# One reason we don't have more young farmers.



## swmnhay

Non farm heirs want to sell it ASAP.Just heard today 14 yr old was going to get to farm his greatgrandmas farm in 3more yrs when current renters lease is up.Well she died suddenly and the heirs want to sell it at auction.They don't care their gr nephew wants to farm,they just want to cash out now.They could rent it to him.The real funny thing is 2 of them didn't even know about the farm.they will sell it and blow the money in a yr or two.


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## deadmoose

When did it become so much harder for a young farmer to start out? It couldn't have always been so tough. Was it in the 50s? 70s? Later? Earlier?


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## mlappin

That don't surprise me one bit, got screwed out of the property next door in a similar way. Understanding always was we had first refusal on buying the entire property, no sooner than she was in the ground her prick of a son got a wild hair that he would make more auctioning it off instead. Karma is a B*TCH though, somebody didn't do something or file something right and by time it was said and done he ended up with less than if he sold it to us like he was supposed to.

We always had a feeling we should of had something in writing, but how do you bring that up to a 94 year old woman that we thought her only child was a greedy little prick and would screw us if he got a chance?

Great grandma should have had a will that left it in a trust or to her heirs with the understanding that the grandson would have first dibs on renting it at the going rate.


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## mlappin

deadmoose said:


> When did it become so much harder for a young farmer to start out? It couldn't have always been so tough. Was it in the 50s? 70s? Later? Earlier?


Not sure when, but figure out when people lost all respect for all the hard work their predecessors put into a place trying to pay for it while scrimping everywhere else they could only to barely eek out a living on it when a mortgage was still in effect and thats when it became harder for a young farmer to get started.


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## snowball

deadmoose said:


> When did it become so much harder for a young farmer to start out? It couldn't have always been so tough. Was it in the 50s? 70s? Later? Earlier?


Well I remember my dad telling me about the farm he and my uncle bought in 1957 and paid 500 ac for it had a use able set of building for feeding 100 hd of cattle and a avg. 2 story farm house.. 3/4 mile long field and was 100% tillable. I think they had it paid for with in 10 yrs. when my dad died in 1978 my uncle wanted to cash out RIGHT NOW sold the farm for 4700 ac with out the buildings and house... I wanted to buy it .. was mad I didn't have the chance.. 4 yr later I bought for 2700. at the bank's auction But I was a long time get'n it paid for.. I don't think you could buy that farm today and ever pay for it by just farming it


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## PaMike

Its not just the fast that the land price has skyrocketed its also the fact that the profit margins have tanked.


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## swmnhay

snowball said:


> Well I remember my dad telling me about the farm he and my uncle bought in 1957 and paid 500 ac for it had a use able set of building for feeding 100 hd of cattle and a avg. 2 story farm house.. 3/4 mile long field and was 100% tillable. I think they had it paid for with in 10 yrs. when my dad died in 1978 my uncle wanted to cash out RIGHT NOW sold the farm for 4700 ac with out the buildings and house... I wanted to buy it .. was mad I didn't have the chance.. 4 yr later I bought for 2700. at the bank's auction But I was a long time get'n it paid for.. I don't think you could buy that farm today and ever pay for it by just farming it


wow that sounds familiar.My Dad and uncle bought a farm together from their uncles estate in 1968 with verbal agreement that my dad coul buy it all in a few yrs at the purchase pricewhen he got on his feet.Pay rent on my uncles share until then.My Dad didn't farm before that so was starting from scratch..Any way a few yrs later he wanted to sell at double the purchase price.Farm # 2 different gr uncles estate.Dad agreed to buy the farm at appraised value.Land was appraised and then other neighbors offered more $.Ended up paying 28% over appraisal price.Both of these farms are Century family farms now but would not be if my Dad wouldn't of got them.
My uncle,the greedy one lost a brother over the deal.I never seen him since the first farm blow up.He was on death bed a couple yrs ago and called my sister and babbled something about being sorry and mailed a small check to her.


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## swmnhay

mlappin said:


> Great grandma should have had a will that left it in a trust or to her heirs with the understanding that the grandson would have first dibs on renting it at the going rate.


