Sustainable Agriculture?

[50/50Farms]

I reckon we're free,er than most. I just don't think free,er than most is what our forefathers where going for. I think we should stick with their ideas. It's worked pretty good until people started forgetting what free means.

I agree with you, we should return to their ideas and actions.

 

[Louthelivestockguy]

I know this is a buzzword to many, it has been to me as well, but sometimes I do wonder if the changes to farming in my area are sustainable.
I bought the farm I live on in 1972. Most of my income came from the tobacco base and running a few cows. I was surrounded on all sides by full time farmers. Everyone grew tobacco but that only used a small portion of the farm. Some had 50 cow or fewer dairies, some raised feeder pigs, and most had a herd of beef cows. Very little overstocking of the land and very little grain farming. I could live modestly and make payments on the farm. The creeks ran clean and were full of fish. There were no deer or turkeys but plenty of rabbits, squirrels and quail. The woods were tall and open underneath, almost like a cathedral. I lived on a state road but there was little traffic. What traffic there was often stopped when they saw me sitting in the yard; this was pre-airconditioning.
Now most of the land has been cut up in 20 acre or so tracts with a nice new house on it. Traffic at eight in the morning and five in the afternoon makes the state and county roads dangerous, they were not built for this volume.
Rabbits and quail have disappeared, but we have deer, turkeys and coyotes in abundance.
The big time farmers that remain abuse the land with grain on land too steep to be kept in continuous crops.
Younger cattlemen deal in stocker operations for the most part, got to have that truck load lot size. Price pressures force keepers of cows to run too many head for the farm due to low profit margins. I have never seen as many poor and sickly cattle in my area.
I'll hush. I was looking at pictures my daughter took several years ago. I was struck by how beautiful everything was.
Those same pictures could not be taken today.

I can't agree more. I run cows and a construction company. If it weren't for the buildings, I would starve with only cows. It's really sad that a necessity such as food as a business can't "sustain" a decent lifestyle. Maybe once we get back to basics, which usually takes a major catastrophe, we all will realize the importance of farmers. Unfortunately that means some will have to do without until things change. May God help us all.
We need him more then ever now!

 

[Travlr]

I reckon we're free,er than most. I just don't think free,er than most is what our forefathers where going for. I think we should stick with their ideas. It's worked pretty good until people started forgetting what free means.

I could not agree more...

But I see an awful lot of people that have the idea that freedom means my tribe being the only ones worth listening to and to hell with anyone that doesn't agree with me. Loyalty at the expense of reason is not what the founders were intending. And that goes for everyone. Parties have become hypocritical beyond belief, and those deepest in them are the most blind to their own and most critical of those on the other side that they have no control of.

Those that began selling the idea that "compromise is losing" did a huge disservice to all of us.

 

[50/50Farms]

There's a difference between being blind and being bought.

 

[Louthelivestockguy]

Sustainable is just a term to impress folks such as in advertising. True sustainability would require no more inputs. But in the modern derivative of sustainable farming you can (and have to) add and add and add and it is still "sustainable". If people were truly wanting agriculture, businesses and families to thrive, taxes on all levels would be slashed and that in and of itself would remove a lot of the burden while eliminating the drive to regulate. But then there would be a higher responsibility by the individuals of the country to do for themselves. That is not a popular position with the masses. Government is more important than agriculture, people, business and freedom.

I got a BS in agriculture from OSU (Ohio) and that was almost 30 years ago. Sustainability was the buzz word back then! It comes from the "liberal scientific environmentalist" that think humans can somehow save our planet? Our planet wasn't created by human hands and I have faith that human hands cant destroy it. We may drastically alter it for better or worse, but only God can achieve the destruction that "they" perceive we are doing. This whole g

Sustainable is just a term to impress folks such as in advertising. True sustainability would require no more inputs. But in the modern derivative of sustainable farming you can (and have to) add and add and add and it is still "sustainable". If people were truly wanting agriculture, businesses and families to thrive, taxes on all levels would be slashed and that in and of itself would remove a lot of the burden while eliminating the drive to regulate. But then there would be a higher responsibility by the individuals of the country to do for themselves. That is not a popular position with the masses. Government is more important than agriculture, people, business and freedom.

