# When will todays farmers retire?



## Vol

Wide variety of answers.....many like me do not want to retire....just keep sifting soil as long as the Good Lord will allow.

Regards, Mike

http://www.agweb.com/article/when_will_todays_farmers_retire_NAA_Sara_Schafer/


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## mlappin

Neighbor in his 70's just keeps going, only farms what he owns now which is around 160 acres. He likes to stop along side of the road and watch us no-till sometimes. He's asked what I can cover in a really good day, never had the heart to tell him about 160 acres.


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## hog987

Some of the old guys around here just keep getting bigger machinery to make things easier on them. Than they get there son or if they dont have one hire a younger guy durning busy times to do the heavy lifting.


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## Grateful11

Even after my late FIL had his stroke and my wife could get him on his tractors he could still do a full days field work. They bought a hydraulic lift table to get him up to the steps or platform. He was still doing nearly all the tillage, planting, mowing the hay, raking and baling at 79 years old. I don't think we realized how much he did until he was gone.


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## haybaler101

Several guys here are retiring in their early to mid sixties because they are renting out several hundred acres for huge dollars. Who wants to farm if you can take $3-400 cash rent on 500 acres.


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## Guest

haybaler101 said:


> Several guys here are retiring in their early to mid sixties because they are renting out several hundred acres for huge dollars. Who wants to farm if you can take $3-400 cash rent on 500 acres.


This is the kind of thing that keeps young guys out of the picture. Id love to pick up more ground (just like everyone) but about impossble. Bto are always 10, 20, maybe 100 dollars over what i can offer. Besides that guys just dont seem to want to retire. Cant say i blame them. I dont see myself ever wanting to retire when i reach that age!


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## barnrope

Someone will have to pry my cold, dead fingers off a steering wheel!


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## mlappin

Oh I don't know guys. I have no one to pass the farm on to, and once my father passes away for what I could rent the farm for along with a complete grain setup I may just do a lot of traveling while I still can. I never used to like traveling, I remember sharing the back seat with my little brother on two trips to Florida to visit an aunt and hated every minute of it, but get me on a plane and I'll go 4000 miles no problem. Never used to like traveling until we took the first trip to the UK to attend the wife's favorite cousins wedding, since them I love it. I'd love to visit Moscow for New Years, or the Great Wall, Venice, Sicily, Australia, New Zealand, the Black Forest region of Germany, Rome, the 80th anniversary of the d-day landing, Loch Ness in Spring when everything is obscenely green, etc.

The worlds a mighty big place, how a person could ever get bored is beyond me.

My ultimate dream...live long enough to jump on a shuttle and spend the weekend on one of the moons of Saturn.


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## vhaby

There are days when I think we were nuts for retiring from research to this small ranch where we are producing cattle, blueberries, bermudagrass hay, and now alfalfa hay. Catch me on one of the bad days and I might tell you I've about had it, but there are many, many more good days when I never want to quit as long as am physically able to continue. Besides, where can you find nicer people than in agriculture (most of them anyway). Just need to be very careful when working with cattle and machinery.


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## Bgriffin856

I hope to fall over dead or off the tractor while doing what I love to do.

Right now im slowly taking on more responsibilties and taking more load off my parents. I see them slowing down but not retiring. Working or staying active is the key to living longer.


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## hog987

mlappin said:


> Oh I don't know guys. I have no one to pass the farm on to, and once my father passes away for what I could rent the farm for along with a complete grain setup I may just do a lot of traveling while I still can. I never used to like traveling, I remember sharing the back seat with my little brother on two trips to Florida to visit an aunt and hated every minute of it, but get me on a plane and I'll go 4000 miles no problem. Never used to like traveling until we took the first trip to the UK to attend the wife's favorite cousins wedding, since them I love it. I'd love to visit Moscow for New Years, or the Great Wall, Venice, Sicily, Australia, New Zealand, the Black Forest region of Germany, Rome, the 80th anniversary of the d-day landing, Loch Ness in Spring when everything is obscenely green, etc.
> 
> The worlds a mighty big place, how a person could ever get bored is beyond me.
> 
> My ultimate dream...live long enough to jump on a shuttle and spend the weekend on one of the moons of Saturn.


not sure you will live long enough to go out by Saturn. But with the advancements being made in passenger space flights. It will only be a matter of years before a space flight will be affordable to the average person. Might not do much more than a few orbits. But still would be one nice trip


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## barnrope

hog987 said:


> not sure you will live long enough to go out by Saturn. But with the advancements being made in passenger space flights. It will only be a matter of years before a space flight will be affordable to the average person. Might not do much more than a few orbits. But still would be one nice trip


It didn't help that our liberal government shut NASA down!


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## Teslan

Why would a retired farmer sell his land rather then rent it out. Where else would he get as good as a return if he sold the farm rather then rent it out. Then he would have to pay a bunch of capital gains unless he did a like kind exchange. So he could trade a farm for apartment buildings or something and that brings a whole bunch of hassles with it.


