Do what you need to do, when you need to do it. Land is the only real investment. Money markets, stocks and such are paper instruments with paper value. Buildings, cars, cattle, and stuff can burn or die. Land itself is a consistant investment that serves as a hedge against inflation. When we had inflation in the 70s land appreciated in value. When we had deflation in the 80s land values dropped. Same scenario today. The key is that value never went to 0. Rent it out for enough to pay the taxes and interest if you owe anything on it and let it accrue the capital gains instead of banking the money and earning taxable interest or spending the money and having nothing to show for it.
Also, look at management changes. I calved in the winter, 60 day season, 75 momma cows when I was teaching school. Started calving at what was typically the first day of Christmas break and ended at the end of January (lots of snow days). Weaned my heifers and sold my steers off the cows. Kept the best heifers out to replace whatever cows didnt calve on time. Heifers calved in May, I weaned and sold all their calves in mid November so they would breed back with the cows. Hay, I did in June mostly. I designed what I did around when I had more time to do it. As far as maint of barns and fences, mowing, etc, I hired that done. Feeding was self fed round bales. I had enough hay rings that every Sat I could put out a weeks worth of hay. Once a month I had to scrape the manure pad.
I understand that this particular schedule may not fit what you need. Too many people arent willing to turn management on its head to accomodate time. We have a mentallity in agriculture about money, frugality, self reliance, etc. With off farm work time becomes the resource thats typically most limiting.
I'd suggest breaking it down. What do you like to do on the farm, what would you miss if it were gone, what do you dislike doing, when are your busiest times at work and your least busy. Then you can start breaking things down.
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Today's Featured Article - Grain Threshing in the Early 40's - by Jerry D. Coleman. How many of you can sit there and say that you have plowed with a mule? Well I would say not many, but maybe a few. This story is about the day my Grandfather Brown (true name) decided along with my parents to purchase a new Ford tractor. It wasn't really new except to us. The year was about 1967 and my father found a good used Ford 601 tractor to use on the farm instead of "Bob", our old mule. Now my grandfather had had this mule since the mid 40's and he was getting some age on him. S
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