I agree but you know how old people get.I'll do that next month.Sometimes there is no next month.None of her children farm but now her gr son wants to.Probably something she never really thought about,setting up a trust with none of her kids farming.

Hope ing a couple of the heirs will buy it and rent it to the gr grandson.


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## Mike120

With land prices high, low margins 'cause everyone does the same commodities, high equipment costs, PETA lunatics, tree hugger demand for a chemical-free world, and the amount of work involved....Sadly, it don't have a lot of appeal.


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## snowball

PaMike said:


> Its not just the fast that the land price has skyrocketed its also the fact that the profit margins have tanked.


X2 very well put


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## snowball

swmnhay said:


> wow that sounds familiar.My Dad and uncle bought a farm together from their uncles estate in 1968 with verbal agreement that my dad coul buy it all in a few yrs at the purchase pricewhen he got on his feet.Pay rent on my uncles share until then.My Dad didn't farm before that so was starting from scratch..Any way a few yrs later he wanted to sell at double the purchase price.Farm # 2 different gr uncles estate.Dad agreed to buy the farm at appraised value.Land was appraised and then other neighbors offered more $.Ended up paying 28% over appraisal price.Both of these farms are Century family farms now but would not be if my Dad wouldn't of got them.
> My uncle,the greedy one lost a brother over the deal.I never seen him since the first farm blow up.He was on death bed a couple yrs ago and called my sister and babbled something about being sorry and mailed a small check to her.


swmnhay I could tell you story's about my family that would make your head spin... Thank God i was adopted cause I sure wouldn't want there money grubbing blood flowing though my veins their morals were bad enough to watch.. Now I'am the total out cast from the many cousins for salvaging the home stead farm and the sell it to a stranger and get the hell out of Dodge before they ruined my life anymore... the biggest trouble make'n uncle had a huge Gay skeleton pop out of his dirty laundry closet when he was 80 yrs old LMAO... ... You know I've never seen a trailer hitch on a Hurst before. so the greedy prick went to the grave with guilt and empty pockets


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## Bishop

Father-in-law is youngest of 15 kids. Buys farm from his mom in 1968 for appraised market value + 10% as he didn't want his siblings thinking he took advantage of her. None of his brothers and sisters wanted it at the time.

Now, 40+ years later, some of them grumble that he owes them money....

People see the price of land and go crazy in the head.


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## mlappin

The wife's family is pretty nuts as well, a drug head cousin managed to burn thru her grandmas money and her aunts and both their life insurance policies when they passed, then when his Dad died, the wife's uncle by marriage, he had the nerve to call family members asking for help paying for the funeral.

A couple uncles on my side ain't much better, the one is an engineer with liberal leanings, which strikes me as funny as somebody that deals with cold hard numbers should know better but anyways he's worked for Ford Motor Company then after earning a degree in aerospace engineering went to work for Bell than after retiring early he went back to work for Sikorsky Helicopter. Rumor is his uber liberal second wife was a tad too liberal with the money after he retired so back to work.

Anyways, after grandfather passed the liberal uncle had the nerve to ask when Dad was going to sell the farm so he could get his share of the inheritance, Dad dug the paper work out to prove he bought the farm from Grandfather in '71. Then another uncle tried to make off with one of the Olivers as he knew Grandfather originally bought it and that was his "inheritance". So back to the records Dad went to find the receipt for when he bought that one from Grandfather.

If father and I loan each other money for any reason we get a receipt for the amount and another when it's paid back so no misunderstandings can happen in the future about the amount and whether or not it was paid back.


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## swmnhay

deadmoose said:


> When did it become so much harder for a young farmer to start out? It couldn't have always been so tough. Was it in the 50s? 70s? Later? Earlier?


I graduated in 77 a lot of my friends and classmates started farming about 77-80 some went to vo-tech first.It was a upswing in grain prices then and easy to make money.$60 rent,$50 seed corn,$14 seed beans,$50 fertilizer for corn.Rent went to 120,seed and other costs near doubled also.Interest went to 20%.

Anyway I have not seen a time since the mid 70's that it has been easy to get ground to even farm.Either that or you couldn't get the money to farm it in the 80's.Competiveness and back stabbing people has gotten worse as yrs have gone by.


