It actually makes sense!

[flaboy?]

Angus/Brangus and Bachlor have some pretty valid points. I can also see where some of the full timers are coming from. They want the hobbyist out of business so they can get more for their product. Supply and demand. The problem is I think the hobbyist is supplying the largest amount of the product so how can the "professional" make up the difference? They aren't making any new land are they?

IMHO, most "professional" operations are generations old and handed down so their property is not an expense to most so they can make it full time. Sadly, I am a 4th generation farmer trying to make it on my own without any hand me downs.


Edited for spelling.

 

[Driven]

If every person who had a cow was making money hand over fist, everyone would have a cow. Just like the 49ers headed to a gold strike.

Some years it pays. Some years it doesn't. Seems everyone has to blame someone else.

 

[IluvABbeef]

This did end up being more of a rant than anything else...and this post wasn't meant to offend anyone, if it has already done so. Which probably explains why some of you missed point to my post.

And yet, I asked for opinions, and I got them.

I agree with the problem of generalization. A few folks that create these sort of problems end up making the whole number of folks who are hobbyfarmers....bad people. And of course, from the prof's words, that's what it seemed. Personally, I realize that this is not the case (and I have no problem with you people who are called hobby farmers...heck, I might end up being one myself one day), but again, I'm going to say this for the last time: the post of mine that started this whole thing was (pretty much) from what my Rangeland prof was saying. EVEN THOUGH it may seem like it WAS coming from me.

Okay, I'm done now. Hope I cleared this up a little better...

 

[grannysoo]

Nope, you're not getting off that easy

Your "rant" was not offensive and I took no offense from it. You did make everything think and that's always a good thing.

Truth be known in my opinion, without the hobby farmer there might very well be a beef shortage in the US.

Don't get me wrong, it's a free country and one can make and spend his money however he so wishes. But whenever off-farm income is used to pay on-farm expenses or to support what on-farm income should pay for, then the whole 'farming economics' is thrown off.

A cow is supposed to do three things: pay for itself, pay for the land, and make you a living.

Again, though, I'm not knocking the hobby farmer for what he does. I'm just knocking the effect his off-farm income has on the true profitability of a full time cattle producer.

This hobby farmer does not loose any money on his cows. I am to the break even point, perhaps even making a few dollars on the cows.

I do however, loose my a$$ because of the farmland. I for one am not trying to throw off any economic system. I did however go in debt up to my eyeballs to buy the family farm after my grandmother died. 354 acres that will remain intact as a farm, not sub-divided into lots and filled up with housing developements.

Problem is not with people like me saving the farm. It's the developers that think the farms are worth more as housing developements. All of us have to compete with them on purchasing the land. If I was not buying from family, there would have been no way that I could afford it.

My goal is to make money on the farm period! Always working towards that, I just must overcome the initial purchase price.

Without us hobby farmers and our "off the farm income", there would be many many farms that would not be in existance anymore....

Think about it.

 

[jw]

Hey luvabeef -

I think most of us know what you were discussing and most of us agree with your prof.

You just were not politically correct when you stated "hobby farmers" - perhaps you should have said "uneducated city slickers who buy a few acres and try to be cattle/horse people because they think the dream they have is cheap and easy".

 

[Conagher]

:?: Curious about the Rangeland Prof: Is he a full time rancher and hobby professor?

 

[backhoeboogie]

:?: Curious about the Rangeland Prof: Is he a full time rancher and hobby professor?

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[sjr725]

Bravo Conagher! I hadn't thought of that! Good one.

 

[MissouriExile]

Many valid points on this thread. I am confused and....

My curiousity has got me... How many on this forum are full time cattle people, No outside job, You or your spouse.... Outside of (rare) huge operations in the family for generations I don;t know anyone personally that ranches full time and has no outside source of income.

Jon Davis

 

[flaboy?]

