Posted by Rich_WI on December 12, 2011 at 12:42:27 from (50.50.78.49):
In Reply to: Myth Or True? posted by Rdandersom on December 12, 2011 at 07:08:55:
I live in Amish country too and also see the Amish that have a pretty big bankroll. The thing is though, they have that for a reason. When you have 12 kids, even on a farm where there is always something that needs to be done, alot of your manpower problems go away. You have heard the saying that many hands make light work, well the Amish usually have 24 of them around. Also, around here, the kids are not "adults" untill 21 so all the money the "kids" make belongs to the family. The one family I know pretty well right now has the eldest son working off farm as a carpenter, second oldest working at the local cabinet shop and the 2 oldest daughters working at the cheese plant. Since kids are done with school in 8th grade, thats almost a decade per kid adding income to the family. If they have 12 kids, thats around 100 years of wages that go into the family. And you thought you had it good just because your wife had a job "in town".
Now, can you "make money" at farming with horses? Sure. Much? Not really. Again, the family I know well runs 12-14 milk cows and the milk goes to the cheese plant and gets made into cheese. The cheese is then sold and the farmer gets paid based on the cheese price so its a value added price, more than just a milk check so to speak. He runs a little under 80 acres, 35 at home and some other rentals, most small that the local farmers cant get into too easily. Think you are going to do that with 2 horses? Not a chance. He has 12 horses and still runs short. I keep track more now because when I first asked, he had 14 and at that time only 12 milked cows. The math just dont add up with those numbers. 14 horses to get milk from 12 cows? Losing money right there. Run the milk through the co-op and sell the cheese, you make some there but not alot. You are still pretty dirt poor at that point and you HAVE to grow and eat everything you can right on the farm. Not a big problem baause you have a ton of kids to do all the work but Im just saying, you dont have the option of doing anything other than that. Now, get a couple kids working off the farm and watch your income skyrocket. Thats when I see the Amish start walking around with rolls of cash like John Gotti. But you have to ask, do they have a wad of cash because they farm with horses? No, there are alot more pieces to that puzzle that you have to look at
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