Starting from scratch

[Brett]

Has anybody out there started from scratch? I have wanted to farm my whole life and hopefully someday(preferably soon) it will happen. If not does anybody have any suggestions?

[CB Sowder]

Hey Brett,
It takes long days, hard work, guts, a good dog, and the ability to adapt.
CB

[Morgan Paradise]

I am currently in the same boat as you, I am looking at all my options to see if it is doable this next year. I sure hope so. I currently work on a farm as a farm hand, but Im ready to take the leap myself.

[Brett]

Its good to know that im not the only one that wants to farm and start from scratch. I think about it everyday but right now im just trying to same money and pay bills off at the same time. We have alot of things up against us. I know i do but if you want to do it enough you will find a way to make it happen. I currently work at a soybean processing facility full time, work at a custom dairy heifer facility part time, and farm a few acres on the side. I want to do it enough i just gotta get enough money together now and find a better place to live and a place to farm. Take care and keep in touch!

[Erinn Bollinger]

we started in 2007 after moving from wi to mo, It was nerve racking the first time we milked the cows. we do rotational grazing to keep our costs as low as possible. the biggest disapointment was the cull rate our first year on cows that just didn't work for our set up. We milk jersey and jersey cross cows. I did alot of praying. the market right now i m still doing alot of praying just to keep going. I always wanted to farm too. It is something that is in your blood and no matter what you do that is all you want. Good luck and hang in there!!!

[Morgan Paradise]

It would make more sense for me to start a cattle farm or maybe even meat sheep as that market seems to be booming but its not my passion, I want to farm row crop, I have 78 acres of rolling hills that is currently rented out to a guy with cows and really thats all that the land is good for is either livestock or hay. I guess you have to start somewhere. I know for a fact when this guy decides to stop renting the farm I am taking the plunge with something.

[Billy Carter]

Youve got a rather good operation if you already decided to cull cows the first year.

[Justin Hintz]

I think that the best way to start in dairy from scratch is to find an older producer that is willing to work with a younger dairyman, I think that there a quite a few older dairymen looking for a young person to take over their operation. It is workin g well for me, you can learn a lot of things going to work on someone elses farm that my not your home farm or a relatives sometime good and bad.

[Jenn Krultz]

Although this is a great way to get started, I do have to caution you on this. If you're going to take over someone else's operation, you should either fully agree with how it's currently managed or be in a position where the current farmer will no longer be around the farm if you do feel the need to alter things. When things start to get changed, feelings start to get hurt. Even though that farmer will no longer own that farm, feelings of sentiment will always linger. I know of several instances where previous owners try to control how the new manager operates. It's an excellent way to get your foot in the door, but just make sure you fully know what you're getting into when it comes to transitioning. I'm glad it's working out for you, Justin, and I hope all goes well for others trying to get started.

[Zach Janke]

Jenn you are 100% rigrt i took over a 60 cow dairy from a retiring farmer  1 year ago and he still helps me witch i thought would be a good thing but he has farmed the same way for 50 years so any change is hard for him to take.

He has make alot of money doing it the way he does so maybe its not a bad thing to do things his way. I have noticed that old ways of farming are more profitable than the latest and the greatest.

[Carrie Delong]

We are currently starting from scratch. It's a long road. We are starting by buying heifer calves and raising them. We are currently building a heifer barn. We are constructing a flat style parlor. Most of the barn is there, we are preparing it to pour concrete. Our goal is to have about 20 heifer calves by the first of the year. About half of those will calve around the same time with the remaining half calving over the next few months after. Hopefully the parlor, milk hose and cow barn will be done by then. Not sure if this is the right way to start, but tit was the best way we could find.

[Andy Overbay]

My suggestion is to visit, visit, visit. You really can start from scratch BUT you can't have every bell and whistle to start (if ever) and you need to avoid as many mistakes as possible.

[Eric Baeten]

I know how you feel Brett! I live on my parents dairy farm and It looks like I wont be farming it! I do want to farm and it's going ot be hard to start out but if you set your mind to it you will get it done! I know people that started not to long ago and there strugling but they're still hanging in there!