Well, we know Crotchstic is a full time, big time cattleman right? :lol:

Like I said I work two jobs. Contrary to popular belief my place is self sustaining and I don't put second job money into it. I am fortunate enough to have paid my property off long ago. Prior to that, second job money went into the farm.

 

[sjr725]

I work full time in town, Hubby farms full time.
We were fortunate enough to have purchased our place about 30 yrs ago from the neighbor of my dad's place (dad rented this land for years from the widow that lived here) We bought it from her right after we got married - when land was still worth a realistic price for the time! As I said before, we could probably get by if I worked at home too, but we choose to do it this way.

 

[flaboy?]

I work full time in town, Hubby farms full time.
We were fortunate enough to have purchased our place about 30 yrs ago from the neighbor of my dad's place (dad rented this land for years from the widow that lived here) We bought it from her right after we got married - when land was still worth a realistic price for the time! As I said before, we could probably get by if I worked at home too, but we choose to do it this way.

I would be a full time farmer if it weren't for insurance also.

 

[The Bachelor]

I work 4 days a week. Right now all my equipments payed for(even after the unfortunate log baling incident) and two of the four tracts of land. Hope to have it all paid for in two years.


5 years before I get "full time" status. Last kids outta school by then. The wife says shes working till shes 70. Says I'm to ornery to be around more than a few hours a day

 

[rc]

Electric trains are a hobby.

 

[flaboy?]

Electric trains are a hobby.

Agreed. Hard work is NOT a hobby.

 

[redfornow]

I can also see where some of the full timers are coming from. quote]

That arguement assumes that the american public will pay more????
They may for while, but chicken and pork are taking a larger and larger market share. Mostly because both are a more affordable protein.
I can see were price would increase just not as much as some here are dreaming about....

MD

 

[smallrancher]

Hat's off to all of us hobby folks. I'm currently a "hobbier" I was raised farming, done it all my life, but cannot inherit or "buy for cheap" from the old man. So I have to start out somehow, and for me that is to have another job in order to support my family while I try to expand my operation into what hopefully will be a full time job someday. But anyway, I say hats off to 99% of hobby farmers, "we" may do things differently, "we" may give you a few laughs, but to any of you who have some kind of insecurity about it, lay off, I say in our day and age of fast paced lives, computers, t.v., couch potatoe parents, drugs, alcohol and sex, hats off to people who choose a hobby that is work, costs money, and does not give you instant gratification. Not to mention, if any of these worthless hobby farmers have kids and are teaching them the value and satisfaction of hard work and sticking to it, and enjoying the outdoors etc. etc., I would say these people are a ray of hope in this country. Just my thoughts!

 

[ArrowHBrand]

In my opinion a hobby farmer is one that has just a few head of livestock with no intentions of growing into a business. Most of these people live on "area acreages" or "ranchettes". I was just at a place yesterday to meet a fella who was delivering a pony to woman. To hear this woman talk about her horses and how she cares for them was all I could do to try not to laugh. They lived on 5 acres in a subdivision where all of the neighbors had one or two horses or cows. I was happy to load up my POA weanling and get back home. If you have a handful of cows with the knowledge to care for them and working a full time job to pay for them in order to increase your herd to self sustainment levels, that isn't a hobby farmer. I don't care how much you make off of them a year, you have to start somewhere and most can't start with even a hundred head.

 

[flaboy?]

The good thing about the small (5-10 acre) ranchettes, is often times they get bored and want to sell the cows. I have bought several cow/calves from these folks pretty cheap. I tell what I will pay for them or what I charge to haul them to the market. I have actually gotten some pretty nicely bred (AI) cows that way.

 

[Jim Nolen]

I guess I fit the bill,I have 3cows 3calfs and 1 young bull more important I have a 84 year old father who enjoys these cattle and by the way every cow,calf,bull,and my father are well fed cause you see I make sure of it, Im a hobby farmer and proud to be. Thanks Oh yeah my chickens eat well also.