Sign of the times? Heck you were starting to see this trend back in the 70's. Back then kids were starting to flee the farm because they had already been worked half to death by dad who saw JR as cheap labor. And no, not every farmer did that. But some sure did. I saw the kids who wanted nothing more to do with that farm. What they remember still today was not having to nickles to rub together and hard work while the town kids might mow lawn of shovel snow, got an allowance but most important had time to be a kids. I was very aware of this because as a 16 year old I wanted nothing more than to be on the farm (new experience to me then) and they wanted nothing more than to run away. Heck, wife's own aunt and uncle went through this. In 72 when I met my wife they were BTO's of the time. 40 cow milking and 360 acres. none of the kids wanted to stay. They are in their 80's now. None of the kids wanted to farm. They sold the land out about 15 years ago.
Now that's where i disagree with TF. All the people who would have liked to have had that land and the buildings? The non farmers who wanted in were the ones who didn't have the financial backing. The BTO's were the ones poised to snap that land up and did. All they needed was the money to buy the land. They already had the equipment. When you live in town and the only collateral you have is whatever part of the house you live in that's paid for it's hard to get a bank to go for acreage plus equipment, plus livestock plus several years operating expenses. And then the person balks at the repayment rate and monthly payments. The bank is going to insist on new equipment. They don't want you back after 1 year trying to get 20K to repair a tractor that blew ans engine. Or trying to borrow more cause you can't get the parts for something. But the most important 2 things the banks want is a WORKABLE business plan and someone running things that knows what they are doing. And that really is the big thing that keeps wannabe farmers in town. Lack of experience.
So I don't expect to see the late 80's repeat itself soon. In the late 80's there were a lot of people who knew how to farm running around out there. Today there are a lot of folks with desire but few with the knowledge. The banks here are not going with that.
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Today's Featured Article - A Lifetime of Farm Machinery - by Joe Michaels. I am a mechanical engineer by profession, specializing in powerplant work. I worked as a machinist and engine erector, with time spent overseas. I have always had a love for machinery, and an appreciation for farming and farm machinery. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Not a place one would associate with farms or farm machinery. I credit my parents for instilling a lot of good values, a respect for learning, a knowledge of various skills and a little knowledge of farming in me, amo
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