# picture worth 1000 words



## jrcrumiI (Jun 10, 2013)

Ain't this the truth


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Sort of a hot topic but there is sort of a angry undertone that a farmer should have to take a second or third job to support their family. Maybe its just because its a northern climate here but there are no crops or hay etc for 6 months of the year. Even the animal guys are pretty slow for a lot of the year.

As long as there has been farming here they take another job off season. Popular are logging, snowplow operator, snow plow contracting, electrician, carpentry, school bus driver, trucker etc.


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## JM.Shook (Jul 22, 2013)

The undertone ain't that a farmer should have to take a second job, but that it's dern near impossible to make it and raise a family on a farm income (and risky, too). Where I'm at, either you farm at least 1500 acres/500 head of cattle, or you have multiple jobs. That being said, if you're rotating winter wheat, corn, soybeans, and milo (typical crops here), you are busy May thru November, and a number of the bigger guys pick up odd jobs or do their own equipment maintenance to keep themselves occupied (and save/earn some money).


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Between row crops, making hay, doing repairs then getting rid of the hay I don't have time to hardly take care of anything else. Just paid my uncle to put a new roof on one of the out buildings. The way this summer is going may end up paying someone to paint the grain bins as well.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Mlappin, do you keep busy hauling grain over the winter?


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

I build things and plow snow during off season (November thru April). 
No way hay could be a "living" for me because I live in northern climate. 
I admit I kind of like the diversity.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

JD3430 said:


> I build things and plow snow during off season (November thru April).
> No way hay could be a "living" for me because I live in northern climate.
> I admit I kind of like the diversity.


I find it hard to believe hay could be a livin for anyone.....


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

somedevildawg said:


> I find it hard to believe hay could be a livin for anyone.....


It is for my family. Though we are blessed to have fairly low overhead (very little debt, no land rental payments) My wife and I do sell real estate also, but that is kind of bonus money. I started selling real estate in 2000 just for the extra money it brought in during the year. Only takes a couple of sales to equal what one can earn at a winter job from October to March. Then a couple of sales in the summer helps also. One can't find work around here for above $9 an hour for a job that will only last a few months. Hay farming income depends on your location. You fellas that can only sell small squares for $3 a bale I don't see how one could make a living doing that.


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## foz682 (Jan 10, 2013)

Even when we were milking cows my father worked delivering rural route mail, the farm covered it's own costs, loan payments and the mortgages but not much as far as household expenses.

Selling hay and raising some beef cattle doesn't leave much for us at the end of the year.

My father and I both work as pipefitters for a few months a year each in the west or where ever the work is, usually one of us is home while the others' away and we're both around for hay making and calving times.

Anyone selling hay and/or raising beef around here has at least one other job, or travels away for work for part of the year.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Teslan said:


> It is for my family. Though we are blessed to have fairly low overhead (very little debt, no land rental payments) My wife and I do sell real estate also, but that is kind of bonus money. I started selling real estate in 2000 just for the extra money it brought in during the year. Only takes a couple of sales to equal what one can earn at a winter job from October to March. Then a couple of sales in the summer helps also. One can't find work around here for above $9 an hour for a job that will only last a few months. Hay farming income depends on your location. You fellas that can only sell small squares for $3 a bale I don't see how one could make a living doing that.


You are blessed, the only way we could have low overhead would be to own a fertilizer plant....we get more than 3$ a bale here, but then again, we have more than 3$ a bale in it.....


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

slowzuki said:


> Mlappin, do you keep busy hauling grain over the winter?


Don't haul for other people but do keep busy hauling our own in.

I'm also always on the higher end of what hay is selling for in the area. Takes awhile to find customers that appreciate quality enough to pay a little extra for it. Once you get those customers it's possible to make a fairly decent living off just the hay.

Do the odd repairs in the shop for others as well. No major projects anymore, last one I did was converting a old Dodge grain truck from gas to diesel for a cousin. Getting a pretty good metal shop going, 2 wire welders, a stick welder, lathe, Bridgeport, and a healthy old drill press that will handle a 2" bit.

Also do some custom mowing and a little baling as well for mad money.

This winter I have some work lined up for the skid steer and the Limb Hog trimming fencerows back for other people. Also have some work lined up for it and the logsplitter I built.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

somedevildawg said:


> I find it hard to believe hay could be a livin for anyone.....


It has worked for me.Especially when corn was $2 and beans 5.My thinking has always to be diversified.


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