Can it be done?

I know it's asked a lot if you can live off of farming, but I would like some real non biased input.
I'm 21 years old, been farming with my grandpa since I could crawl.
We have several tractors, as well as my grandpa does also. We have a chisel plow, disc, drill etc. We have a small combine but it's slow.

I would like some input as to what it takes to live off of grain farming. I have farmed several acres on my own but we've never lived off of it. We not the typical 21 year olds (me and my girlfriend) that are constantly bashed in this society these days. We just bought our first house.

Our equipment is in good to very good shape. Everything is useable, and my grandpa has a full line of grain- hay equip.
We have the chance to farm 180 acres next year (hopefully). What can we expect for an honest profit from this. I know this is a question with no answer, but could we live off of this. We both work full time at the moment with great benefits but neither of us enjoy working for anyone other than ourselves.
We have a seed rep, someone to spray, and several people who could custom harvest for us. We don't have children or a significant amount of debt. We would also like to raise some beef cattle. Per my calculations, I don't see why we can't profit around 40k from this per year (before taxes) Is this even a close est? Thanks for the honest input.

i think its great your looking at doing this and I dont want to discourage anyone who wants to chase there dream of farming. But to make a living off of only a 180 acres with a few cattle would really be hard to do. In a perfect year with good prices you could make that. But you have to figure years where your crops are poor, the market is poor or you may not even get to put a crop out at all. You need to figure insurance on trucks/equipment, crop insurance, gas and electric bills for drying, storing, loading and unloading the crop,if you have someone custom harvest the costs of that. Unexpected repair bills on equipment. property taxes, income taxes, rental on the ground if you dont share crop. Health insurance for yourself and not to mention your household bills. Even being frugal and living very very modestly your very hard pressed especially if your wanting to people to live off that income. My best advice is to stay at your paying job for now and try to slowly grow your farm so that you can get to your goal of only farming. Most of the smaller farmers around here that farm less than 500 acres have jobs off the farm.

Depends on how cheap you can live? If your needs are new cars- trucks, big house and all the modern things everyone tells you need, You or your girl friend will not be happy. Simple life and don't borrow money or put your homestead in harms way. My Kids are trying to work farms. Not easy, long days for low money, maybe profits every 5 or so years.
There is a lot of good info out there to help you. Cornell small farms on you tube has great videos. Practical farmers of Iowa has great farminars and great programs for young starting farmers on there web site practicalfarmers.org You have more then most young people trying to start already. Hope you can be one of our next generation. good luck!

I agree, stay with your job currently with the great benfits and farm on the side. 180ac isn't to much to do on the side. Me and dad do about the same amont on the side and we both work full time jobs.

Need a lot more information, of course- what is your yield per acre, how much rent will you have pay for the 180 acres, etc.? Sit down and figure out your cost of inputs, anticipated yield and price, and see how it looks.

Sounds like you're wanting to quit your jobs, but are going to hire the spraying and combining done. I would think a better approach would be to take it on while keeping your jobs, at least for the first year, to see how it works. If you have access to tillage equipment, I think you could get the crop in after work and weekends, albeit with some long hours, but then, nobody said it would be easy. And you're "young and on your first legs", as my dad used to say.

Go for it. But don't expect to make a living on 180 acres with no outside income and hiring out ANYTHING.

Go for it.. farm the 180 acres, do everything right to make a good crop, but stay at your job you have now because if the markets tank or you have a drought with no crop.. then youre in trouble. You can and will make money, some years more than others, depending on weather conditions and market prices. In past years, market prices have been very good at times, and you would make good money on that 180, but if the market tanks.. then your profit suddenly gets real small. So take it as small steps, work your job now, farm, stay out of debt, put money in savings. I am 28 and working on that same dream. Live happy, but frugally, and have fun farming.

I could not add anything to what Tractormiallis said except MARRY THAT GIRL. That will make all financial issues better and also be more moral. I wish you well.

Joe Pro,

I love to see people live out their dreams... but it is pretty hard to do, I think.

I would farm - but keep the job with the steady paychecks and the health insurance that goes with it.

We bought an 80 acre farm when we first got married. Husband raised hogs and farmed (but we both kept our full-time jobs). We were able to bankroll quite a bit of cash...THEN we had kids and they cost money.

