Registered: Mar 2006
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 19374

Some of you guys who have land left around you to COONHUNT should be thanking the farmers! We ALL hate to pay more for food, gas etc... whether we are poor or rich. I for one am thankful that SOME of this country I love still has some farmland left....

Heck I have only 40 chickens left and I can't go anywhere without finding someone to feed them, gather eggs etc... no question farming is a 24/7 life.... must cost us about 10$ for a dozen eggs now...LOL.. and I till give them away or sell them for a dollar....
I would love to go back in time to the 70s when we coonhunted here in MA thru cornfields and huge nurseries... all sold for homes and golf courses now... I feel so fortunate to live next to a small farm with 200-300 acres of fields and orchards...it's ALL we have left of the past...
I send thoughts and prayers for the people who have the strength to continue to farm in this day and age!

God Bless the farmers! Happyhunting! Heather

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Registered: Jan 2006
Location: bronaugh,MO
Posts: 2595

I honest to god think were in for a complete rehaul of the way farming is done in this country.

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Registered: Jan 2004
Location: Pella, Iowa 50219
Posts: 454

I happen to be a third generation farmer, a few thoughts...

In a corporation setting a Ceo gets a nice bonus from the corp if his company is profitable.

Todays farmers are feeding more people from an acre of ground than ever before...yet until recently the price and the profit a farmer received from an acre of ground has not changed to reflect his increase in production. The country says.. thank you... and the farmers simply says... you are welcome! The people selling the required products to raise crops raise their prices...Implement dealers charge more and more for Equipment necessary to produce the grain. Yet the farmer has to figure out how to keep his machinery updated and in safe working order with out an increase in revenues from his farm. Yet the world feels that same farmer should not be to concerned about profit or loss. After all your job description is to just feed the world!

The Goverment came up with the farm program in the 80's to reduce the amount of acres planted and to help protect against soil erosion. the farmers did not come up with the program. Non Farmers found a way to buy property making the farm payments using the goverments money, we call that industrious. When a true farmer who makes his living from the dirt receives a goverment payment some call that welfare. How unfortunate that an occupational group that gives so much to the world is sometimes looked at as a group of people standing with their hands out!

I think pepole should be glad to have the food prices and the availability of food they do...just think if the farmers made a union and started to charge what they felt their commidity was worth, like the oil co. do!

Sorry to vent but this strikes a nerve!
MIke Van Wyk
Buckley Creek English

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Registered: Jan 2006
Location: bronaugh,MO
Posts: 2595

I agree with ya Mike.


Maybe the farmers should start an organization like OPEC.


I bet it wouldn't be long before the camel jockeys were willing to trade a barrel of oil for a bushel of grain.

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Troy Iowa
Posts: 2159

It would be great in theory, if farmers could hold out and drive the markets up. But, the fertilizer company, the fuel company, and the bankers want paid, too. Most farmers are just one year away from going broke. Oh, I did get a 'welfare' check this week. $426 dollars. That and another $1700 paid for the cart of fertilizer. I wished I could stay home and farm, but that is not in the cards. I have to go to town and work during the day to get my insurance and social security. I come home and work til dark every night doing what I should be doing during the day.

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Registered: Mar 2004
Location: Anthon, IA
Posts: 354

I'm still waiting for the government to send us the cattlefeeder a check or any livestock for that matter.

$5.50 corn, $120 hay, $4 dollar farm fuel, high feeder cattle. Ask the pig and cattle guy how their surviving right now.

It's great to see the grain guys get a good price. But look what it's doing to their input costs. Rents hitting 300 an acre, fertilizer's through the roof, and again $4 dollar fuel. If corn even backs up to 4 bucks it'll be tough for them to make money. I doubt it's going to happen but it could happen, sure went up fast, could go the other way for no reason at all.

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Registered: Feb 2008
Location:
Posts: 567

there was no farmers we could not eat,,THE FARMER IS WAY UNDER PAYED now and has always been under payed,,the farmers job is 24--7 ,i was rased on a farm and it is hard work and under payed,

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Troy Iowa
Posts: 2159

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sparky
I'm still waiting for the government to send us the cattlefeeder a check or any livestock for that matter.

