What would you have done differently 20-40 years ago?

[RanchMan90]

What would you have done differently 20-40 years ago to better your future in the cattle/ag industry?

 

[kenny thomas]

I'm probably one of the few that was in the cattle business 40 years ago. I was not one to take chances and seen a lot of people go broke but maybe I should have bought more land and cattle when I was 25. But I was making $12,250 a year and calves were worth $250 so it was real hard to do.

 

[Ky hills]

Knowing what I know now, about 27 years ago, I would not have pursued the registered Charolais business in way I did. I bought several cattle that did not work out, and a bull that was a train wreck. I did make some friends and learned a lot along the way though. I'm not knocking Charolais as a whole, just that for me, I bought into a lot of hype and believed all of the sales pitches. The market demand shifted, and they were worth low commercial prices. Sometimes I think that I would have been better off starting out with Angus, but I'm not sure, because all breeds have their pros and cons. Probably if I had just went commercial and stayed with it. My plan at this point is to raise the kind of cows that work in my management, and can still be involved with raising breeding stock, in a few purebred bulls, and commercial females.

 

[Bigfoot]

40 years ago, it was 1976. Commodity prices soared, and so did the cost of land. Everybody and their cousin was expanding, and buying. A few years later came the 80's. Drought, grain embargos, high interest. Everybody, and their cousin went belly up. If I had known at the time, what I know now, I would have struck while the iron was hot. Many farms in my area sold at the court house door for less than $300 an acre. All qualified for the CRP. I would have bought all I could stand. Let the set aside program pay for the farm. Log and clear what hadn't been row cropped, and ran pairs on that. Unfortunately, I wasn't a financial dynamo in my early 20's. I only bought one farm during that time. Oh well, got a feeling those days are looking again. Maybe the next generation will be smarter.

 

[dun]

Not a dam thing.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Should have bought the adjoining 200 acres @ 400 an acre.
But at 20k income in 1976 that 80k looked like a real long reach

 

[callmefence]

Planned on getting old

 

[Rafter S]

I would have stayed in college and gotten a degree so I could afford more cows now.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I should have stayed in coaching. I never dreamed those guys would be making what they are today.

I'm talking 1984 v 2016.

 

[dun]

If you change that 20-40 to 60 years...........................still wouldn't change dam thing

 

[callmefence]

If you change that 20-40 to 60 years...........................still wouldn't change dam thing

Must be nice.
I can think of a dozen things I should have done different last week.

 

[M-5]

i'm with DUN for the most part. We don't get do overs so if your happy with where you are today changing something 20 or 40 yrs ago may not have you in the same place. DO I wish I would have done some things differently .....YES . but to trade what I have for that would not be worth it.

 

[Dave]

I would have bought that Microsoft stock a guy was trying to talk me into buying in 1979. I remember the conversation. We were in a logging camp on Afognak Island. I was making a ton of money for that day. This guy said you should buy stock in Microsoft. I said what the heck is that? He said they make computer soft ware. I said what the heck is computer soft ware?....... ooops. Oh well I am pretty happy where I am and what I have become over the years.

 

[TexasBred]

I would have bought that Microsoft stock a guy was trying to talk me into buying in 1979. I remember the conversation. We were in a logging camp on Afognak Island. I was making a ton of money for that day. This guy said you should buy stock in Microsoft. I said what the heck is that? He said they make computer soft ware. I said what the heck is computer soft ware?....... ooops. Oh well I am pretty happy where I am and what I have become over the years.

Davie....I DID buy it at $1.125 per share if memory serves me right.......my big mistake was selling it when it doubled in price. :cry2: :cry2: :cry2:

 

[shaz]

I would have bought that Microsoft stock a guy was trying to talk me into buying in 1979. I remember the conversation. We were in a logging camp on Afognak Island. I was making a ton of money for that day. This guy said you should buy stock in Microsoft. I said what the heck is that? He said they make computer soft ware. I said what the heck is computer soft ware?....... ooops. Oh well I am pretty happy where I am and what I have become over the years.

I remember that computer programmers were a dime a dozen then. Seems like Cobol and Fortran were common.

 

[RanchMan90]

i'm with DUN for the most part. We don't get do overs so if your happy with where you are today changing something 20 or 40 yrs ago may not have you in the same place. DO I wish I would have done some things differently .....YES . but to trade what I have for that would not be worth it.

In that case what have you done that was key to your success? I'm 26 and trying to seize the moment with these low prices.

 

[M-5]

i'm with DUN for the most part. We don't get do overs so if your happy with where you are today changing something 20 or 40 yrs ago may not have you in the same place. DO I wish I would have done some things differently .....YES . but to trade what I have for that would not be worth it.

In that case what have you done that was key to your success? I'm 26 and trying to seize the moment with these low prices.

Listening instead of talking , Paying attention to details and most of all a strong desire to accomplish it by yourself.

 

[Hunter]

"Listening instead of talking , Paying attention to details and most of all a strong desire to accomplish it by yourself"

Following this will help you greatly.

 

[RanchMan90]

i'm with DUN for the most part. We don't get do overs so if your happy with where you are today changing something 20 or 40 yrs ago may not have you in the same place. DO I wish I would have done some things differently .....YES . but to trade what I have for that would not be worth it.

In that case what have you done that was key to your success? I'm 26 and trying to seize the moment with these low prices.

Have I been coming across wrong here? I apologize if I have. I know nobody's going to give me anything in life, I've got to take it.

Listening instead of talking , Paying attention to details and most of all a strong desire to accomplish it by yourself.

 

[HDRider]

I told a friend today I am one of the luckiest people I know.

Work your tail off when you are young. Become the best at what you do. Shoulder the blame and share the credit. Do more and do better. Always try to do the right thing.

And remember, everyone has a boss.