The farm economy in your area?

[tom4018]

Bigfoot, Heard a small equipment place is going out in Russellville that has been around for a long time.

Hate to hear that. A "regional" equipment guru for one of the big brands told me at a meeting not long ago, that there was more dollars worth of farm equipment in Christian, Todd, and Logan counties than anywhere else in the US. When he said it, he meant based on a per farmer basis. If that makes sense? I actually wasn't surprised to hear it.

You ever hear of Diesel Doctor? They were a Zetor dealer, sold some other equipment lines. I never did business with them.

 

[Bigfoot]

Yes, I have. He had a drum mower on his lot, back when I was in the looking stage. I got the feeling that his equipment wasn't on a floor plan. That he actually owned the stuff on the lot. Might be some bargains there if it does sell out. Nice guy running the place.

 

[ddd75]

kubota dealer here is going out of business but its only b/c mommy doesn't want to run it anymore and spoiled retard son just wants to sit i guess.

 

[Supa Dexta]

I'm interested in seeing the January 1st cattle inventory numbers up here. I don't think there's been much of a turn around in growth, certainly not around here anyways. Know several old guys packing it in.

 

[littletom]

No one selling out I aware of. Some older guys done with tobacco. They say rent is going down. Several chicken houses going up. Yesterday just down the road in Hiseville some ground brought 6000 it was between several est. BTO's. Hobby Dye and Reed in process of opening another location ten miles away (new Holland] in cave city.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Saw another new For Sale sign today while hauling hay. A 160 dairy farm 3 miles away. A metro area "investor" bought it two years ago but has been unable to rent it. Now it is for sale again.

 

[Ozark cowman]

I haven't heard of any dealers going out of business, and don't know if to many people shutting down there cattle operations. But the last 3 or 4 months it seems like I've seen the same new trucks, trailers and equipment sitting on lots where as before it was moving very quickly and some things were actually hard to get. I've been wanting to buy a new cattle trailer for a year and they have been hard to get, now there's some around sitting on dealers lots not going anywhere, I think I'm going to go make a deal on one next month.

 

[jedstivers]

Things in general are starting to weaken here. Dealerships seem to be scaling back employees, and less equipment on the lots. The "They Say" rumor mill says a few BTO are going to sell out. I do know my friends in banking and finance are saying several people are coming in with excuses instead of payments. On a personal note, I did terrible on a couple of big runs of feeder calves this fall. Seeing the same thing where you are from?

You haven't seen a fraction of it yet. Going to be huge repercussions go through the Ag world.
If cattle will turn soon enough it won't be as bad in those areas as it is going to be in row crop areas.
That die is set, just waiting for the hammer to strike.
In this area by March fully one in four might be out either because of being forced or because they are 60-70 and they are quitting while they can.
Some mega dealers are going to be out too.

 

[Stocker Steve]

You haven't seen a fraction of it yet. Going to be huge repercussions go through the Ag world.
If cattle will turn soon enough it won't be as bad in those areas as it is going to be in row crop areas.

Row crop guys are praying for a drought (in South America). Row crop prices MIGHT could turn around in two years, but that is not going to help cattle.

With the strong dollar and without a drought - - the US may be a high cost beef producer, and then the US would need to cut production.

 

[ddd75]

all the row crop producers in my area are buying up land as fast as the auctioneer can yell sold.

 

[Bestoutwest]

In the past year I've seen a few plots of land (probably 200+ acres) being put up as residential. I've also seen 3 houses put up in a ghost subdivision. All of these things are about 5 miles from my place. Civilization is creeping out to us. Thankfully, the 160 around us was bought up by a big potato guy from eastern Idaho two years ago. Put in 2 big pivots and moved a bunch of trees and hills out. He's serious, which I like b/c it will keep the subdivisions out. I hate those things. :bang:

 

[TexasBred]

In the past year I've seen a few plots of land (probably 200+ acres) being put up as residential. I've also seen 3 houses put up in a ghost subdivision. All of these things are about 5 miles from my place. Civilization is creeping out to us. Thankfully, the 160 around us was bought up by a big potato guy from eastern Idaho two years ago. Put in 2 big pivots and moved a bunch of trees and hills out. He's serious, which I like b/c it will keep the subdivisions out. I hate those things. :bang:

Unfortunately he won't live forever and the wife or kids will jump at a chance to sell for big bucks. Sad but just how it often is.

 

[JMJ Farms]

all the row crop producers in my area are buying up land as fast as the auctioneer can yell sold.

Same here.

 

[skyhightree1]

Things in general are starting to weaken here. Dealerships seem to be scaling back employees, and less equipment on the lots. The "They Say" rumor mill says a few BTO are going to sell out. I do know my friends in banking and finance are saying several people are coming in with excuses instead of payments. On a personal note, I did terrible on a couple of big runs of feeder calves this fall. Seeing the same thing where you are from?

There is a lot more land opening up in my area that's for sale but no farms that's been in it for a while going out of business. It is families who have inherited land selling the land instead of renting it. I am putting herd building on hold for the time being till I can see if the lands I have offers on get accepted.

 

[Dave]

It seems that all of the beef producers from my size up had contracted their calves early so they will just ride this out The small dairies are already gone. Over half the dairies in the county have more than 800 cows. The local sweet corn / pea processor had already put most of the crop farmers out of business. A new guy came to the area with a contract to raise organic green beans. He rented up a ton of land for over 5 times what it had been renting for. With the summer drought we had I don't know how well he did. The small organic vegetable growers seem to expanding in numbers by leaps and bounds. An endangered gopher has put development on hold at least for now.

 

[Stocker Steve]

all the row crop producers in my area are buying up land as fast as the auctioneer can yell sold.

Are they actually making money, or just trying to get there with volumne ?

 

[greybeard]

An endangered gopher has put development on hold at least for now.

 

[JMJ Farms]

all the row crop producers in my area are buying up land as fast as the auctioneer can yell sold.

Are they actually making money, or just trying to get there with volumne ?

Making enough to expand, buying land and equipment. A farmer told me once that he was just swapping money. I know commodity prices are low, but farmers expectations are high. Even if they are just servicing debt on land and equipment, that's still making money. Just not as much as they think they should be making. Buying more Land, equipment, pivots, pickups.... I ain't jealous but I don't want to hear much poor mouthing.

 

[Williamsv]

Farmers are still buying equipment and pivots in my part of Middle GA, but we have several large farms up for sale and no one has jumped to buy them. Some long time cattle farmers have sold out in the last few years.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Farmers are still buying equipment and pivots in my part of Middle GA,

The last couple bushels per acre of production may be 100% of the profit.