That term was around 30 years ago during my BS days at Ohio State in Agriculture. It was created by "liberal scientific environmentalist" from Universities in their offices telling us that what we are doing is destroying the Earth. Wow really? It's definitely a talking point for educated idiots!
Farmers are one of the last to hurt the Earth. All of our damage comes from trying to make a decent wage with what we have and letting greed get in the way. There are far more things that are destroying this Earth than us. We are easy prey and that's why they are coming for us.

 

[Lucky]

Farm to table calf sales sounds good in theory but has anyone put a pencil to it? Calves to to be kept and fed for nearly 2 yrs before they make good freezer beef. I'd guess most medium size operators don't keep them past 90 day weening size. Nearly every cattleman I know gripes nonstop about the cost of feed then says we need to bypass the packers. The last beef I fed out was eating nearly 20# a day for around 6 months. Imagine the feed bill on 200 of them eating that much. Now we need a butcher shop. I hate to even price a butcher shop capable of processing 200 a week. I'm sure it would be in the millions of dollars to build.

We have a few guys around here doing freezer beef but I'd guess if you totaled them all up it'd be less then 500 head. That's not even a dent in the cattle sold around here.

 

[50/50Farms]

Farm to table calf sales sounds good in theory but has anyone put a pencil to it? Calves to to be kept and fed for nearly 2 yrs before they make good freezer beef. I'd guess most medium size operators don't keep them past 90 day weening size. Nearly every cattleman I know gripes nonstop about the cost of feed then says we need to bypass the packers. The last beef I fed out was eating nearly 20# a day for around 6 months. Imagine the feed bill on 200 of them eating that much. Now we need a butcher shop. I hate to even price a butcher shop capable of processing 200 a week. I'm sure it would be in the millions of dollars to build.

We have a few guys around here doing freezer beef but I'd guess if you totaled them all up it'd be less then 500 head. That's not even a dent in the cattle sold around here.

There's a dude just across the red from you doing it on I think he said about a 300 mama operation. I can hunt up his info if you want to talk to him, I had asked him about picking his brain and he was cool to let me do so but then I got bad busy and never could.

 

[Lucky]

There's a dude just across the red from you doing it on I think he said about a 300 mama operation. I can hunt up his info if you want to talk to him, I had asked him about picking his brain and he was cool to let me do so but then I got bad busy and never could.

I'd like to know the name. There are a couple pretty big operators just across the river.

By my math it wasn't worth the hassle of keeping the calves an extra 4-5 months, dealing with the public, and the butcher appointments. Most people only want a half beef so 75 calves could turn into 150 customers pretty quick. This year guys doing the freezer beef deal were at $5.50-$6.00 # hanging weight. You guys might have a sharper pencil than me. I'd be interested to see others math on the deal.

 

[50/50Farms]

I'd like to know the name. There are a couple pretty big operators just across the river.

By my math it wasn't worth the hassle of keeping the calves an extra 4-5 months, dealing with the public, and the butcher appointments. Most people only want a half beef so 75 calves could turn into 150 customers pretty quick. This year guys doing the freezer beef deal were at $5.50-$6.00 # hanging weight. You guys might have a sharper pencil than me. I'd be interested to see others math on the deal.

I'll hunt it up and get it to you when I can, I'll set me a reminder.

 

[kenny thomas]

I'd like to know the name. There are a couple pretty big operators just across the river.

By my math it wasn't worth the hassle of keeping the calves an extra 4-5 months, dealing with the public, and the butcher appointments. Most people only want a half beef so 75 calves could turn into 150 customers pretty quick. This year guys doing the freezer beef deal were at $5.50-$6.00 # hanging weight. You guys might have a sharper pencil than me. I'd be interested to see others math on the deal.

