Re: Do you make money farming crops? (need to be e

Posted by ShepFL on September 10, 2003 at 08:10:15 from (155.14.78.38):

In Reply to: Do you make money farming crops? (need to be educa posted by KURT (mi) on September 10, 2003 at 02:43:20:

Govt stipends aside I think that anyone farming today works two jobs to make ends meet. Some of us just to support our farming efforts.

The plight of the family farmer has been on the decline for quite some time. This is due to a variety reasons - technology, corporate farms, stipends, other job oppurtunities, global markets, etc. ad naseum.

For me I run a 20 acre U-Pick operation at a financial loss each yr. My 30 acres of pine trees just grow and one day I hope to get a fair return off of them. If my labor is free then I make a profit. It has been my experience that I cannot even give this food away - come pick it and it is free. Many, many lazy folks in the world today, they want the food only if me and my sons pick it, clean it and deliver it.

Farming is as much an art as it is a science. In the past folks were closer to the land and the natural cycles of their area. The economy was local and they grew what would sell locally, they could use for the family and the livestock. Not the same today but niche markets exist for those that can capitalize on it i.e. strawberries, bok-choy, etc.

I do the U-Pick for two main reasons -

1) stress relief from my day job (Sr. IT); when working the dirt you can see the results of your efforts. It is very gratifying to see a nice stand of corn and also very HUMBLING when the rain drowns out all you have planted. Plowing for me is the most fun and most fullfilling.

2) Heritage and Responsibility; my sons are being taught the agricultural heritage of our great nation and they are active participant in my efforts. As to the responsibility they earn their allowance by assisting. As their skills progress they are learning valuable life skills that will serve them later in life i.e. honest work for honest day's pay, critical thinking, finance mgmt, planning to name a few.

This yr. I tried a CO-OP which was marginally successful. Witnessed how incredibly lazy some people are - some folks paid co-op prices but never came to pick their food thus I had a surplus.

I also did some share cropping for some of the older folks in the area (this was both enlightening and maddening at the same time). I learned a great deal about myself, my boys tenacity and also farming according to the signs.

On the other hand, most of these folks are VERY SET in their ways - one gal was on me all summer about culivating from the tractor seart vs. hand hoeing her garden that had rows of 600 ft. long. All that said I will continue my efforts and not expect to get rich. My reward and payment is that there is nothing better than summer sweet corn in the dead of winter!!

FWIW

Follow Ups:

• Re: Re: Do you make money farming crops? (need to Glenn-WV 08:57:16 09/10/03 (0)
• Re: Re: Do you make money farming crops? (need to indydirtfarmer 08:38:10 09/10/03 (0)

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