd. :cowboy:

You the same falla on Ranchers saying all us pensioners should get out to maker it easier for you?

Not sure what you refer to as part-time? I haven't heard that reference in talking to my accountant about either federal or provincial taxes. If so, it can only be a good thing.

No regrets. Lots of work, lots of overhead. I don't even have 1/8 of the workload with beef that we had with dairy.

I never said that I did not have money. Maybe it's an indication of how you view beef ranching? Poor man's job? Can't make a living at it yourself? I know quite a few people like that.

No kids. No woman. Cows come before anyone/anything else. Very few women interested in living on a farm wage in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do but look at cows. Oh, and a smoker at that. And if I did have kids, I would make them pay college themselves like I did, rather than getting a handout from their parents. I started working at 12, saved up $20,000 before my first day of university, watched my spending, and worked to pay for the rest of it. I wasn't the idiot phoning his parents on Friday night looking for $200 bucks to have a 'good night out' (Seen lots of them).

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:

 

[Aaron]

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.

It's nice to know there are a few people in the world that think like me. :cowboy:

 

[jedstivers]

I'm fulltime, I raise cotton, soybeans, and corn. The cattle are my hobby. I have a herd of about 35 that are mine and a little over 500 that are custom grazed. With that many an hopefuly more next year they also have to make a profit, if they don't I can't afford a hobby that expensive but I have them because I like them. As far as my cow herd I haven't decided if I want to expand them (I might) or stay the same. All income for everything comes off the farm and off my back.

 

[kenny thomas]

I knew that with just over 500 head through the winter you were just a hobby farmer. :lol: What do you do with all your free time?

 

[kenny thomas]

I would be a hobby farmer. Only keep around 150 head year round. Buy, sell, trade, haul, or anything else to make a dollar. Hopefully will retire in 4 more years but will have a retirement check so I will still hobby farm.
Only know of one family here that has no outside income and they have a dairy milking 500 cows and raise 152 acres of tobacco.

 

[jedstivers]

I knew that with just over 500 head through the winter you were just a hobby farmer. :lol: What do you do with all your free time?

Well before I was married 8 years ago I used a lot of it on whiskey an wemmin. :banana: The rest I just wasted, now I just spend it with my kids.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

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