I grew up in the early 60s on a 30 acre small farm. We had 4 milk cows that we milked by hand 6 or so hogs and chickens and 20 acres tillable with a 2 acre family garden. It was a lot of hard work that had to be done but I grew up this way so it didn't seam hard to me. I learned a lot as a young boy that I still use this wisdom as I farm today.
One of the biggest things I can tell you is, Don't try to keep up with the Jones's! If you try you will go broke. My newest tractor now is a 76 model and I take pride in my old fleet that I farm with. With everybody having to work a full time job myself included, I found that what we did as a years ago still works today for several reasons. 1 we never had one crop a year to count on. We had 3, corn (to feed with) soybeans as a cash crop and wheat to sell and for bedding. We did all this in a rotation to help keep the ground built up and the manure would be spread on next years corn ground. 2nd reason is it gives you income more spread out over the year and most importantly it spreads your work out load out more evenly. Instead of trying to get 200 acres planted together maybe its 60 or 70 acres of corn followed by 60 or 70 acres of soybeans to plant. Come July 60 acres of wheat to harvest and bale or sell the straw to someone to bale. It will give you more time to do it right and do a better job with your crops. Last years $8 corn is this years $4 corn and last years beans at $14 are this years $12 beans. Well you get the point. Just don't put all your eggs in one basket, It never works out to good.
Being in your 30s and wanting to farm.... well there is nothing wrong with that and I give you my whole hearted support in wanting to. But you are going to have to find a balance for your life, Don't work yourself to death trying to do it. There is more to life than that and don't let life slip by because you have to go to work or the field, You will get to hating what your doing and that aint good.
Being a small farmer these day is hard, And getting started even harder. You have to pay more for everything so you have to make every dollar count. Phone calls are cheep and face time with seed and chemical reps can yield cheaper costs if he wants your business, Don't be afraid to ask for a cheaper price. As others have said a good mentor is always helpful but the bottom line is you, You have to make the final decision and live with it. So chose wisely young grasshopper.
Life is short, Do what makes you happy and live life don't let it pass by and have as few regrets as possible and you will do good. You sound like you are willing to work hard to get what you want and you want to farm, I applaud you for that. Especialy now with the give it to me generation. I would say all of us hear are behind you and want to see you prosper and make it. Bandit
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Today's Featured Article - Good As New - by Bill Goodwin. In the summer of 1995, my father, Russ Goodwin, and I acquired the 1945 Farmall B that my grandfather used as an overseer on a farm in Waynesboro, Georgia. After my grandfather’s death in 1955, J.P. Rollins, son of the landowner, used the tractor. In the winter 1985, while in his possession the engine block cracked and was unrepairable. He had told my father
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