We have always lived very frugally - did not go out or eat out for years after we bought the farm. We have done most improvements around here ourselves to save money, and only did them as we could afford it. Most expensive vehicle we ever bought was just last year (been married 28 years) -- we spent $8K for my husband's "new to us" pickup. But I don't see how we ever could have just lived off the farming (even if we home-canned food and did our own butchering).

One main thing is, we did not want to risk living without health insurance.

Another thing is, we bought our farm - lived on a very tight budget, kept the jobs and we should be debt-FREE in just a few more years. Conversely, brother-in-law started out renting young 'cuz he really wanted to farm... he is STILL renting 28 years later (owns NO ground except a small building site). As I said, we are getting close to having the farm paid-off, he is still renting (and built a new house)... he will have to work until he is 95 or dies - whichever comes first! LOL.

You will get all kinds of responses to this, I'll leave the farming side alone, so many variables, its not the most dependable source of income, the weather and and whatever else applies. Don't forget equipment, fuel and all that this entails with repairs and maintenance. You need good ground or have to compensate to make decent crops, which varies quite a bit.

You will find there is a conflict between a full time job and being available for activities on a farm, the short of it is, there is never enough time in the day. Some how, some way it has to get done, when it needs to get done whatever it may be.

You both have decent jobs, and health benefits, its likely what is left from a small farm may not replace these very important items. I never liked working for others, sometimes more or less, some jobs are ok or tolerable. You can find away to be tolerant, trust me, it can be done, the reason being is a steady paycheck and those health benefits. Maybe your jobs or careers are lucrative, job security is ok, or maybe you are just as expendable, only you know that.

Financially it will look a lot more responsible having a decent job, its stable and though you have aspirations like we all do, DO NOT make any hasty decisions, unless they are based on fact. If you make that plunge, you are at the mercy of a lot of things, that can make the quality of life turn into nothing but tons of work and very low profits. The best laid plans of mice and men + Murphy's law thrives in the farming situation. Its just how it is.

Even with all that, I certainly am pro agriculture, be it ones garden, small or large farm, it has to be done, and its something to be proud of. If were me, I'd carefully look at what can create revenue over the calendar year, really take a close look, analysis of all things considered, variables etc, odds are that unless you can duplicate within reason your income now, you will want that job and should farm what you can, until you either find a niche, or get a feel for what its real potential can do, let things prove themselves out as best can be done, and make more educated decisions based on that. Having land and decent equipment no matter how old is not a bad start, who needs the high payments and bad financial decisions, your credit and all that is extremely important, and there are many other business's that require the same hard work and ethics, but pay much better. Working for the man you work hard and make a living, a paycheck if you will, work for yourself, you are on your own, depending on how hard you work, the business that you are in, the potential is there to do much better than a paycheck, with farming, from what I have seen its a paycheck dependent on a lot of things going your way.

Say you do this marginally for a number of years, you are out of the job scene and its just not tenable for whatever reason, maybe 10-20 years from now, if its the way things are now, you do NOT want to be in your mid 40's have a family and not be employable. I'm living proof of that, solid background college grad, heavily experienced, capable, versatile, good work ethic, it don't mean a darned thing, hundreds of jobs applied for, nada, nothing, zero, you are of no use apparently or who knows you never get any feedback anyway, even when you match the qualifications verbatim. Its no fun to come to this realization so what you do now is extremely important, do not take it lightly, take your income and credit very seriously, and always plan ahead, I'll say it again, always plan ahead, I'd be in a cardboard box on the street if I did not do these things, LOL and the way its going, thats still possible, LOL !!! Actually nothing funny about it, but what the heck better n being angry !

I am by no means a expert Joe but I firmly believe that at least you or your girlfriend should keep a good paying/good benefit job. I bought my farm in 06 at the age of 23. Just farmed 10 acres until last year because my job kept me 4 to 5 hundred miles from home 4 days a weeek, and I didnt have the time to handle any more ground. Last year I picked up 32 acres, and in 2014 im going to pick up another 120 for a total of 162. There is no way I would quit the RR for 160, a 180 or any amount under 500! Even then I would be reluctant to walk away mainly for the health insurance, But like I said if the wife keeps a good job that changes things. Even with older equipment(mostly junk that no one else would run in my case) you can run into some serious $ keeping them up, and there are some areas that you cant afford not to spend money, mainly planters, and combines/harvest equip. As far as hard numbers, I cant help you there. In my area ground rents for $75 to $100 a acre, and 150bu corn, and 40bu beans is considered a bumper crop, where as in other areas it takes a minimum of $300 a acre for rent, and 275bu corn and 60bu beans would be considered a average year. I sais all that to say this. Anything is possible, but I think in you case it would be easily attainable if your wife keeps her job and you farm! Good luck, I hope it works out for you!