$5.50 corn, $120 hay, $4 dollar farm fuel, high feeder cattle. Ask the pig and cattle guy how their surviving right now.

It's great to see the grain guys get a good price. But look what it's doing to their input costs. Rents hitting 300 an acre, fertilizer's through the roof, and again $4 dollar fuel. If corn even backs up to 4 bucks it'll be tough for them to make money. I doubt it's going to happen but it could happen, sure went up fast, could go the other way for no reason at all.

---

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Registered: Sep 2007
Location: Occupied TN CSA
Posts: 1877

Not gonna make me popular, but not here to win a popular contest, so heres my opinion... WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD. We farmed when I was growing up. Couldn't make a living at it. Dad went to work in a factory. I did to when I graduated high school. Didn't like working for someone else so started my own business. Made a killing in the 90's, saved my money, and spent it all trying to hang on through monkey boys last 8 years.

All I can tell you is what I see with my own eyes. Right here in my town a 'big' farmer has two boys. One built a 4800 sf house for himself, wife and one boy. Not to be outdone, his brother is building a 5300 sf house for himself and wife no children next door to his. The two boys sit up at the store every morning and complain there is no money in farming. Then you go to the site I listed and see where together they took in 7 million under 13 different names. WTH? Poor broke people don't build 5000sf houses. I've heard both sides. He tells me 'we don't set prices we have to take what they give' you set your own prices in your business. BS with a capital B. Just because I have a roll of carpet priced at 8 a yd, doesn't mean I'm going to turn down a customer that has 7 a yd to spend and wants that particular one.

Folks I'm telling you now you better get ready for sure enough hard times. No one is excluded. The common man can not get ahead today, just week to week. Thats ALL of us. Farmers, factory workers, ditch diggers and flooring store owners. We are at the mercy of chemical companies, yarn companies, and oil companies. They WILL get their money if it takes putting you out of business to do it. JMO and you have yours.

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"Kim Jong-Un speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same.” An actual sitting US President said that. Let that sink in.

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Registered: Sep 2007
Location: Occupied TN CSA
Posts: 1877

P.S. before someone says wingman thank the farmer you have something to eat...well thank you very much I do enjoy my frosted mini wheats in the am. Now thank me you have hardwood, tile, vinyl and carpet to walk on lol....

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I have to say yall got a good little support group going. Huddle together so yall can keep warm...trackdriver

"Kim Jong-Un speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same.” An actual sitting US President said that. Let that sink in.

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Registered: Jan 2008
Location: A High Mtn.in East Tennessee
Posts: 1415

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wingman66
Not gonna make me popular, but not here to win a popular contest, so heres my opinion... WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD. We farmed when I was growing up. Couldn't make a living at it. Dad went to work in a factory. I did to when I graduated high school. Didn't like working for someone else so started my own business. Made a killing in the 90's, saved my money, and spent it all trying to hang on through monkey boys last 8 years.

All I can tell you is what I see with my own eyes. Right here in my town a 'big' farmer has two boys. One built a 4800 sf house for himself, wife and one boy. Not to be outdone, his brother is building a 5300 sf house for himself and wife no children next door to his. The two boys sit up at the store every morning and complain there is no money in farming. Then you go to the site I listed and see where together they took in 7 million under 13 different names. WTH? Poor broke people don't build 5000sf houses. I've heard both sides. He tells me 'we don't set prices we have to take what they give' you set your own prices in your business. BS with a capital B. Just because I have a roll of carpet priced at 8 a yd, doesn't mean I'm going to turn down a customer that has 7 a yd to spend and wants that particular one.

Folks I'm telling you now you better get ready for sure enough hard times. No one is excluded. The common man can not get ahead today, just week to week. Thats ALL of us. Farmers, factory workers, ditch diggers and flooring store owners. We are at the mercy of chemical companies, yarn companies, and oil companies. They WILL get their money if it takes putting you out of business to do it. JMO and you have yours.

