trouble on the farm

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. I've been askin about a 1209 JD haybine on here recently and had one lined up at the IH dealership I work at. Spent last Saturday morning with the new salesman gettin a tractor hooked up to it to hear it and see it run. Rolls were out of time but didn't have any damage. Everything worked great on it and the only part that looked to need work was some of the seals and gaskets. I had it pretty much in my pocket for 1100. I could have had it for less but didn't want the salesman to cost it out. He's just recently married and I wanted him to get some sort of comission, even if I had to pay him off to the side for him to get it. Anyway, went home on Thursday and told dad about my plan to haul it home from work today. I had talked about it before and asked if he wanted to take a look at it some afternoon while I was here at work. He told me then that he didn't know anything about haybines so it wouldn't do any good. I assumed that my decision on it would be fine since I have done all the research on 'em and whatnot. Well, Thursday I brought it up and told him I'd decided to buy it. Hammer went down that night. He pretty much put the brakes on it and said I didn't need to spend my money on the haybine when our baler was still broke and he wasn't in a secure full time job. On the baler front I did have intentions of trying to buy a JD 336, as I had found some good ones for reasonable prices around (I hadn't brought that up with him yet). As for the job thing, I don't know. He is still insecure about not having a full time job. However, I don't see what that has to do with running the little bit of hay we do have. I told him that my mower was broke and asked what we'd do about that. He said we'd hook up grandad's old wore out sickle mower to the JD 420. I'm pretty much wore out on this stuff. I love my old equipment and love to use it but shoot, we've had nearly all our hay crops get at least one rain on them and a haybine is pretty much the answer to that. I don't really know what to do. I can't force anything through since the farm is owned by dad and his two brothers. I just don't want to see the farm let go and that's what is happening. The guy who leases it doesn't care. He just wants to get the money and nothing else. Heck, I've been plowin and cultivating his corn for the last couple years without so much as a thank you. Anyway, I don't know. To be honest with you I think this all has more to do with mom and dad trying to force me to forget about the farm and go after the job I went to college for. The past two days have been miserable though. I decided to just forget about the farm work and let dad handle it so he can see that I am needed. Thinkin about not gettin to do that stuff has just eat me up inside. I could handle havin my ability to walk taken away easier than I can having farming taken from me. It's just who I am. It may seem like a crazy prayer request, but for those who do I would appreciate a word said on behalf of this situation. God bless.

--old fashioned farmer

I should of bought my own land sooner and put my money into my place. You may have to look over your situation and see if you wouldn't be better off to spend your money on land now instead of equipment. Then you will have your own stuff and they can't tell you what to do.

I want to farm so badly it hurts sometimes. Some days I come home from work wishing I was heading out to the farm. But the reality for me right now is trying to pay off my bills from college, etc. while working 1500 miles away from home.

A few more years when things are paid off, I hope my wife and I can move home so I can be a large part of the farming operation once again... You're in my prayers for sure.

So if you have a piece of the action (ie a formal partnership) or work for a wage ($xxx per week) and you are of the age of majority (>21), I figure buy it.

The best thing we did for our hay crop was to buy a old NH 469. We cut more hay per lap and eliminated 1 tractor in the field not having to condition. This was a dairy farm in 1972.

Now I am reading between the lines here. If you are out of college and living at home and don't have a formal work agreement.....it may be time to move out.

The equipment issue was a large problem with us. When the diff lets go in the main tractor in planting season and ends up costing $9000, it wipes out a large part of the profit for the year on a small wheat farm. I am probably taking the easy way out by working a straight job to build up retirement funds and have health insurance. It"s a gamble that the farm will stil be there in 30 years. I figure all of the buildings, fields and fences will be beyond repair in a few years. It"s really hard, but fighting is not the way I want to spend time with my family.

steveormary