Dl6—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 14,1980
To farm or not to farm ...?
How many of us have
heard someone say, “If I
knew then what I know
n0w...”?
Most of the time, that
person is referring to a
major decision m life that
might have turned their life
around if they would have
made the ‘right’ decision.
Young or old, there are
times when everyone would
like to know whether they
are making the “right
decisions for their hves.
Take for instance Mr. and
Mrs. W.R. Leonard of
Magnolia, New Jersey.
Mr. Leonard writes:
I am 40 years of age and
would like to get into far
ming (preferably dairy) for
making a living.
I have had an interest in
farming for many years and
have worked for a farmer In
Bordentown, N. J. during my
vacations. He feels, after
working with me and
showing me the ‘ropes’, I
could make it
As of now, I have a 10 year
old, beautiful bi-level home
in New Jersey that I could
sell very easily. I have a nice
paying job in Philadelphia.
And, I have a wife and four
elementary-school-age
children.
I would like to sell my
home and go into farming
either on a full or, if need be
until I can get started, a
part-time basis.
But, I need someone to go
over the many, many
questions that plague me
before making that final
move. I have talked with a
county agent in Burlington
who tried to discourage me
from going into the farming
business.
I would like to know if it
would be best to go into a
small farm and keep my
present employment, which
would insure me of a decent
income or leave the position
I’m in now, sell my home,
and go into a larger farming
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operation full-time (which is
what 1 really want).
The main problem would
be supporting my family
when just getting started in a
field with which I have very
limited knowledge.
I am extremely ambitious
and hard work doesn’t
bother me at all, especially
when it’s for something I
thoroughly enjoy.
Could you please tell me
who I could get in touch with
to go over my plans and
questions I need answered so
badly?
Well, if you get any of the
feelings I got after reading
Mr. Leonard’s letter, you’ll
be filled with mixtures of
‘Good for you’ and ‘You’re
absolutely crazy’.
How do you answer a
question like that ... one
that could influence this
person and his family for the
rest of their lives?
First off, Mr. Leonard, I
know of many people who
would be glad to answer your
question of “to farm or not to
farm”, but they would be
biased toward their own
interests.
If you talk to a realtor
about a particular farm,
they will be the fust ones to
tell you how great the farm
is for raising kids, getting
away from the rat-race of
city life, and maybe even
raising some animals and
crops.
Your financial advisor will
probably tell you there are
better places to put your
money, and it won’t take any
effort on your part to make
money.
Let’s face it, unless you
have at least ten years of
experience, all your
equipment and cows, plus a
cheap farm in the works,
most bankers and county
agents will wrinkle their
foreheads and sharpen at
least a dozen pencils when
you sit down.
Who should you talk to? I
recommend you sit down
*®T !rn
Sales & Service
717-354-4971
and talk to yourself first.
Sounds abit crazy, huh?
You need to ask yourself
‘Am I ready to make the
sacrifices that farming
demands? Can I live without
a four-week paid vacation?
Can I give up a job that
provides a steady salary
with predictable hours? ’
Try to put yourself in the
farmer’s boots 12 months out
of the year, 24 hours a day
because those are the hours
of a full-time farmer.
Next, ask yourself, ‘Do my
wife and children want to
farm, too?’. If you don’t have
their support, you’ve
already got one strike
against you on an uphill
battle.
Once you’re sure you have
the farming ‘bug’ in your
blood and you’re ready to get
up before the sun rises and
go to bed long after it sets,
you’re ready for the next
advisors.
Arm yourself with all your
financial records, tax
returns, property values, et
cetera, and sit down with
your accountant, lawyer,
loan officer, or farm
management specialist.
The important thing to
remember is to consult
someone who will more than
likely remain objective. You
need their unbiased
assessment of thb economic
feasiblity of your proposed
fanning venture. You’re too
wrapped up in the emotional
desires of wanting to farm to
be 100 percent realistic
Once the figures have
painted a picture of financial
loss or income, you will be
able to see whether you still
want to forge ahead with the
farming idea or give it up.
If you’re like most of us,
even if the economists say
there is no way to make
money in farming, you’ll
probably still go ahead.
There are so many factors
that come to play in whether
a farm operation is a success
or failure. These types of
things will depend on where
you plan to farm, the cost of
the land, the length of
growing season, the types of
crops that can be raised, the
closeness of markets, the
cost of livestock and
equipment, and your ex
perience.
In farming there are no
guarantees—it’s a gamble
whether you’re just starting
out or have been in business
for years.
My recommendation is.
pick an area where you and
your family would like to
settle; scout out the area for
farm sales; talk to some of
the farmers, especially
dairy farmers if that is the
direction you’re heading;
find out who they ship their
milk to and if they have any
problems with handlers,
inspectors, housing
developments, planning
commissions, or anything
else.
Once you have a specific
area and farm narrowed
down, it will be a little easier
coming up with estimated
costs of establishing your
farm operation.
Then you can go to the
local USDA offices for in
formation on loans available
to help farmers, support
programs m case of crop
failures, and conservation
programs. This information
can be obtained from the
Farmers Home Ad
ministration and the
-Agnculural Stabilization
and Conservation Service.
The Soil Conservation
Service can take a look at the
soils on your prospective
farm and tell you what crops
will grow best, what the
expected yields would be,
and if there are any special
limitations.
You can always contact an
agricultural university in the
state you plan to settle m,
and talk with their farm
management specialists
about your plans and ideas.
In Pennsylvania, you
could contact either Penn
State or Delaware Valley
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Look to the leaders in the
area where you want to
settle and talk to them.
Study the various
management set-ups,
croppmg systems, equip
ment, and breeds that other
farmers have m their
operations.
Start attending special'
training workshops, taking
short courses in record
keeping, feeding, and other
areas where you might need
more information. And, read
newspapers, periodicals,
and books so that you keep
up-to-date and develop a
reference file for special
problems.
From what you’ve said in
your letter, I would
recommend you get mto
farming gradually over a
five year period or longer.
The fact that you are 40
years old won’t affect you m
farming where there is no
mandatory retirement age.
This will give you the time
and experience you need to
leam first-hand the m’s-and
out’s of farming. The outside
income of another job will
help to smooth over some of
the mistakes without making
financial set backs mto hfe
or-death situations.
You might even consider
working for another dairy
farmer full time, com
pensating the normally
lower salary with the
education and the first hand
experience your family can
have living on the farm.
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It’s a tough decision, no
matter how you look at it.
And, no one will have all the
answers for you.
The main thing to
remember is not to becomon|
discouraged with**
pessimistic people. Most
farmers will tell you they
don’t make any money, and
farm specialists will tell you
that you can’t get into
farming without money, ana
a lot of it.
On the other hand, don’t
just talk to farmers with
white-board fences, milking
parlors, and show champion
cows. Those types of
operations are mce to dream
about and aim for, but they
take time, effort, and dollars
to come true.
I guess what I’m trying to
say is ‘How badly do you
really want to farm?’. ‘Are
you willing to lose
everything you’ve got now if
you should fail?’
If this doesn’t make you
miss a stride in your steps to
become a farmer, then climb
aboard the tractor. I’m sure
you’ll find your fellow
farmers supportive, full of (01
helpful advice and willing to '
teach a semi-greenhom like
yourself.
Like one dairy farmer said
to me several years ago,
“Just shut your eyes and
jump into farming with both
feet. When it comes down to
whether you sink or swim,
you’ll paddle alot faster if
you’re in the water rather
than standing safely on the
shoreline just thinking about
getting your feet wet.”
:est