How far would you travel for land?

[Justin Hagedorn]

Hey all. My grandma asked me if I would like to rent her quarter from her... but its about 25 miles from our farm. I would love to get it, as it would get my feet in the door and help some of the older farmers from back home recognize me as a fellow producer. The timing would be right too, I'll be graduating from SD State with an AST major this coming spring. My question: is it worth the road time or would I be better off hoping/praying/waiting something comes up closer to home? Thanks for your time and thoughts

 

[Drew Nielsen]

If you want your foot in the door and get the older farmers to recognize you, you need to take it and show them how you farm. When you do that, you have a better chance of getting their land than hoping and praying.

[Jean Harrington]

Yes for sure, stay to one crop....this year...your older neighbors will see your interest and seek you out when they have land....what else do u have to do? :)

[Dan Coffman]

Justin,  this is a perfect opportunity for you.  Most individuals graduating from college hope and dream for something like this to happen.  This will allow you to build you own "home farm" near you grandma's land before you completely take over your dad's farm.  (I'm assuming your dad isn't retired yet and hasn't given you his farm)

[AJ Searles]

that sounds like a great opportunity 25 miles wont take u long at all. i farm in eastern nc some of my farms are  50 miles away  if u can just use ur pickup to move equpment it will save ware and tare on ur tractor.

[John Roemke]

Absolutely take what you can get!  Especially since it lets the old farmers around know that you are a serious producer, it would be worth the drive.  Also, I agree that putting it all in one crop would be a smart and economical plan, because you don't want to waste the trips come harvest time!

[bill reinhardt]

Hell ya its worth it i rent land 32miles away from me. Im now known in that territory.witch will open doors on other land in that place.the key is to have someone to tell you what the weather did there. And when you move equipment make sure you can get what u went there for done and get it home to move on. Works for me.

[James Kelly]

HEy man we are talking 160 acres right??? hey Im a young farmer in Virginia, if your not interested I would be interested in farming it.. lol idk how it is in South Dakota, but getting land is incredible hard in a 40 mile radius for me... I say go for it with out a doubt.

[AJ Searles]

the way i try to figure it is you can travel a mile for every 2.5 you are going to farm.

[Jackie]

I live in northern SD and we have a field of alfalfa that is about 20 miles from home and also our farm/ pasture leases of almost 6000 acres are from 10 miles to about 17 miles from home.  For where I live its just how things are and we've had to work our operation around it.  This is in addition to the 6 quarters that make up the farmstead area.  And it works.  I would take your grandmothers land and be proud to be one of the family still using it.  Our farm is a third generation farm and was homesteaded by my husbands grandmother who was a widow with 5 children.  I say go for it and never surrender.