Younger farmers

[Nick]

What do you all think is the biggest reason(s) that the next generation is not continuing the family farm? Do you think it is a lack of contingency planning or is it just too much work, they would rather live an easier 8-5 life with weekends off?

[Anthony Adams]

I think too much work, not only too many hours, too much hands on, not all just sitting in the tractor hitting resume. I also (being a beginning farmer) hear a lot of old timers and even middle aged farmers and farm related people that tell me to go back to college and do something else or that they wish the best but probably wouldn't be stepping in like I am when they were my age if in this environment. That ain't stopping me though, I've seen success in my operation and see too much more oppurtunity around me. I know a few guys that are stepping into their family operations and doing well, but also know one of my neighbors that may have a daughter that takes over, but his sons entirely burnt out, resents the farm. Beyond my comprehension, guess thats probably cause I've got to build what I'm doing, he could walk into a 8000 acre operation but will probably walk away right after HS graduation. Too much work and not enough interest I guess

[John Wildermuth]

Maybe just too much of a risk for the amount of capital it takes, maybe its just the capital it takes, maybe contingency plans, or that its easier to get 50 hrs pay for 40 hrs work in town than it is to get 20 hrs pay for an 80 hr week farming. I think every situation is different. The two most common themes in my area are finances, or personality conflicts in the family.

[Micycle]

I think there are many reasons. I agree that finances is a big obstacle for many folks, not to mention the long hours. Our culture really encourages greed, and values money very highly. There are definatly people in my life who have a difficult time understanding why I would want to become a farmer when I could make much more money, working fewer hours working behind a desk.

Having grown up in the city, and suburbs most of my life, farming was never offered to me as a possible career option until I was in university and started to meet farmers. So the knowledge to get involved in agriculture was a pretty steep learning curve when I first worked as an apprentice on a organic farm.

[Michael]

Well if it’s like my family you have people like my MOM. She always wanted us to go somewhere else than the farm, she wanted us to "do better" than Dad did. Well guess that kind of blew up in her face when both my brother and I returned. I think many people would like to farm, but either the father is not ready to give it up...nor is the farm able to support another generation. Well that is our situation, dad is not ready to scale back and we don’t have enough for all of us...so both me and my brother are working and helping to expand the farm as much as we can. Never once have I felt that an 8-5 job is better....farming for me is more of a way of life...a lifestyle...never looked at it as a "JOB". Besides I know that several of my high school classmates that work the 8-5 jobs don’t have near the assets, nor do they live the lifestyle I lead. I think my life is "greener" than theirs!

[Michael]

Don't you have plenty of "toys" on your farm? I know my buidling is filling up with them FAST with all sorts of fun toys!

Susan Frey said:

I've been thinking about this all day.

At the risk of sounding like an old grandpappy, "kids these days" are more in to instant gratification. Our culture as a whole is so used to being able to get whatever they want, right now, right this second. The thought of having to work hard or save up for something is kind of becoming a thing of the past, in my opinion. It just seems like farmers understand that not everything is going to be great right away, and you're going to have to work, and work hard for your crop. And you're probably not ever going to get rich - but you'll get by on what you have and that'll be good enough. It's like some other folks said, a lot of people don't understand why any farmer would prefer to work endless hours for little pay. But then you stop to think, that a lot of this country doesn't even realize where their food comes from.

I know a handful of younger folks that left their family farm as they turned 18. They all work jobs where they get the weekends off, make good pay and buy plenty of toys. If you asked them why they didn't want to farm, they'll tell you that they didn't want to be stuck in the same place they grew up in, working like crazy, poor as a pauper, driving the same old pick-up truck for the rest of their lives. Nothing wrong with that I guess, it's just such a shame to see so many places being sold off and growing houses instead of crops because none of the kids took an interest in taking over.

[Dale Holdgrafer]

I think there is people that want to farm. But they are working a offfarm job to save some cash to start farming. Or also have no desire wanting to farm. I never went to college I started renting land, and worked a offfarm job. Maybe some of them went to college want to farm but have student loans to pay for. It's a tough old world out there.