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## snowball

swmnhay said:


> I graduated in 77 a lot of my friends and classmates started farming about 77-80 some went to vo-tech first.It was a upswing in grain prices then and easy to make money.$60 rent,$50 seed corn,$14 seed beans,$50 fertilizer for corn.Rent went to 120,seed and other costs near doubled also.Interest went to 20%.
> 
> Anyway I have not seen a time since the mid 70's that it has been easy to get ground to even farm.Either that or you couldn't get the money to farm it in the 80's.Competiveness and back stabbing people has gotten worse as yrs have gone by.


X2


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## PaMike

mlappin said:


> The wife's family is pretty nuts as well, a drug head cousin managed to burn thru her grandmas money and her aunts and both their life insurance policies when they passed, then when his Dad died, the wife's uncle by marriage, he had the nerve to call family members asking for help paying for the funeral.
> 
> A couple uncles on my side ain't much better, the one is an engineer with liberal leanings, which strikes me as funny as somebody that deals with cold hard numbers should know better but anyways he's worked for Ford Motor Company then after earning a degree in aerospace engineering went to work for Bell than after retiring early he went back to work for Sikorsky Helicopter. Rumor is his uber liberal second wife was a tad too liberal with the money after he retired so back to work.
> 
> Anyways, after grandfather passed the liberal uncle had the nerve to ask when Dad was going to sell the farm so he could get his share of the inheritance, Dad dug the paper work out to prove he bought the farm from Grandfather in '71. Then another uncle tried to make off with one of the Olivers as he knew Grandfather originally bought it and that was his "inheritance". So back to the records Dad went to find the receipt for when he bought that one from Grandfather.
> 
> If father and I loan each other money for any reason we get a receipt for the amount and another when it's paid back so no misunderstandings can happen in the future about the amount and whether or not it was paid back.


I have taken to emailing my siblings. They are out of staters. I just give them a little FYI..."I bought XXX equipment from Dad". That way in 20 years, I can say "remember that email I sent"

Of course, who am I kidding, they wont give a crap about the old farm equipment they will just want their chunk of the 2 million plus dollar farm. I can keep the old shitty equipment that is a hassle to sell...


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## IHCman

Around here its almost exactly like Cy said. 70s was almost easy to get ground, in the 80s hard to get money to farm it. I was born in 1980 but remember what the late 80s and 90s were like around here and have heard it from Dad how much fun 20 percent interest was in the early 80s. Lots of guys got started farming and ranching in the 70s around here. 80s cleaned quite a few out and most of their land went to established guys that could afford it. I can't think of very many people that got started in the 90s other than a son or two that took over their parents place. Even in the early 2000s grain and cattle were both low priced around here and that kept land prices low too. Seemed everyone was doing ok but around the mid 2000s everyone seemed to start booming. Can't get over how many BTOs there are around here now. The high grain prices of a few years ago and the high cattle prices now sure seemed to help keep more young people around to start farming. Hope they stick with it now that grain is lower.


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## mlappin

IHCman said:


> Around here its almost exactly like Cy said. 70s was almost easy to get ground, in the 80s hard to get money to farm it. I was born in 1980 but remember what the late 80s and 90s were like around here and have heard it from Dad how much fun 20 percent interest was in the early 80s. Lots of guys got started farming and ranching in the 70s around here. 80s cleaned quite a few out and most of their land went to established guys that could afford it. I can't think of very many people that got started in the 90s other than a son or two that took over their parents place. Even in the early 2000s grain and cattle were both low priced around here and that kept land prices low too. Seemed everyone was doing ok but around the mid 2000s everyone seemed to start booming. Can't get over how many BTOs there are around here now. The high grain prices of a few years ago and the high cattle prices now sure seemed to help keep more young people around to start farming. Hope they stick with it now that grain is lower.


I can remember quite well the look on Mom and Dads faces in the early 80's.

I hear quite often as well about the banker that kept trying to push a 5 million dollar second mortgage on Dad so he could expand the dairy, bankers story was don't worry about paying for it, your kids can instead.

The above is one of and pretty much the main reason why we won't leverage the home farm to borrow at least a million to buy the other farm thats been offered to us.