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## mlappin

Teslan said:


> Why would a retired farmer sell his land rather then rent it out. Where else would he get as good as a return if he sold the farm rather then rent it out. Then he would have to pay a bunch of capital gains unless he did a like kind exchange. So he could trade a farm for apartment buildings or something and that brings a whole bunch of hassles with it.


I've even thought of setting our land up in a trust of some sort, ag use only so no one could buy it and cut it all up in 20 acre lots. I have one landlord that keeps hinting I should buy his 70 on land contract so he avoids capital gains.


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## swmnhay

I been thinking about this a lot lately.I like to take a vacation but no way could I handle not working.I could rent it all out in a heartbeat but what fun would that be?

Then there are somedays you wonder why you work so hard when some are gone to the lake every weekend or to a ball game,etc.I have a boat in shed but haven't had it out yet this yr,can't find the time.But my boat is pd for,other guy is making payments.

I don't have any kids but Karen has a gr son that shows interest in farming but 14 yet,so we will see what happens there.He has a lot to learn.


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## Teslan

swmnhay said:


> I been thinking about this a lot lately.I like to take a vacation but no way could I handle not working.I could rent it all out in a heartbeat but what fun would that be?
> 
> Then there are somedays you wonder why you work so hard when some are gone to the lake every weekend or to a ball game,etc.I have a boat in shed but haven't had it out yet this yr,can't find the time.But my boat is pd for,other guy is making payments.
> 
> I don't have any kids but Karen has a gr son that shows interest in farming but 14 yet,so we will see what happens there.He has a lot to learn.


 Had a friend the other night at my son's little league game ask what my family was doing for father's day. I said irrigating, doing equipment maintenance, and other stuff. No holidays in the summer. My friends family is going camping, motorcycling. It really didn't occur to me that I should do something else on Father's day until I was asked that question. I'll save my days of doing nothing for January.


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## swmnhay

Teslan said:


> Had a friend the other night at my son's little league game ask what my family was doing for father's day. I said irrigating, doing equipment maintenance, and other stuff. No holidays in the summer. My friends family is going camping, motorcycling. It really didn't occur to me that I should do something else on Father's day until I was asked that question. I'll save my days of doing nothing for January.


Had a friend ask me to go on fishing trip last weeked 200 miles away.I was busy picking rock,delivering netwrap and trapping gophers.This weekend he is posting pics at Twins game.He tells me how broke he is and never will be able to retire.He says you got to have fun.Well being broke is not fun to me I been there before or close to it anyway farming threw the 80's.Vowed to get ahead and get things pd for first before spending it on FUN.

I was having my sort of fun last night.Had to take the rock pickers home at 4 so went back to field by myself and turned up the radio and picked rock and admired the corn crop.All by myself.Sure was peacefull out there!!!


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## stack em up

Have no kids, no plans of having kids. When I die, the land I own will be setup to go back to pasture and hay ground. Lawyer said that's the worst idea he has heard of but I worry about how long the land can sustain this continual raping for higher yields.

I got a long ways to go before I think of retiring. But my dad is 72 and we just finished planting his 61st crop. He started milking his own cows at 11...


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## mlappin

barnrope said:


> It didn't help that our liberal government shut NASA down!


If left up to Nasa it'd be century's before the first passenger space flights. Leave it up to private enterprise and it will get done much faster.

The Space Shuttle that everyone lamented being retired NEVER worked as intended. Original design requirement stated that it could land, routine maintenance be done, be refueled and ready for the next flight in a matter of days instead of months. That never happened, just getting it ready for the next flight probably cost more than the entire Space X program.

Where do you think private air travel would be now if left up to the government to run since the Wright brothers first flight?


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## haybaler101

I have two sons 16 & 13 and my daughter is 11. All love the farm life. 16 year old is hell bent to farm already. He mows hay and runs the big square baler plus the grain cart in the fall. 13 year old teds and rakes and both boys can do any tillage work. I have already told all three of them if they are interested in farming, I will push as hard and long as I can to help them expand what we have to make room for them. On the other hand, the day they say no, I don't want to, I am going to start pulling back and slowing down.


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## Vol

swmnhay said:


> Had a friend ask me to go on fishing trip last weeked 200 miles away.I was busy picking rock,delivering netwrap and trapping gophers.This weekend he is posting pics at Twins game.He tells me how broke he is and never will be able to retire.He says you got to have fun.Well being broke is not fun to me I been there before or close to it anyway farming threw the 80's.Vowed to get ahead and get things pd for first before spending it on FUN.
> 
> I was having my sort of fun last night.Had to take the rock pickers home at 4 so went back to field by myself and turned up the radio and picked rock and admired the corn crop.All by myself.Sure was peacefull out there!!!


I do the same kinds of things Cy....heck fire, I don't need to blow a wad of money to have fun....I too enjoy looking at hay and crops....sunrises and sunsets....just the simple things bring me the greatest pleasure anymore. I have been alot of places and seen alot of things....but I love my family and my land the very best of earthly things.

