DeereMan97 - 3/21/2024 06:12

I’m younger than you and in getting into this line of work have felt the same way. We have ground locally that’s gone $20K+/ac… who competes with that? lol

We’ve also seen cash rent go for $400/ac+ and I’m not sure how in the world that pencils out either.

Regardless, it’s a struggle, especially when you just want to build something worth having and it seems impossible to do it because how can you compete with those who inherited owned ground?

The only thing that makes me feel better is to stop, look around, realize that I’m farming and I’m making money. There are a lot of guys older than us who wish to the good Lord above they had 10 acres to farm, let alone 100, 500, 1000, etc etc…. If more ground comes, then good, if no more ground comes, then good, I’m still so privileged to be here doing this that at the end of the day that who cares if I never hit big acreage?

My acres are going to look like a show farm, my farm is going to be better than anything or anyone around me, I’m going to yield more, I’m going to be the best farmer of my acres that I can be. I’ll clean fence lines, I’ll make sure my tile inlets are perfect, I’ll weed eat around grain bins, etc… the big boys don’t have the time and resources to do that and will say it’s not worth the time, big acres/equipment seems to make them forget that there’s more to “the game” than big money.

Keep fighting, keep farming, keep moving forward. You’re doing a good job friend, don’t let those around you ruin your farming experience