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## snowball

The 80's...... now there a few yrs of my life I wish I could get out of my memory bank.. 20 % inter. was cheap in 83 try 24% and then the friendly courtesy calls from my banker telling me what it cost me each day I got out of bed.. just in interest...Laugh'n while his was giving me the numbers. They were all Like buzzards wait'n for each farmer to take his last breath.. in my area they wanted to land for development so they would help you fail.. I lived on PBJ sandwiches and warm Old Milwaukee beer as the hipsters say " Living the Dream " .. I was on the east side of the Mississippi River .. the Guys on the west side had it worse ... I look back now and see that was the birth of the BTO'S..and they are a major player in way a young farmer would have a tough go of it


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## swmnhay

Yea the bankers of the late 70's wanted you in debt.Money was easy to get.Wanted you to mortgage pd for ground to buy more.Most everything was on floating interest and then interest took off from 5% to 20+% some lost it all.


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## snowball

Cy after reading your post on this subject I've realized that you and I are the same vintage.. so I'am sure you & I put our big boy paints about the same time so I'am not telling you anything you haven't experienced yourself I just know I sure as hell don't miss the 80's and I'am glad I'am not that age now either. cause with today's prices and machinery cost it sue doesn't give a guy alot of reasons to take the risk


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## Hokelund Farm

It is hard to get into, but I don't think its as hard as everyone makes it seem. I think the bigger issue is that the new-comers aren't willing to do what it takes to get started and set themselves up for success. They aren't willing to start small and do what it takes to be successful in the long run. They want the shiny green tractors and 36 row planters that the big timers run.

Young and starting out you might not be able to farm in the way other established farmers are. You have to be smart, recognize good opportunities, and even more importantly recognize poor opportunities. Corn and beans here in the Midwest might not be the best option for someone starting out. Not many young guys are willing to live WELL below their means. Maybe you have to go work for a farmer for 5-10 years before you finally get an opportunity to run some kind of land.

I can't stand people who are always the victim - focus on the things you can control. Nothing works out exactly the way you would like it to. How you let that affect you is a CHOICE!


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## rjmoses

mlappin said:


> That don't surprise me one bit, got screwed out of the property next door in a similar way. Understanding always was we had first refusal on buying the entire property, no sooner than she was in the ground her prick of a son got a wild hair that he would make more auctioning it off instead. Karma is a B*TCH though, somebody didn't do something or file something right and by time it was said and done he ended up with less than if he sold it to us like he was supposed to.
> 
> We always had a feeling we should of had something in writing, but how do you bring that up to a 94 year old woman that we thought her only child was a greedy little prick and would screw us if he got a chance?
> 
> Great grandma should have had a will that left it in a trust or to her heirs with the understanding that the grandson would have first dibs on renting it at the going rate.


In Illinois, the Right Of First Refusal has to be filed with the County Clerk. They are required to tell you when somebody is trying to sell the property so that you can exercise your right. Even if sold at auction, you still have the ROFR.

I have this on my mother's property and my sister was trying to get around it. Didn't work for her.

Oh, and BTW, in Illinois verbal contracts are OK for everything EXCEPT real estate deals. All real estate deals HAVE to be in writing--not true in Missouri. Saved my bacon on the property next door!

Ralph


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## Bishop

Hokelund Farm said:


> They aren't willing to start small and do what it takes to be successful in the long run. They want the shiny green tractors and 36 row planters that the big timers run.


I'm always a little worried when I see a younger person starting out, getting a big loan, and first thing they buy is a brand new pickup truck......

The most successful young farmer around here started out with:

40 acres owned, 15 acres rented.

JD 4450, open station.

A ceased up JD no-till planter which he ripped apart and rebuilt.

A JD 4 row planter, which he converted to 30" rows with interplants for soybeans.

A cultivator that he built by fabricating two 3 bar cultivators into a nice 5 bar.

A willingness to help others.

and

*A really old Ford pickup truck.*

A guy like that gets a lot of advice, help, and custom work requests from all of the older farmers. Heck a few farmers that rarely hire in any work would throw him work just because they liked his gumption.

He's almost 6 years in now and going strong.