---

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Registered: Aug 2004
Location: NE/MO
Posts: 579

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wingman66
He tells me 'we don't set prices we have to take what they give' you set your own prices in your business. BS with a capital B. Just because I have a roll of carpet priced at 8 a yd, doesn't mean I'm going to turn down a customer that has 7 a yd to spend and wants that particular one.

---

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Registered: Mar 2004
Location: Anthon, IA
Posts: 354

Tim,
Ya we should have probably applied for that money. Since we had abunch of cows at the time. We feed 3000 head of feeder cattle year round and it's getting tougher by the day to fill them pens when your losing 200-300 bucks ahead right now.

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Registered: Sep 2007
Location: Occupied TN CSA
Posts: 1877

First of all wipeout should'nt you be out feeding the chickens or feeding them hogs for someone to shoot?

CC.. I don't set the prices the mills do. If I set the prices, everyone could afford what they want. What used to cost me 5.00 a yard is now costing me 8.00. Lets say I sold the 5.00 at 10.00. Made a 5 profit. Next time I order the same thing it costs 8. I just lost 3 of my profit. I can not make the mill charge me 5 again. Me and you are the in the same shape just reversed. I can mark the 8 at 16 and hope for the best. But I will tell you something that I learned long ago about business. Profit is profit and 10% of 5 is better than 100% of 0. You offer me 2 on something that cost me 5, it just depends if I need the money to operate on. You can't do that forever or you'll go broke. Thats why I say the money in the 90's I have spent trying to keep afloat in oo's. I understand what your saying about price setting. I can set 5 at 20 but doesn't mean you'll pay it. I am at your mercy on what you can pay. I don't mean to come across that I don't like farmers. Any job is hard and I know some farmers that are great people that struggle just like the rest of us. Just if I'm not making profit, I don't have sub's to help me out. The only way I go is out of business. I can only tell what I see. Don't tell me you are going broke farming while you're in the process of building a 5000sf house, drive a new truck, a new caddy for the wife, a new truck for 17 yr old Jr and a new mustang for 16 yr old Sissy. Like Grant said 'I ain't saying, I'm just saying."

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I have to say yall got a good little support group going. Huddle together so yall can keep warm...trackdriver

"Kim Jong-Un speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same.” An actual sitting US President said that. Let that sink in.

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Registered: Apr 2004
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 1120

Let me start off by saying that I live in a rural community that relies heavily on agriculture in all phases. I have the utmost respect and admiration for those farmers who can make it go and who can manage their operations in a profitable manner but this country has slid into a dangerous position with the current economical situation so I have a few questions and comments. My intent isn't to offend anyone, it's simply to get some answers that make sense to me and perhaps point out a few issues that aren't being brought up here.

I'm not a farmer but I work in an industry that relies on grain to exist, perhaps someone can explain something to me. Grain farmers in the midwest have formed cooperatives and some of those have built ethanol plants so that they can all have a dedicated market for their corn. The government thinks it's a great idea for us to trade food for fuel so they subsidize the ethanol plants. More and more acres go into corn for fuel so now there isn't anything hardly left to feed beef cattle, hogs, poultry or other domestic farm animals. If the subsidies are removed the ethanol plants would have to shut down because it takes more in fuel and cost to make a gallon of that product than they get back for the product itself. How is this good business? The price of corn is going through the roof, can't feed cattle or other livestock, cost of materials to plant and fertilize corn are driven up by the value of the corn crop and the demand for that product, available acres for other grain products are going down because so many folks are getting on the band wagon to make a buck on the high corn prices and this is driving up the cost of beans, wheat and oats...how is this good for the economy? All manufacturing costs are going sky high and prices can't keep up with the rapid increase in costs mostly related to the cost of fuel and by-products so more and more businesses are at risk of closing down. The farmers who rely on the grain crop to feed their stock so they can feed the world are now being driven out of business because they can't get the grain to feed their animals because it's mostly going to ethanol production or overseas as exports to foreign interests who are willing to pay a big price to feed their population. In the end, consumers are footing most of the bill and the farmers are also consumers so more of their added income made available by higher prices for their products, is now being eaten up by inflation so they're basically not much better off than before. It's an ugly, vicious cycle and it's time this country wakes up, including our government and the food for fuel policy they have been fostering. If we can't turn corn into fuel efficiently enough to actually have it make money without being subsidized...why in the world would they keep building those operations? Farmers earn their money for sure but cash cropping for fuel isn't an economically sound policy...not all farmers are feeding the world my friends, they're feeding a subsidized industry that's doomed to fail if those subsidies are removed...

