The poor guy was farming 800 acres.
Unfortunately an operation of less than this size is not looked at as
viable in this day and age by the powers that be.
By the powers that be I mean primarily the banks and the government.
The government is beginning to come around, but not the banks.
It could be possible to farm 800 acres with antique equipment such as I
have always used, but the bank encouraged him to go out and buy new, the
equipment dealers made it easy too.
Many years ago when I applied for an ag loan, I was told that they would
not give me a loan unless I had a budget for both pesticides AND
commercial ferilizers.
Unfortunately the powers have not seen a 40 acre farm (such as ours)
viable since probably the forties. They started dying from atrition in
the twenties. 300 or 400 acre farms (the ones that swollowed up the 40's)
were considered viable until when? The sixties or the seventies maybe.
We can't save the small family farm, we have to create an economic
climate where it can come back.
Tom Armstrong toma@crl.com Sequera Ranch s.1892 San Gregorio, CA
Barnyard Technology--- Ideas for tomorrow -> from yesterday's scrap.
4th -> 5th gen. on family farm. Can Ag Sustain?
A ghost town fights its way back.. http://www.crl.com/~toma/
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