Beginning Farmer Mistakes I’ve Made 

Well Done. As a MD (Harford Cty guy), we didn't get much exposure to farming. Back in the 60's and not having a family in it, but seeing the small farms never occurred to me how interesting and challenging farming is. Now with technology in the last 10 years, it is unbelievable. Your real skill might be in joining the speakers network and inform the newbies the difficulty in farming today. Yes the technology is there today but, markets determine if a guy can make it. You've been in the Professional Class of farmers, and get these you tube rookie so-called homesteaders out. Real farming is not cute or sexy. But really HARD.

Totally agree on the sprayer issue....speaking for myself

I watch you because I learn from you and frankly you're who I want to be in the next 5 or so years. We are both from PA, we both have dodge trucks, we both like CaseIH. It is freaky. Keep up the fantastic work.

Keep the videos coming pa farms don’t beat yourself up... great content man

Thank you for sharing , if we do not learn from our mistakes , we are bound to repeat them .

I agree, good luck in 2020 Bud👍

Great advice and wisdom.

Happy New Year! BTW, I don't recall ever seeing that corn crib... nice old thing.

Awesome!! Keep up the great videos, so appreciated.

Not sure why its taken me so long to come upon your channel, but you just earned a subscriber! This was a great video with timely wisdom.

Making mistakes is just lessons learned. I'm still learning even though I been doing it since I was 12 helping out on local farms

Thanks for this video I’m getting out of the military next year and I’m looking to start a farm this was very helpful!

I still find your videos more relevant than the massive farms with the huge machinery. I work full time and my hobby is my small bit of farming. It soothes my soul. I would have an easier life if I didn't farm but I wouldn't be happy.

Good content, as always.

Yes sir. We'll never be as interesting to watch as big time operations. But people who watch you might learn how to do it themselves. I was sick last summer when my old fords clutch went out while mowing hay. Didn't have time to fix it bought a 484 from my neighbor. Now it's a decent tractor, when I bought though it was a mistake.

I've always found that diversity can also help with keeping income levels somewhat average. Even if you have a bad year in one income, another may be really good.

Dealing with the exact stuff in SW PA. Trying to keep the small farms moving forward. Well done!

I'm a subscriber to your Channel PA I haven't got caught up on videos but I'm working on it and also give you a shout out because I like your Channel and I figured it would help you out you welcome bud nice to meet you catch you on the Next One

I'm glad the past year was good for you ,here in Eastern ont.,corn was the disappointment,moisture 30 percent and test weight very low ,yet yields were great.not enough heat

Forty years ago I asked an old farmer what he owed his success to. Nutshell answer, No new paint especially powered equipment is. Tractors, trucks, combines, etc. You can buy a new disk but in 2 or 3 years you'll still have to put new bearings blades etc. On it or you can buy an used disk and go ahead and do it...which I wouldn't buy a disk this day and time id be more comfortable buying a two way 3 or 4 bottom plow...a no-till drill or planter is a must buy. In your situation a good manure spreader and a chisel plow with a coulter set up to incorporate the manure i dont know what the Market is in your area but manure on pasture ground after last hay cutting incorporated manure and then winter wheat either soft red or hard red depending on market... and if possible notill dblcropped soybeans behind wheat if enough time....

Great advice from the older farmer about farming and buying equipment!

It's all learning... You just have to find out what you are good at. Lots of different haying equipment.. some costs more than others, some more labor intensive... As a cow/calf, hay and grain farm, we can't afford to buy hay. (Unfortunately, it has happened before.) Hay equipment, a decent mower/conditioner. A hay rake. A baler. A bale wagon...and of course, at least one tractor big enough to handle each piece of equipment.. a good bale wagon saves a lot of time and labor!!! Manure..... You are on the right track!!! Manure does NOT replace commercial fertilizer.. it works as a soil amendment, not a plant food..there is a difference!!! Manure from animals bedded with straw is a great one!! It gets hummus built up in the soil, creating healthier soil, thus boosting yields. Good video!!! I've known about your channel, just hadn't stopped by before.. I like what I see! You have a new subscriber.

Agree with you on that 👌thanks 👍

Well, you didn't get cattle, so that's good. I don't know where you're at, but Craigslist is fantastic for hay customers around here. I could have sold all my hay they last five years to new customers every year. Best money I ever spent was on a very new baler to ensure I could get it baled before the rain. But I will say, all my hay is single cut free hay. It carries the team every year. How far is your manure being trucked? That's my big issue.

Biggest issue to overcome is pride. That's why my dad had to give up farming. He was too stubborn and proud to admit that the world was leaving him behind. He was stuck in the 1970s, but in his mind, he was doing everything the RIGHT way, and that was final.