How far off track am I on this?

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Registered: Dec 2003
Location: East Texas
Posts: 3970

Im glad the Farmers are finally getting some work back.
Ethanol is a Good thing. A renewable Fuel Sorce.
Also I love Garden Fresh Vegetables!!

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Registered: Oct 2006
Location: iowa
Posts: 47

Guys I work at a implement. famers are not living in boxes and eating out of dumpsters. allot have to spend money or pay it in taxes this year. trust me are repair and sales are very high. but with in puts going up if corn and bean stay up all is well but if corn drops to $2 again they will be losing money big time. Just like any owner of a company some years are profit some are lose this year is profit. but a $2 market swing could be very very bad. so we need to walk on glass on this subject not throw stones.
I for one think input prices have gone up so much for the up coming year and a very wet spring here in the midwest means that prices might stay up but overal production will be down. keeping prices up for the next year. Just remeber when the us money market (stocks) economy is up the farm is usally down and when the us money markets are down farming is up. (inversters transition money)
I am all for farmers I hope the farm bill still keeps some conservation in it. I only wish there would be more breaks for guys wanting to transtion a farm to a young person wanting to farm but not born into it.
just my thoughts

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Registered: Aug 2004
Location: NE/MO
Posts: 579

Topdog...

I'm not a farmer, but grew up on a farm. Have a M.S. in Agriculture Economics. Part of what you say is true and part of it is not. The corn people jumped on the ethanol bandwagon first, and thats why they are reaping the benefits. I have no trouble with us producing ethanol, but I think if we are going to use it, we need to have the right technology to burn it. South American countries have motors that can run on alot stronger ethanol blends than here, and yet get better gas mileage than US autos. To me, we can't produce ethanol and get worse fuel mileage...doesn't make sense. I can point you to an article written by a well respected ag economist, that estimates ethanol is responsible for about 25% of the food price increases. The other 75%....look at the price of diesel.

Wingman---I'm not doubting what you say. But here's the deal. We've got the same kind of folks around here. They own quite a bit of land...then build buildings, barns, houses, and fund their operation through loans that use their core land as collateral. Do you know, are they paying cash for all these nice things, or are they financing them. A farmer around here that has quite a nice house says if he's not a million dollars in debt, he's not going anywhere.

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Registered: Jan 2008
Location: A High Mtn.in East Tennessee
Posts: 1415

quote:

---

Originally posted by Richard Nethery
Im glad the Farmers are finally getting some work back.
Ethanol is a Good thing. A renewable Fuel Sorce.
Also I love Garden Fresh Vegetables!!

---

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Central Wisconsin
Posts: 535

Reality TV show.

-Why not have a reality TV show about farming. Take a bunch of think they know it all city slickers. Throw them on a farm and give them some money. See what happens. I bet not a one would make it. Lol. I think it would be funny to watch them whining and crying about how hard it is. I remember telling my teachers when I was in 4th grade that I was driving the tractor all weekend raking and bailing hay and they all thought I was full of it. Nobody ever believed me. It's definitely a family run buisness too!

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Registered: Sep 2007
Location: Occupied TN CSA
Posts: 1877

quote:

---

Wingman---I'm not doubting what you say. But here's the deal. We've got the same kind of folks around here. They own quite a bit of land...then build buildings, barns, houses, and fund their operation through loans that use their core land as collateral. Do you know, are they paying cash for all these nice things, or are they financing them.