Are people actually paying 5.50- 6.00 hanging weight? Darn

 

[Rmc]

If you want to sell direct to the consumer. The most profitable is to use otb calves.
Selling black weaned calves in the fall.
Purchasing otb calves about 3-6 weeks before green up feed them out to be butchered in the fall/early winter has worked well for us.
Not using grain in finishing has also helped.

 

[Lucky]

Are people actually paying 5.50- 6.00 hanging weight? Darn

That's what was advertised this year. I'm not sure if that included the butcher shop fee or not. Last year a friend of mine priced 20 or so at $3.50 hanging weight and included the butchering. He said it wasn't worth the hassle at that price. $5.50 would definitely work if you had the time and place to feed them out.

 

[Lucky]

If you want to sell direct to the consumer. The most profitable is to use otb calves.
Selling black weaned calves in the fall.
Purchasing otb calves about 3-6 weeks before green up feed them out to be butchered in the fall/early winter has worked well for us.
Not using grain in finishing has also helped.

How long would it take to get a 700# calf to 1,150# on grass alone? In my experience without really good grass they gain less than 1 pound a day. Your area may have different results though. I don't really care for straight grass fed but allot of folks do.

 

[kenny thomas]

That's what was advertised this year. I'm not sure if that included the butcher shop fee or not. Last year a friend of mine priced 20 or so at $3.50 hanging weight and included the butchering. He said it wasn't worth the hassle at that price. $5.50 would definitely work if you had the time and place to feed them out.

I know of 1 guy here getting 4.50 for grass fed. Plus processing. But he picks it up and delivers it to them.

 

[Lucky]

I know of 1 guy here getting 4.50 for grass fed. Plus processing. But he picks it up and delivers it to them.

I went back and looked at one guys add. He was advertising 60 calves. You buy the calf from him at 650-700# market price. He then finishes the calf on grain for you. You can make monthly payments or pay at processing time from there. His price was $6 a pound hanging weight and that included the processing fee plus he delivered you the beef. He has sold out the last 3 yrs doing this. Like I said there are 5-6 in our area doing this all with 50 or so calves. We have 4 custom butcher shops within 60 miles that I know of. At least 1 has a USDA inspector onsite at all times.

 

[kenny thomas]

I went back and looked at one guys add. He was advertising 60 calves. You buy the calf from him at 650-700# market price. He then finishes the calf on grain for you. You can make monthly payments or pay at processing time from there. His price was $6 a pound hanging weight and that included the processing fee plus he delivered you the beef. He has sold out the last 3 yrs doing this. Like I said there are 5-6 in our area doing this all with 50 or so calves. We have 4 custom butcher shops within 60 miles that I know of. At least 1 has a USDA inspector onsite at all times.

I'm going to have to figure on that some. The consumer pays for the calf at 700lb but then pays for it again at hanging. Seems high

 

[kenny thomas]

The slaughter is the biggest problem here Most are booking for 2024 now

 

[Rmc]

How long would it take to get a 700# calf to 1,150# on grass alone? In my experience without really good grass they gain less than 1 pound a day.

If you aren't at least getting around 2 lbs a day you better take a good look at your forage quality and stocking rate

 

[Lucky]

I'm going to have to figure on that some. The consumer pays for the calf at 700lb but then pays for it again at hanging. Seems high

I think I had around $3.75 a pound in the one I raised and had butchered.

 

[TexasRancher]

To you and lvr I'm glad you've found peace. It's quite easy when you believe in fairy tales.

What you call Fairy Tales....are real world events that are happening in our lives. I hope you find your peace too. Just keep your positive outlook and be positive and enjoy fence building...fake it until you'll make it. Kingdom Crowns Are a free gift from God...for everyone that wants one. Get yours now.