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## swmnhay

snowball said:


> Cy after reading your post on this subject I've realized that you and I are the same vintage.. so I'am sure you & I put our big boy paints about the same time so I'am not telling you anything you haven't experienced yourself I just know I sure as hell don't miss the 80's and I'am glad I'am not that age now either. cause with today's prices and machinery cost it sue doesn't give a guy alot of reasons to take the risk


Yea the 80's change a persons way of thinking.Just like the 30's made some people conservative.Now the 20 teens are going to be something talked about yrs from now.Hopefully its not as bad as the 80's if intrest went up a little it would be.I think farm debt is at a all time high just comeing off some of the best yrs ever in grain farming.Hmmmm to much new paint,Lake cabins and toys I'd say.Farming has been a roller coaster ride you better put some away on the highs to survive the lows or you won't be around for the next high.


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## snowball

I'am a member of another ag forum.. been jump'n between this 1 and the other been discussion about start up equipment.. easy to pick out the youngster's with the golden spoon up their butts.. new tractors and eq. then the smart ones talk'n 30 yr old 12,000 tractor and used 6 row no till planter.and fix'n bad bearing and hyd leaks in the field not in a brand new shop.. those guys have the will power and brains to make it.... it all started over a young buck say'n he need's a 60,000 FWA tractor to pull a no till new JD 6 row planter on 240 ac.. My pencil must not be as sharp as his I guess


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## hog987

Yup a fimilar story. Bob buys farm from dad. Dad dies. Siblings get their share of dads money. Than come after Bob for their share of the farm. But oh no not in dollars when Bob bought the farm. In todays dollar. Siblings want Bob to buy farm twice so they can live the easy life.


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## IHCman

Kinda going through something similar here. Dad and I have been renting a neighbor ladies pasture and hayland and another neighbor is renting her farmground. She is close to 80 and her husband passed away a few years ago. They've always been good neighbors and friends through the years. Got a call about a week ago that they were putting the yard, pasture, hayland, and 160 acres of farmland up for sale. Neighbor lady said they were having it appraised and she wanted to give the the renters first chance at it. Two days pass and the appraiser/realtor called and said it was going up for bids. Four parcels to bid on, top 5 bidders get a chance to up their bids. Kinda wondering where the first chance went. Pretty sure her kids (who have no interest or desire to farm) are just looking to get the most money out of it they can. I just know if her husband was still alive it wouldn't be going this way. He was a man of his word and there are certain neighbors he'd never want to get a chance to buy his place, but his kids could care less about his wishes.


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## JD3430

Little different perspective here, but farming also seems to have a bit of a "closed society" mentality to it. For me it wasn't that way as most guys here have been nothing but willing to help and only a scant few are obstructive and sarcastic. 
If a new guy is just starting out around here, it's tough to get direct hands training or help. Let's face it, that's just a new competitor. Why show him how to farm? How many times do we see threads whining about guys selling RBs on CL for $20 bucks? Most likey a new guy trying to sell just to get some cash. 
Once you're "in" and "accepted" as a farmer, you're Ok, but breaking into farming ain't like breaking into landscaping or roofing...


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## PaMike

I agree with JD 100%. I grew up on a farm, and dad farmed part time, but he never took it to the level I have. He never borrowed,rented or had custom work done. It took me a solid 5 years to figure out who you call for what. No one advertises, has signs out, or anything like that. Its all word of mouth. I guess when the same families farm the same land for 100+ years everyone is kind of settled in to who does what....


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## ARD Farm

It all distills down to cost... Takes big money and young farmers don't have access to that.


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## swmnhay

JD3430 said:


> If a new guy is just starting out around here, it's tough to get direct hands training or help. Let's face it, that's just a new competitor. Why show him how to farm?


I've heard the same story from different people so many times that they helped someone out only to be shit on later.Most times they are hired men and could of worked there way into to the operation and maybe owning it someday.But after they find out your customers they decide to go into business themselves.Selling hay for a bit less,paying a little more rent then you were.And in the end not making any money.

It's like the guy that calls me and wants me to buy his hay if I had a home for it and then wants to ride along.I got $10 a ton to haul it.So after the first load he tells the guy he will deliver it for $5 less for the next load.Well karma got him he got stuck in snowbank and blew a tire so it prly cost him $20 a ton to haul it.The same guy wants to always borrow stuff,not anymore!!!