I'd relax and concentrate on having a family. 2nd jobs will take away from the family, and a combo of kids and a farm can be tough. Personally, from what I see, to farm, you have to marry it or inherit it. Yeah, it's possible to do both, but farming is very capital intensive, and can be very time intensive. It's a lot of work, with uncertain rewards.

Above all, keep one of you with a good, off farm job, with benefits, ( If any exist after external_linkcare kick in ).

Farm part time, dont over extend, and always keep in mind doing what will earn money, not necessarily what you enjoy.

Lots of things I enjoyed about farming, but they made no money.

Good luck, Gene

Best keep your jobs and try it part time. Lot of work involved. I used to have 270 acres with 140 irrigated. Glad I don't have it any more.

On a twenty year average the grain ground would only clear around $100 after ALL expenses. The last 4-5 years have been an anomaly in the grain farming profits. That is just about to flip and it can get real ugly fast.

The long and short of it is that long term you will not be able to make very good living on 180 acres grain farming.

Here is some hard things to think about too:

1) It sounds like your Grand Father owns the tractors and equipment, not you. So if he dies , unless you are his only heir, you will not have any equipment or will have to buy it all at once.

2) Renting a farm is not a very stable thing right now. With the land values what they are, that farm could be sold or change hands at any moment. You would have ZERO chance to buy the whole farm and make a living farming that ground.

3) If you are going to try farming you would need a pretty good chunk of money saved to live on until the first harvest came along.

4) The inputs on 180 acres of grain split 50/50 between corn and soybeans could easily be 100K including the cash rent being paid up front. Do you have that kind of money??? Can you get a bank to loan you that kind of money??? I will be honest here. I doubt that you can get that without a co-signer.

The hard facts of life are that you will not be able to make a living on 180 acres of conventionally farmed rented grain ground. IF you owned it and zero rent then you would make a living but not a very good one.

So keep the off farm jobs and rent the farm. You are young. Burn the candle at both ends and in 10-15 years maybe you can be a full time farmer. Now is not the time to be starting out full time farming as a sole income.

$40,000 /(180acres x 90% tillable) = about $250 net profit per acre. That may be hard to accomplish even in a good year. Go over your figures very carefully.

Fourty years ago you could raise a family on 160 acres with some livestock or a part-time job on the side. Thirty years ago you could raise a family on 160 acres and at least one off-the farm job. Today 160 acres is a hobby farm.

As others have said, keep both full time jobs and farm on the side. I'd avoid time sensitive crops like hay because it will conflict too much with a full-time job. You don't want to use up all your vaction and some sick time to support the farm, that could sour your relations at work and possibly hurt a marriage too.

Good luck. It is not impossible, but it will be very tough, double check your figures very carefully.

Keep your day job, farm part-time and BUILD. You'll know when to retire and go full time. You'll work your azz off, have some tough times, and sleep well at night. But if you can make it, it's a good feeling when you can tell your boss to "kiss your bumper"......

If you have other skills and a shop to work out of....you might be able to swing it....but you wont be "farming" full time....as you would be doing other work. Self Employed? yes.

I was 22 years old when I started my electrical contracting business. That was in '07. Was told I was NUTS by several people. I haven't got rich....but.....I have acquired a house, shop, a mountain of tools, equipment, and several trucks.

My advice is to run the numbers on what you think you can do....then divide by half. That is what you will make after the dust settles. In addition....any project or expenditure will generally cost 1.4 to 1.9 times as much as you originally figure.....GOOD LUCK!

Same thing around here, small farms have a hard time. You have to be handy with your hands, have lots of tools, a shop, etc. to make it and still keep your full time job.

Big farmers have already purchased (or have rent contracts) the best land, small farmers get stuck with odd shaped fields, etc.

Custom combiners will eat you alive and do a sloppy job unless you know them. After a couple of years start looking for a Deere 4400 or something similar. You will probably pay about as much for the heads as you do the combine.

Wildlife is a real problem around here. Deer can destroy a corn field and crop insurance will not cover it.

You better figure in Lawyer bills too, seems every year there is some sort of issue requiring legal help.

In summary, start small so you don't loose everything you have and build up.