A couple of notes I'd add: Keep your debt low. Buy used/well repaired equipment to stay out of debt. You can get by with older equipment by owning backups where you have two tractors to still get the work done if one breaks down. If you go into livestock you will have no vacations, you can't drop off a couple dozen cows at 'the kennel' to go on a cruise (make sure the spouse understands that). Goats will tear down your fences and pigs will dig them up, and apparently (we never had them but I heard) llamas die super easy. Seek out product niches, don't try to compete at the grain elevator with the guy growing five thousand acres of commodity grain. First is last too: keep debt low.
We used to make hay bales for horses but development has eliminated all the land around here. The idiotic Fed inspired real estate bubble has inflated south Florida to the point where every square inch is developed for homes, apartments, etc. Meanwhile the price of hay bales goes higher and higher at the feed stores, There are quite a few wealthy individuals here who have horses and other hobby animals. The only agriculture remaining is a few U-pick fields, veggie farms and tropical fruit groves. I always loved the square baling especially loading and unloading bales. Skid steer is the best, love it in the field versus a tractor. In today's inflationary economy I think farming will be a good career as time goes on. When I sell out my overpriced Miami and Keys home I am hoping to use that money to buy a farm somewhere. Grass fed beef is my goal because I am someone who believes in meat for food daily. Having a hay business on the side would be my part time job.
Awesome! I am wanting to start my own farm. Going to be following your videos and keep track of your continuing progress! Congrats on 10 years! Loving the dream, keep it up!
You bring out many good points my friend. It’s great to hear the 2 of you have been able to make it work for ten years that’s awesome! It takes so much hard work to grow and maintain an operation, there’s alot of young kids I’ll say that don’t understand that. My town job pays the bills and helps me be able to do the farming I do. There’s many hours spent before and after “work” working, only difference is it doesn’t seem like work when you love what your doing. Thanks for sharing!
I totally agree. For example if your budget is 300.000 dollar. Dont buy a tractor for 300.000 dollar but get a loan for it. Use your cash for seeds, fertilizer and break downs. Use quality equipment, like seeders etc. If you cant afford all that with 1000 catles, start with 700 catles, but make sure you have the right equipment. You can grow to 1000 animals. i want to be a farmer. But i need 3 million USD. So its just a dream. or the lotery must hit and i win big money.
Great advice I’m glad to hear some of your history I just assumed you both had off farm jobs to be able to purchase a farm like that that’s impressive you were able to buy a place I still haven’t been able to after all these years and I’m in my 50s great advice on the cattle as well I didn’t get cattle Toledo already been farming for almost 20 years they’re just kind of an ancillary business to eat not much money and it makes more videos like this very good
Great video, your story is inspiring to me, but I have two questions. 1. What is your method of selling bales, do you use a website? 2. Is education important? Should you go to college for a short amount of time? Or would that be a wast of money?
1. Social media, Take advantage Marketplace and groups, word of mouth, and auctions. 2. That's a tough one, most the time it's a waste of money, but some people would benefit greatly from a mechanic or ag class.
Sorry, I forgot to respond to this comment! Start with what they don't want and do a good job. People will notice and eventually start giving you a chance. Finding more ground is a struggle. And no programs for financing and such.
Lots of good advice. Yep any tractor can pull stuff but it takes nice impliments to do a nice job. You pointed out many of my mistakes! I bet its costing me a lot more to fix up our old farm than if I did a clean slate years ago. 5th generation starting basically from scratch. If I wanted to farm I had to rent and buy land.get my own equipment....
Good info, I agree about not skimping on the baler. I started doing small squares 10 years ago and I have slowly grown each year. Looking to maybe get into row crops as well in the next couple years.