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## JD3430

I specifically went into RBs because I knew the big guys were in small or big squares purposely to not get them all riled up. They don't feel threatened by me and we ended up sharing contact numbers and helping each other here and there. I did do some small squares when I first started, but quickly realized I was stepping on the toes of the BTOs. I'm not scared of anything, but didn't want the hassles and troubles of competing with them. Created a niche with RBs and they're much easier for a 1 man show.

I'm coming from a completely different perspective, though. I wasn't given any land, machinery, or hands on education.


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## deadmoose

JD-

I was not given any of those either. The few people I know who started with a hands on education, and ended up with some land and or machinery later were given nothing. They earned it from the time they were little.

I am sure there are a few who were given this or that (this states Gov being one). I believe those are few and far between. It doesn't take long for them to fail and sell it all off when handed something.


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## IHCman

I don't know of any that are actively farming/ranching that were given land. The ones that I do know of that were given land usually either sold it or rented it out.


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## JD3430

IHCman said:


> I don't know of any that are actively farming/ranching that were given land. The ones that I do know of that were given land usually either sold it or rented it out.


We have quite a few in my area. Parents were farmers and they grew up helping and eventually took over day to day operations of parents farm. When parents pass, they continue to do so with all the equipment, land and training. Sure beats payments, 5,000 on line questions and begging for land to farm.


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## swmnhay

JD3430 said:


> We have quite a few in my area. Parents were farmers and they grew up helping and eventually took over day to day operations of parents farm. When parents pass, they continue to do so with all the equipment.


well maybe they helped on the family farm for many yrs for little or no pay..Did other jobs also to buy into the farm and update eq as they went eventually owning most of it when the parents pass.Yea some are silver spoon farmers with everything handed to them but a lot I know had a opportunity to work into the farm and went threw some very thin times to do it.Every situation is different and I'd say there are more wooden spoon farmers that worked for it then silver spoon farmers that had it handed to them.


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## PaMike

JD3430 said:


> We have quite a few in my area. Parents were farmers and they grew up helping and eventually took over day to day operations of parents farm. When parents pass, they continue to do so with all the equipment, land and training. Sure beats payments, 5,000 on line questions and begging for land to farm.


Of course then their my family's land where Dad gets it appraised, hands the appraisel to me and says. Its good for 60 days. No other appraisels, no negotiations. Take it or leave it...Just remember not everything is like it appears...


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## 560Dennis

I'm very lucky my son and daughter in law want to continue to farm the family farm. 
I don't know the numbers of this family transion , I think it's low. I know I'm proud of them and try to assit all I can. 
As a father , it's fun to see some fresh ideas and see some slow but positve things already take place. I really hope it's not a rare thing. 
Aside , they work in small groups with other farmers in the area , Postive meetings once a month to share ideas that help dairy, grain orchard vetable, beef ,and winery people. 
I think that the future is bright. I hope I'm right.


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## IH 1586

PaMike said:


> Of course then their my family's land where Dad gets it appraised, hands the appraisel to me and says. Its good for 60 days. No other appraisels, no negotiations. Take it or leave it...Just remember not everything is like it appears...


I agree with "it not always as it seems" 15 years since my father passed I still get reports that that they don't know why I didn't make it when everything was "just handed to me" I tell you it wasn't handed to me. The lawyer mom used thought I should have the whole farm paid for in 15 years, instead got it down to where I was paying off half of it in 15 and renting land and buildings then paying off the other half. Now the the guy that was renting farm from mom got kicked out for not paying the rent. So he tells people that since I bought my grandma's house and now live on the farm I was the one that kicked him out. When my step dad happen to be talking to the father of the guy that was renting and heard that, he didn't even correct him. Between all this and the reputation my last name has, it's a wonder I have survived this long at farming.


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## PaMike

My wife is a CPA and worked in a public accounting firm. She saw a lot of peoples financials. Its amazing the things you see...Many of the "rich" are poor and many of the average joes are "rich".

Farming is a tough business financially and there are a lot of things that go on behind the scenes that most people don't know about.


