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how much land

Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 3:34 pm
by smigelski
This section of the forum has been dead. Also planting season is only a few months away. I was just wondering how much land most people have to farm. Like 10acres, 20acres, and so on.
I currently farm around 200acres. However I have learned that I made more money when doing less acres. I had less equipment and less expense. Now I work twice as hard and don't bring home half the money when it is all said and done. I am currently looking hard at redefineing my crops and acres farmed. I want to put the fun back into farming and not have my wife chewing butt about money.

Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 4:21 pm
by SONNY
We have 137 acres,--had to cash rent it out for a couple reasons!--My spine gave out,had to hire custom guy to do some of the work.----VERY costly!---the price of fuel/equipment/supplies/etc. got sky high!---the price of grain got lower and the inputs got higher,so we cash rented it to a neighbor, not much better off, but I don't have to worry about the crops anymore!
We have 5-1/2 acres that we try to garden and grow food to survive. most folks would not live like this, but we have no choice!---we make do!
The garden produce fills 3 freezers that we use all winter, plus some that we can!--still have potatoes in the basement, (whites and sweets), we save our own seed, make our own equipment for the small tractors to use in the garden! thanks; sonny

Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 11:22 pm
by Eugene
36 acres. Timber and pasture. Not good for anything else. Spend most of my time reclaiming overgrown pasture and trying to kill of multifloral rose.

I have planted black walnut and black cherry trees since they grow well in this area. Have somewhere around 300 fruiting black walnut trees on the property. Previous year sold black walnuts. This year only a few walnuts picked up for personal use. Downed trees and black locusts are harvested for fire wood.

Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 7:58 am
by John *.?-!.* cub owner
Presently I only have 5 acres, half of which is yard and garden, the rest I let a neighbor pasture. We used to own 145 acres, and rented another 140, but as time progressed we let the rented part go and when Dad's health got bad we cash rented the remaining (pasture and woodland). Last January we sold the farm to the man who had rented it for the last 22 years, with part of the sales agreement being that Mom could live there as long as she wanted. she said that after having lived there 44 years she did not want to move, and being able to stay in the house was a pivotal point of the sale.

Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 9:50 am
by Hengy
I own 7800 square feet in the heart of the City of La Crosse, WI! Or should I say the bank owns it until I pay it off? I would love to look for land to live on, but it is REALLY dear up here! It is fun driving a tractor in the city...people look at ya funny!

Mike in La Crosse, WI

Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 12:45 pm
by brianJ
2 acres which is enough for me and the family. One is lawn, the other garden.

Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 3:35 pm
by The Bachelor
100 acres of cattle and goat land and
1 acre of a beautiful lady and an old goat land.

Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 3:44 pm
by smigelski
WisconsinCubMan wrote:I own 7800 square feet in the heart of the City of La Crosse, WI! Or should I say the bank owns it until I pay it off? I would love to look for land to live on, but it is REALLY dear up here! It is fun driving a tractor in the city...people look at ya funny!

Mike in La Crosse, WI


If I did the math right. If you get a 60in. belly mower for the cub. It should only take about 10 minutes to cut the grass in first gear.

I understand now that I am married I no longer live on the farm so I have a house in town on an 100x80 lot. I took the neighbors awhile to get use to seeing a tractor parked in the front yard in the summer

Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:44 pm
by Hengy
Good math! Actually, by the time I would have to make all the twists and turns, it probably would take me more like an hour to get a decent job. Plus I have a fence that divides my "private back yard" from the "public front yard," so I would have to drive around the block to get the front done...Oh well...more seat time!

I really need to move to the country!

Mike in La Crosse, WI

Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:59 pm
by Barnyard
WisconsinCubMan wrote:...I really need to move to the country!...

Okay Mike that is post #3 with a reference to moving. It won't be long and you and the bank will have a place in the country where Merlin(cub) can roam free.

We have 5 1/2 acres that is mostly grass. we have about 6,000 sq feet of garden, 4,500 sq feet of barn, a 1,200 sq foot shed and the house. Plenty of room for the "Barnyard Bash" and more than enough to keep me busy.

Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 5:38 pm
by Boss Hog
I have 15 acres at the house and another 60 down the road of witch about 45 is in pines planted in 1972
we raise about 3 or 4 acres of corn and garden. We use to rase 30 acres of tobacco when Dad was living.

Dvaid

Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 12:13 am
by 1cubmaster
Last year I bought 12 acres with a house and large veggie stand out front.Had a good crop this year,but the previous owner hadnt done anything for about 8 years and trying to get customers back.I think people have gotten used to fast food and microwave meals and just dont make time to cook anymore.Did ok with corn,potatoes and pumpkins,but had to throw away green beans,peppers and lots of summer squash.Called food bank but they didnt want it,for lack of storage. Gonna try strawberries next year. Mike

Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:04 am
by beaconlight
Mike fresh vegtables is a tough row to hoe. Plant enough that you can always have fresh before the public and not feel bad about a 30 or 40 percent recycled through meat to a profit. After a while with the right stuff you will gain sufficient customers if you keep it always fresh. A cage or two of rabbits for the mothers little darlings to coo after never hurts either. You don't really care if mommy needed food or the little darlings wanted to see the rabbits when the cash register goes clang. I know this sounds harsh, yet I don't mean it to be. You want to make it an experience even more a trip to the store. Do you have a wife or as they say today a significant other that can supply value added items. Goat cheese, and specialty soaps are possible added items as well as a supply of straw bales for Halloween or Thanksgiving decorations, corn stalks and Indian multi colored corn can be money makers as can pumpkins in the fall. There are many more things you can do too.

Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 1:42 pm
by Eugene
Sweet corn sells well, very well, in the Midwest. The problem with the other items, except strawberries, is that when they are in season - everybody has them.

Asparagus?

Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 6:17 pm
by 1835wayne
The wife and I have 4 and a half acres. 2 of it in pasture for the horses, 1.5 in lawn and the house. The rest is where I plan to have a garden, and where my manure pile is.

I need more land already! More pasture, and I would love to eventually bale my own hay............


By the way, anyone need some manure for their gardens in the spring let me know!