[Kevin]

For me its too much fame and fortune. I'm tired of all the paparazzi, fan mail, woman leaving me phone numbers and lavish all expense paid dinners from farmer recruiting firms. I mean, who can farm with all that distraction?!

Hehe. Kidding of course. Its the income crisis we farmers are facing. Although I'll always dream of my first reasoning...

[Hinfarm]

I think the there are a few different reasons.

The first being $$$$, either they can't get it to start or they won't make enough to make it worth their while.

Second, I think most of this generation is lazy. I was talking to a guy one time that was 3 or 4 years older than me and he said "I had a long week at work this week, I put in 50 hrs.) I asked him why he didn't go back to work after Wednesday? He just looked at me. I have worked with alot of "tough guys" who thought they were really something unloading hay, and then they didn't come back the next day. Look how many people who made good money chose to stay unemployed instead of taking a job that pays less.

Third is where do you start? Land is hard to come by unless you have an in with someone you will have a hard time getting more land. Also in most places it doesn't pay to own land. Why pay $3000 an acre for it when you could rent it for $50?

I have thought of saying to hell with it myself more than once, but I don't know what I would do with all of my time or money(haha). It is one thing to work for free but it is another to pay to work.

[Harrison Krey]

As far as toys ya. got the drag nova and drag banshee setting in the shed. I always got told to go to college try something else and when i decided i wanted to farm my family was more then behind me. It would be nice knowing you had a check coming every other week but i love what i do every day.. And thats more than worth the pay check.

[K2]

Ill take a different route. We dont need them. We are trading people for machinery at an incredible rate. Look at the harvesting capacity of an JD8820 and the JD ..... smallest they make 2X?. Communications are better. I can snap a picture on my cell phone of a break down and send it to the dealer mechanic for the magical twist to get the bearing loose. When was the last time any of you took a hoe into a bean field. We are generating enough management talent from the existing farmer base and mechanizing out of operators at a steady pace. I dont think the hard work is to blame. There are enough of us crazies, myself included, that love the life style and would gladly do the work. I agree the capital is an issue and in many places other employment opportunities.
One other thing. The farm lifestyle grooms some great off farm employees. They now how to work hard and handle set backs. A lot of farm kids find themselves incredibly succesful in what was meant to be a short term off farm job. The employers take very good care of this kind of talent. I know I jump at the chance to hire a well farmed seasoned employee.

[Deborah Niles]

Farming was never offered to me though I could have become a commercial fisherwoman....I work about 50 hours a week in a job that I really like but I sure can't wait to leave here in 2 years and go to work on my farm....I will still hold an off the job farm but can honestly say that as much as I like my current job (accountant assistant/office manager), there is nothing like starting up that tractor and heading toward the field...I love getting up at 5 to check on the animals, working in the fields, mending fence, and all the other farm "chores" are not work to me - they are apart of a lifestyle that I love....I love when I get to visit my farm and go home dead tired at the end of the day and then get back up the next day and do it all over....I would say that trying to get into farming has been difficult for a few reasons: 1.) the funds to get started with land, equipment, improvements, etc. 2.) our lack of knowledge as we do not come from farming families (last farmer was 3 generations ago) and there has not been a lot of help available to gain that knowledge so we learn as we go or at least try to.....I am apart of both the 9-5 world and the farm world...I will take the farming anyday over the 9-5.....I'd rather live in the chicken house than a big ole' fancy house in the city....

[Corey Austin]

Theres so many reasons.... Id have to say the hardest for me was the lack of support. Its hard to get a start when everyone tells you do something else. At one point they said go to college and do something better. It makes it difficult to make investments of that kind not knowing are they gonna be there to help me on the knowledge end or let me flop like a fish outta water.
I also think Its hard for some people who get the 9-5 to go back to a 24/7 kinda life. I know my generation is lazy as heck. Most of the kids i went to school with havent seen a hard days work in there life and probably never will. I know my decision to come home and farm has cost me things that i really cared about, but in the end i like to be able to sit back at the end of the day and have that feeling of accomplishment that you can never get from a cushy office job.