# How Much $ To Become A Farmer(Grain).



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

One persons calculations......Successful Farming. 

Regards, Mike

http://www.agriculture.com/farm-management/business-planning/how-much-does-it-take-to-become-a-farmer


----------



## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Yepp! Sounds close, but maybe a bit low. It doesn't really take into account reserve funds needed for maintenance, crop/liability/other insurance, taxes unless they included them in the cost/acre. Ten year old equipment is going to take more in the way of repairs and maintenance.

Most importantly, I would think you would want reserve operating cash for 2-3 (maybe more?) consecutive bad years.

Ralph


----------



## Bishop (Apr 6, 2015)

I might have read too fast, but did they include labour? One person would have a hard time getting 1500 acres planted on their own.


----------



## Bishop (Apr 6, 2015)

Here are other things that are priceless for someone starting out:

1) Father, mother, or neighbour who is a seasoned veteran who can give advice.

2) At least one kid who likes to farm.

3) A spouse who is "on board" with the hours during the busy seasons.

4) Relatives who don't get married during first cut.

5) An old truck.

6) A hardware store that is close and also has a knowledgeable staff.

7) Baling wire, WD-40, and duct tape.

8) One really old tractor that you keep and use just because you like it.

9) Enough wagons.

10) No city people who recently moved to the country within 2 miles.

Any more?


----------



## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

This is a nice fluffy article. But I think it would be a rare thing for a person to start from nothing and become a grain farmer. And really why would one want to? A person starting from nothing should look into growing something more niche or specialized. I've been intrigued with the stories I've read recently about small acreage vegetable growing. Including greenhouses and such. I think a new farmer would have a better chance of success at that then going big with a grain farm. Especially if they didn't live that far away from towns with a bigger population. Personally that sounds to much like gardening and I don't like gardening, but it's intriguing none the less.

I didn't realize banks liked would be farmers with ag degrees. Short story about how useless an ag degree can be.

I have a friend who worked for a kinda hippie sun worshipping ranch here in Colorado that wanted to do what I listed above. My friend set up all their systems, greenhouses, showed them how to run it, how to grow things and whatever. Where to go to sell the produce and how to sell it Then he went to his home country Dominican Republic last fall where he wants to do the same kind of thing. So this ranch hired some girl with an ag degree from Colorado State university to run their farm (no experience running anything). In the space of 7 months she nearly ruined everything. So they begged/hired him to come back and paid for him to fly back and correct everything. He likes the money they pay him, but finds their weird sun worshipping rituals silly.


----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Thats more like what you hope to have after a lifetime of work not what you start with.Unless you have a silver spoon.

And it's more of a machinery want list then a list of whats required.

And you don't need 1500 acres to make a living.

And you don't need a degree,It don't hurt but can learn enough hands on.


----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

rjmoses said:


> Most importantly, I would think you would want reserve operating cash for 2-3 (maybe more?) consecutive bad years.
> 
> Ralph


How can you have 2-3 yrs cash reserve if you spend $$$ like a drunken sailor when times are good?Got to have a lake house with big ski boat and jet skies.Fishing boat,snowmobiles,motorcycles,trips and build a new McMansion besides.And you have to have the wife driving a 75K grocery getter Suburban wearing $500 outfits so she can keep up with her friends.

End of Rant.Well shit I should hook up to my boat and go fishing!


----------



## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

Bishop said:


> I might have read too fast, but did they include labour? One person would have a hard time getting 1500 acres planted on their own.


Not that hard to seed 1500 acres alone with todays equipment. Granted it is nice to have someone bring fertilizer or seed to the field. I know of a few guys around here that farm 3000 acres by themselves with a little help from Dad or their wife.


----------



## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

swmnhay said:


> Thats more like what you hope to have after a lifetime of work not what you start with.Unless you have a silver spoon.
> 
> And it's more of a machinery want list then a list of whats required.
> 
> ...


It is a machinery want list. Most people that raise corn and wheat here don't own a combine. They have it custom done. I know 2-3 people with newer combines and they or their employees to lots and lots of custom combining in the fall. It's the only way to pay for the combines. New or used.


----------



## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

The author making those calculations musta thought when he graduated from college he was gonna start in upper management making $250k a year. Then reality set in...


----------



## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

Lol that article made me laugh. Must be nice to have a job dreaming up articles like this


----------



## Wcbr1025 (May 1, 2015)

He didn't figure in any money for that 1000 acres he leased either.


----------



## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

Sweet Jesus. We are farming right at 1500 acres, and don't have half of the crap that millennial is jabbering about. Some things it pays to spend good money on, like a good combine and a good big tractor. The rest is minor. I sprayed almost 600 acres yesterday with an $8000 sprayer we bought a few years ago. 1000 gal tank 90' boom. And I can go 8 mph. Our semis are old, well the freightshaker isn't but we didn't spend Jack crap on it. Our grain trailers are 1974 and 1975 wilsons aluminums. Gave $10 grand for both. We do have a fairly expensive shop though with a veritable cornucopia of tools. It's either dollars spent buying or spent repairing.


----------