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## hog987

PaMike said:


> My wife is a CPA and worked in a public accounting firm. She saw a lot of peoples financials. Its amazing the things you see...Many of the "rich" are poor and many of the average joes are "rich".
> Farming is a tough business financially and there are a lot of things that go on behind the scenes that most people don't know about.


With easy acess to credit now. You cant tell by looking at someone who is rich. I have a few millionaires in my family but no one would believe me if I told them so. My wife has a friend who looks filthy rich. But she and her husband are looking at their second brankrupt filling.


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## SVFHAY

JD3430 said:


> We have quite a few in my area. Parents were farmers and they grew up helping and eventually took over day to day operations of parents farm. When parents pass, they continue to do so with all the equipment, land and training. Sure beats payments, 5,000 on line questions and begging for land to farm.


you might be surprised on that one jd. When I was 20 I was making $3 hr. plus room and board and pay was 3 months behind. When I bought the equipment 2 appraisals were done and shop supplies included. I still have mortgage payments for another 10 years. This process is still light years easier than what you experienced starting out but I don't know of many farmers that haven't paid their dues in this area.


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## JD3430

SVFHAY said:


> you might be surprised on that one jd. When I was 20 I was making $3 hr. plus room and board and pay was 3 months behind. When I bought the equipment 2 appraisals were done and shop supplies included. I still have mortgage payments for another 10 years. This process is still light years easier than what you experienced starting out but I don't know of many farmers that haven't paid their dues in this area.


I guess I've seen too many spoiled brats with new cummins' with dual 8" stacks that make people who laid it all on the line and worked for everything they have look like sharecroppers just inherit everything. The parents and grandparents worked for everything, took all the risks and drove duct taped together cars die and give it to the kids. 
I'm sure there's plenty of stories where the kids work very hard and earn what they inherit.


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## Tim/South

I worked through my teen years, college days and adulthood on the farm with no pay. Getting to sweat was my reward. At no point was I ever told I would inherit the land. I worked my teaching/coaching job to pay my bills. All farm income went to Dad.

I remember handing my Dad $24K in a paper sack. I had arranged a cash sale for our cattle. Good price back then. He reached in the bag, handed me $500 and said I did a good job building the herd and baling the hay. That was the only pay I ever received. I was an indentured servant. It was all I knew.

Locals talk of how lucky I am to have "inherited" the property. They are shocked if I tell them I bought the farm 5 years before Dad passed away. I took over use, but not ownership years earlier and finally made some farm income for myself and family.


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## JD3430

In my area, I think the main reason is the exorbitant cost of land. Many existing farms are legacy farms where the land was purchased 200 years ago when land was cheap. Now land is too expensive to buy in mass quantity unless you inherit or are wealthy from other sources. 
In most cases the only option is to do what I did and knock on doors asking if you can cut the owners property in exchange for keeping the hay and building up acreage over the course of several years. 
That and the other factors, equipment costs, fear factor, SOME other farmers unwilling to help younger pups. I have also noticed many high schools in my area dropping their agriculture programs.
Then there's the hard WORK factor and not exactly the highest paying career factor. 
I think you farm for the love of it and if you happen to make a lot of money, it's icing on the cake.


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## Dill

Land cost is the big one around here. I got real lucky to buy my place. The fact that we were going to farm was a big part of the reason we got it as cheap as we did. There are a few "real" farmers starting up around here. And quite a few, hey I have a rototiller and a garden. I'm a farmer!


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## deadmoose

I pd off my cd on 10ac last week. Last 1500 or so. Again they told me how nice it was to see cattle on the place. First time since the 50's.

I am happy. They are happy. Good deal.


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## JD3430

deadmoose said:


> I pd off my cd on 10ac last week. Last 1500 or so. Again they told me how nice it was to see cattle on the place. First time since the 50's.
> I am happy. They are happy. Good deal.


That's great. Congratulations. 
I am seeing a slight trend back to the agrarian lifestyle. I don't know if it's for nostalgia or because many are feeling a loss of our roots in agriculture. One sort of discouraging thing I just found out in my township is that once open land ceases farming operations, it loses its "AG" status rather quickly. Some of the newer township board members have decided farming is more of a nuisance than a benefit. Lots of fighting over that. Very sad.


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