mbox-29: Not a good grazier until?

------=_NextPart_000_000D_01BE21C7.756F75C0
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

This is a strange request. I didn't know that I had the recognition to =
bring the ag reporters out of the woodwork, but now I even have an =
enemy. He calls around to all the conferences I am scheduled to speak =
at threatening to discredit their whole conference as long as I am one =
of the speakers. So far no one has cancelled my speaking engagements =
but I'm sure I won't be able to say that for long. I guess it is just =
too outdated to graze pigs now days. Especially in these days of $15 =
hogs when a person should be thankful they don't have building payments =
to make. I'd agree with anyone that grazing pigs isn't the most =
profitable use of land when hogs are $60. Then a person should fill =
every acre with confinement barns. Might as well have a goal of being =
the biggest producer in the country if hogs were always profitable for =
high cost operations. But do we always receive profitable hog prices =
for confinement operations in the US?

Is it only a matter of time when a person goes around talking at =
sustainable ag conferences before they get enemies? Or did I just make =
the wrong person mad? Anybody have any suggestions on how to handle =
this guy? I have already had him speak with my banker. My bankers =
exact words were that he would leave me alone now. In fact he said he =
thought I would have a new fan now. My banker talked with him for about =
15 minutes and shot down all his theories. He apparently didn't like =
the bankers thoughts either because he is still going strong. We are =
working on sending our financial information to a extension farm =
management specialist from the state north of us. I seriously doubt =
that is going to provide any more credibility than the banker but its =
worth a shot.=20

Best wishes,
Greg Gunthorp
Free Range pork producer
Heavy metal land grant capital of the world alumni
Working on a non profit organisation if hogs stay in the teens for =
another year!

PS Weather has been as nice for fall farrowing around here as I have =
seen in years. It looks like the weather forecast says winter is =
finally on its way. We finally have a stable restaurant customer and =
some direct market customers. They will help us survive these hog =
prices without accumulating any debt. I thought we had a hog system =
that ran in the black ten years out of ten. That was before anyone =
thought hogs could get to $13. Missouri is now saying that hogs will be =
profitable 4 years instead of the normal two in the next hog cycle. =
Maybe we will sell $70 hogs for a whole year after the turn of the =
century. It never hurts to dream but still have a plan for the worst. =
I'm currently looking at Mulberry trees for a spring/summer grain =
replacement crop on some of the marginal ground. Is that too radical? =
We are also looking at organic production. Or should a person just =
hand this hog industry over to the factories? (I'm not going to but a =
lot will whether they want to or not.)

------=_NextPart_000_000D_01BE21C7.756F75C0
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

This is a strange request. I = didn't know=20 that I had the recognition to bring the ag reporters out of the = woodwork, but=20 now I even have an enemy. He calls around to all the conferences I = am=20 scheduled to speak at threatening to discredit their whole conference as = long as=20 I am one of the speakers. So far no one has cancelled my speaking=20 engagements but I'm sure I won't be able to say that for long. I = guess it=20 is just too outdated to graze pigs now days. Especially in these = days of=20 $15 hogs when a person should be thankful they don't have building = payments to=20 make. I'd agree with anyone that grazing pigs isn't the most = profitable=20 use of land when hogs are $60. Then a person should fill every = acre with=20 confinement barns. Might as well have a goal of being the biggest = producer=20 in the country if hogs were always profitable for high cost = operations. =20 But do we always receive profitable hog prices for confinement = operations in the=20 US?

Is it only a matter of time when a = person goes=20 around talking at sustainable ag conferences before they get = enemies? Or=20 did I just make the wrong person mad? Anybody have any suggestions = on how=20 to handle this guy? I have already had him speak with my = banker. My=20 bankers exact words were that he would leave me alone now. In fact = he said=20 he thought I would have a new fan now. My banker talked with him = for about=20 15 minutes and shot down all his theories. He apparently = didn't like=20 the bankers thoughts either because he is still going strong. We = are=20 working on sending our financial information to a extension farm = management=20 specialist from the state north of us. I seriously doubt that is = going to=20 provide any more credibility than the banker but its worth a shot. =

PS Weather has been as nice = for fall=20 farrowing around here as I have seen in years. It looks like the = weather=20 forecast says winter is finally on its way. We finally have a = stable=20 restaurant customer and some direct market customers. They will = help us=20 survive these hog prices without accumulating any debt. I thought = we had a=20 hog system that ran in the black ten years out of ten. That was = before=20 anyone thought hogs could get to $13. Missouri is now saying that = hogs=20 will be profitable 4 years instead of the normal two in the next hog=20 cycle. Maybe we will sell $70 hogs for a whole year after the turn = of the=20 century. It never hurts to dream but still have a plan for the=20 worst. I'm currently looking at Mulberry trees for a spring/summer = grain=20 replacement crop on some of the marginal ground. Is that too = radical? We=20 are also looking at organic production. Or should a person = just hand=20 this hog industry over to the factories? (I'm not going to but a = lot will=20 whether they want to or not.)