I must say tho being from pa. Hay is premium n I don’t see that changing anytime soon. But if you can’t get it off the field then I understand that struggle too. Awesome video man.

Words so true!!.I only have 35 acres to work with.1vtractor an old ford 800,some impliments.I need a bigger tractor and hay equipment.so everything I will purchase will be used.i have 4 more years till I retire.my wife's on disability as is my oldest son whom lives with us.our youngest starts college in the fall majoring in of all things farm and ranch management. I really want to do this,and run a few cattel as well.we will only do squares ,,because I can market it easier here.most folks around here already have round balers and sell it too.but lots of feed and farm stores need the extra hay for customers.i have already talked with 3 to 4 places,they ran out several times last year and had to pay extra to get it trucked in.which in turn they upped the price per bale to offset it.here I'm lucky to get 100 bales an acre but my big problem is storage.i need a hay barn.so looks like I'll build one soon.not contrsctingbit out will save thousands.Good luck to you. I'm always watching and learning.i will either build my sprayer or find one in an auction.But I'm going to look into the manure thing I'm very intrigued.Thanks.ps I'll take any advice you give.im still looking for a international 300 that's in good shape that you suggested to me last year.lol.im also needing a loader tractor too.life ducks without one.

Hit the nail on every head!

Your really been thinking stuff through . Have you ever thought about spraying compost teas on for added fertility ? The add a bunch of good microbes to the soil .

You can buy all the hay equipment you would need for around 12 dollars. Provided you have a tractor to do the work. Yah might consider selling that truck there and buy something cheaper ! Hay equipment I have.... A haybine I bought for 500 dollars. A New Holland 4x4 round baler 3000 dollars. A vicon 6 wheel rake for 300 dollars. 5 hay racks to haul the bales on ..around 150 dollars each( flat beds ). I built my own bale wrapper for around 1000 dollars. So.....I can cut the hay and bale it the same day ! No storage needed because its wrapped. Anyone who says hay equipment is expensive is sleeping ! Mostly its that people feel they need the " newest " equipment ! I use 3 steel wheel hay rakes on a tool bar for 15 yrs. Pulled all three at the same time. To double up the rows. Just drop the center rake out. Baling wet hay is the highest quality...... almost get an extra crop per year because your on the field and off the field the same day. Almost no leaf loss !

I have learned looking back over 40 years that figure out your cost per year for piece of equipment For example, a good new/used sprayer over 30-40 years can convince you to buy a piece of equipment. Worst mistake I made was NOT buying a good baler and averaging the cost of that machine over X amount of years Good video here, lots of good points. I just wanted to add a little insight I can see now.

In 2011 I had to restructure my farm after a death in the family so I sold of some equipment starting at the newest piece of equipment witch was my planter along with few other pieces. An after doing some research I never did buy a another planter a friend does it for me now

liked this video thanks !!!

Can you discuss size of farm, breakdown of money earned, etc. I am trying to figure out how to make a living as a new farmer. I am looking for a farm now but question which way I should go.

I thought you did very well selecting tractors and equipment. You bought good used tractors that can depend on and are easy to maintain/fix vs. the new ones that are loaded with electronic/hydraulic controls, DEF, regen equipment, etc. that need specialized tools and training to fix. You bought good used hay equipment that didn't cost an absolute fortune but you could still depend on. As for spraying, if I was still in farming, I would contract that out (especially with licensing and courses you have to take to handle some chemicals here in our area) but I would buy a used planter to do my own planting. The combining, yes, probably better to also contract that out but I would think about one if I could find a good used IH 815 or 915. Problem with the hay I think you nailed - you didn't have a large enough percentage of your crop to make it worth paying for the hay equipment.

You're buying manure? I have to pay to get rid of it. I agree on the equipment. A salesman at our local New Holland dealer always says that the price for milk isn't going to be higher when I buy more options on a new tractor

Same here I want to own as much of equipment as I can but luckily I have a handbrake on that it's called a wife lol

Years ago I asked a friend who was a fairly successful farmer in East Arkansas several years ago. I asked why he'd been so successful over the years. HIS REPLY' "" I AVOIDED NEW PAINT.. FADED PAINT IS BETTER!!!!

Thank you for this advice! How much land do you farm?

I was under the impression chicken litter was only good source for N

Good info! I actually am doing a three part series on farm finances for small farms. The first video in the series publishes tomorrow!

I am a 1st generation hay making farmer and only started in the fall of 2019. With the purchase of a tractor, a drum mower, a wheel rake, and a small square baler, I tried my hand at harvesting 2nd cutting hay last year, as our local farmer had already custom harvested 1st cutting. Things did not go as planned due to a couple break downs resulting in a missed weather window. The weather turned after the break downs and we actually had to compost all 159 bales a month after baling due to the bales becoming extremely moldy as well as having to leave a several windrows in the field unbaled. Currently, I am a part time hay farmer (estimating 609 - 1,109 bales per year), but my goal is to eventually become a full time hay farmer (9,151 - 16,619 bales per year). Any words of wisdom?