---

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I have to say yall got a good little support group going. Huddle together so yall can keep warm...trackdriver

"Kim Jong-Un speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same.” An actual sitting US President said that. Let that sink in.

Last edited by Wingman66 on 04-25-2008 at 07:11 AM

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Registered: Aug 2004
Location: NE/MO
Posts: 579

So the government should not give them money so they can't take those loans nor afford to pay for their land and lose the farm all together. As soon as they lose the farm, some big corporate entity can buy it up, along with all the other locals, and start a mega farm operation in the region. See what happens then....wait, just look at the price of gas.

I'm not sure where you get that the government steps in and saves the farmers all the time. If so, looks like there wouldn't be so many farmers getting out. Looks like farms kids would be eager to return to the farm to have their life of ease. I was a farm kid...I LEFT! Do you have a clue as to how farm subsidies are calculated? I don't mean a guess, or "i think so", I mean, before you run your mouth, do you KNOW how they are figured. There are no free checks given out, and there are no "because you lost money" check mailed.

I agree with you that they need to stop having both crop insurance and disaster relief. Its either one of the other, no double dipping. I believe crop insurance is the way to go, BUT it will ALWAYS have to be subsidized by the government. Crop insurance breaks all the laws of insurance. Its not a confined incident like a car wreck (instead its widespread, drought affects an entire region, not just one field), and its not random like a house fire (instead its very predicatble, not hard to guess which parts of the country could get drought or where it will flood or hail). Thus, the government has to be a partial underwriter to get insurance companies to insure such a thing.

Last edited by CooperCreek on 04-25-2008 at 12:38 PM

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Registered: Jan 2007
Location: Al
Posts: 3069

I am amased at some peoples veiws , im am amased at their Jelousy of hard working peoples sugsess,while they never take into acount all the failures those same people have had along the way. i have lived in a farming comunity all my life , worked in the feilds ,picked up roots and pulled roots out of plows that got stuck while trying to get land ready to be planted, worked from daylight to dark trying to get a crop in before a big weather front came in to destroy what you had worked so hard to produce. worked from daylight to dark just to get it planted only to have a hard rain come and pack the ground so hard that what you planted couldent break through the crust of the earth, and have to go back and replant what you had already spent days doing.
I have seen time after time my mother set at a dinning room table shuffling figures around and trying to figure out how we where going to meet astronomical firtiliser and seed bill payments, and pay the light bill also ! yes I am amased how some people veiw hard work and are so Jelouse of the smallest amout of sugsess. I am not complaining though becaue i wouldent trade my life and the values my father tought me along the way for NOTHING ! they tought us hard work and pationce.

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: vt
Posts: 1256

subsidies are designed to keep enuff farmers operating to insure enuff food so everybody can eat--and to keep prices stable--not high

sort of like minimum wage--


are you jelous of anybody earning minimum wage ???

i guess that beats no job at all -



subsidies are to keep the average size farm or smaller farm operating--not make him rich.

farms getting bigger and bigger because they have too -

get bigger or get out - so some of the biggest farms do collect huge money-
they work it-so would you -lol -

i do wish they would somehow reduce subsidies to biggest corporate type farms

and get rid of the ones just used only for tax writeoff purposes-



if u think farms got it so good you oughta try it -

lot of them for sale round here -



i had a dairy farm for 15 years --

made money in about 3 of those years -

i did collect subsidy checks one year. lol


i cant belive im paying 4$ for a gallon of milk now but when gas was 50cents milk was $2-

so i guess milk ought to be about 15 now



i really cant believe any coonhunter would whine about farmers -

just go visit somehwere where there are none left operating
--

where do you hunt?

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Registered: Jan 2007
Location: Al
Posts: 3069

quote:

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Originally posted by 1782cates
look at the link above and tell me how bad these guys have it some of the top guys in my county receive over 90,000 dollars a year in free subsidies. I don't know about some of you but I think I could live on my current wages plus $90,000

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I cant help it that just made me mad
nothing i ever did on the farm came free, I worked my family worked, EVEN the DOGS WORK !

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