Cy, one day I am going to come up and see your country....maybe I can time it where we can go fishing one day.

Regards, Mike


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## swmnhay

Vol said:


> I do the same kinds of things Cy....heck fire, I don't need to blow a wad of money to have fun....I too enjoy looking at hay and crops....sunrises and sunsets....just the simple things bring me the greatest pleasure anymore. I have been alot of places and seen alot of things....but I love my family and my land the very best of earthly things.
> 
> Cy, one day I am going to come up and see your country....maybe I can time it where we can go fishing one day.
> 
> Regards, Mike


I'd be glad to take you fishing.I must be the worst fishing guide in SW Mn tho.It's fun to just get out on the lake tho and drag the line around.They are always biteing at planting and harvest time here and I miss out on that.Or come in winter and go ice fishing and we can drive on the ice.

It is on our bucket list to head east sometime and will certainly look you up then.


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## rjmoses

My retired friends go golfing--for me, that's an excuse to go drinking. Others go fishing--for me that's an excuse to go drinking. Still others like to sit around and relive the old days--for me, that's an excuse to....oh oh, I'm starting to see a pattern here,

I have told my wife that when I turn 85, I am going to start smoking, running around all night drinking and parting, chase wild women and burning the candle at both ends. She laughed!

Meanwhile, I'm running hard.

Ralph


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## mlappin

swmnhay said:


> It is on our bucket list to head east sometime and will certainly look you up then.


My ultra conservative friend finally escaped California, now lives in Virginia. Says I need to head out that way some day.

I also have an aunt n uncle in California I need to visit someday. Also have friends in Oregon and Washington state.

If I make it to Virginia Arlington would be a must see.


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## hog987

barnrope said:


> It didn't help that our liberal government shut NASA down!


Truth be told NASA has not done much of anything for the last 10-15 years except employ a bunch of expensive people.

When ever China goes to the moon maybe they will start offering passenger flights there. Just have to get over that made in China fear lol


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## Bgriffin856

Vol said:


> I do the same kinds of things Cy....heck fire, I don't need to blow a wad of money to have fun....I too enjoy looking at hay and crops....sunrises and sunsets....just the simple things bring me the greatest pleasure anymore. I have been alot of places and seen alot of things....but I love my family and my land the very best of earthly things.
> 
> Cy, one day I am going to come up and see your country....maybe I can time it where we can go fishing one day.
> 
> Regards, Mike


I am with you two I like my plain simple things in my life. I just enjoy being out working the land or in the barns. To me every day is vacation. Thats why I do what I do to me its more than just a farm or an occupation.

I honestly laugh to myself when I think about my neighbors who take a second mortgage out on thier house to remodel it every couple years have new vehicles, campers, toys and other material non sense and never have time to enjoy it or thier families cause they are busy working to pay for it all just to keep up with the "Joneses"


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## Bgriffin856

Previous owners of our farm retired....left it to the kid. He didnt have the ambition and the old man ended up doing all the work. So they sold it to us and moved south which was great till we payed off the mortgage and the money ran out. They moved back into a retirement home here. When they retired they had 276 acres two houses and two barns. We own 200 of that both barns. Sold their second home and 8acres t someone else. Gave 2.5 acres to the to put a house trailer on and sold the rest which was woods to a timber company.

Today they have next to nothing.....


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## swmnhay

Bgriffin856 said:


> Previous owners of our farm retired....left it to the kid. He didnt have the ambition and the old man ended up doing all the work. So they sold it to us and moved south which was great till we payed off the mortgage and the money ran out. They moved back into a retirement home here. When they retired they had 276 acres two houses and two barns. We own 200 of that both barns. Sold their second home and 8acres t someone else. Gave 2.5 acres to the to put a house trailer on and sold the rest which was woods to a timber company.
> 
> Today they have next to nothing.....


I've seen it a lot where the next generation sells the farm and pisses it away.Most often they left the farm as soon as they could and didn't want anything to do with it anyway.

One thing that burns me if one sibling stayed and helped build the farm threw thick and thin the other siblings who didn't want to farm and either got a education and has a good job or one that just pisses it away anyway want to share in the farm equaly when it goes to the next generation.


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## mlappin

A couple of Dad's cousins managed to piss away great grandfathers farm in short order. Really sad, great grandfather managed to accumulate over 500 acres free and clear, all thats left now is the original homestead and all thats left of that is 20 acres.


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## Tim/South

I am thinking about putting our land in an irrevocable land grant trust. I have a son and daughter and both know the value of owning land, the independence that brings. They have seen the houses go up during their lifetime and how little road frontage is left in our community.

If the land is placed in a trust then both children will have a say. If my son wants to continue with hay and cattle then I have no problem leaving it to him. If my daughter marries someone who is not afraid to work then I have no problem dividing.

I am not of the mindset that each deserves 50/50 by birth right only.


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