|
Earlville, NY | Was just at a Farm Credit meeting, they had a few loan officers from California, South Dakota, Ohio and somewhere else. Lot of big farms selling out in California; crazy high prices for their land, along with the states always increasing minimum wage and hour requirements, environmental laws etc. South Dakota is one of the spots they're going to; the state is even shopping itself to big dairies from the West (Texas is another big relocation spot for the Californians).
What's a mega-dairy? Some people it's 1,000, to some it's 10,000. I have a college friend that milks at least 5500 in one spot in Colorado. They don't own much land, they sign year-to-year or longer contracts with crop farmers in the area for forages. Not sure about manure, I imagine sell it back to the feed growers or work into the contract for exchange. Couple of other farms I know that size are similar, contract all their feed so they don't have to make the investment in land, pay property taxes etc.
Farms like 1000 or 2000 cows will usually be looking to buy land or rent and outbid everyone though. Seen it around us the past few years. Some are good neighbors, some aren't; like all people, they are all different.
Agree with Russ, rather have the land stay in agriculture than go into housing, even if it is mega-size. I'd like to see smaller ones like a lot of guys would, but it's not going to happen. Capitalism rewards the get big guys.
| |
|
mega-dairy