In reference to big box lawn mowers, comment's were off. I bought a Husqvarna LGT2554 at Lowe's and I knew my deck was unlevel and sure enough, it was way out. So I leveled it up, cuts a lot better now, lol. I keep up the maintenance work, but I think there is one zerk fitting I can't find. Any in suggestions? Thank you, John

In my part of PA, the schedule of the folks who provide my chicken manure does not work with my manure plan. Fortunately, we have an unused trench silo that works terrific for storage. Keep it covered and there is virtually no leachate. You just have to be creative.

Small farmer from ohio I mean small. Grew up on a dairy and sold out. Now I'm doing hay and row crops. Crops are what pays the Bills. BUT if you don't upgrade your equipment ever so often you spend more time fixing them then you do running it. Trust me that will put a damper on your income also.

Wish you would post more. Been dying a little every time I look up your page and there is nothing.

if you can do it over again , would you do crops first or hay?

Manure is great if you can get it. I've been a full time farmer for a long time and no way can I own everything I need. Sometimes it makes sence to hire some else with the high end equipment to do some jobs and let them take the depreciation hits. It also opens up time to get other things done and maybe take on a little custom work on the side to help pay for the equipment you do have.

I did my own experiment accidently and i found that piss works alot better than other fertilizer

How did you get that great building for all your equipt

Be careful with chicken manure. How it was composted and how you store it. We found here in Oregon that we were buying symphylans because the love chicken manure to breed. With losing Lorsban soon you will have nothing to control them.

My problem is finding reputable dealers to purchase used equipment from. I suppose a lot of my trouble is the way the large "Cowboy" dealers close to me treat small-timers. These dealers... ok, Stitzel and Zeisloft, are well known in my part of PA for selling off-lease and used equipment from other dealers. So far my track record for hay equipment (a New Holland 472 and a 57 rake) hasn't been too good. I found dealer-done re-welds on both machines... whose existence they do do not acknowledge nor can they explain. On the other hand, the new equipment dealers have hardly any used equipment (because they sell it all to the Cowboys... I know). Where would you buy good used machinery if you needed something right now?

Well when I look in your shed my first thought is 5 tractors 1 ass. Lol. I am surprized the hay is not your best income. Round bales here are going for 100 bucks. I guess it depends on location but the way I look at it everybody grows corn and beans. Corn costs us about 600ac to put in and we need 3 tonne to break even and can be tough. You might be better to buy a planter and hire the spraying done. We pay 15$ ac for spraying and they in and out so fast. I am sure planting no-till would be double that but I could be wrong. Ag phd say hire the 5$ jobs and do the 100$ ones your self. My numbers are Can.dollars.

I am a self sufficient farm gurl, and a very small one to in stature and size of farm, Sprayer yes and is the most money I spent on a piece of equipment,

Most of the time equipment holds it value

With all that said , with in your operation ; 5 tractors , Yes we all like and want more tractors but 5 tractors just isn’t practical with what your doing . A small chore tractor , a large power house tractor and a loader tractor is all we need . Just my opinion . 👍

How many tonnes per acre of manure?

We don’t have to a manure plan here. we just spread it but I have seen some farms burned up with chicken little. You can ruin a farm in you just keep dumping chicken litter on it

I think I would trade hay equipment for a good no till planter upgrade the sprayer. Don’t know your acres but if your over 100 it doesn’t take long for the dollars you spend hiring it custom done out weigh the price of the planter and sprayer. If you got out of the hay business and subleased those acres you could trade around on tractors to get something with a cab. Just my 2 cents

I’m 17 and have wanted to start farming ever since I was just a little boy I’ve worked with equipment from a young age I got a job offer as an operator but unfortunately I have to turn it down for something more stable, so as a kid who lives in town and doesn’t have any family history of farming do you have any suggestions/ steps I could take to the process of starting from complete scratch

I wonder if your hay sales will be higher this year

Round bales are much easier

Why do you have so many small tractor

I don't care what kind of manure if its pig, cattle, sheep what ever I'll take it any day over buying the stuff out of the bag. I also like the equipment and working on it owning it but long ago I realized it has to make money. I see people raking hay with a 300 hp tractor when a 50 hp would be more than enough to do the job. I never had that kind of money and would sure like to own better than I got but I know better. I got about 18 acres of good hay ground I just bush hog every year because people around here think their doing me a favor baling it. It would feed their cattle not mine. It pisses off the neighbor every time I mow it.