And you thought i was an

[Mizzou_Tiger]

Time. I was hoping you would chime in

I know you are a big operator and good for you

But come on

If this guy is family farm thru and thru then WTF would he let some ignorant reporter talk down on things like he did

I had more respect for you before you stood up for this guy

I find it interesting you don't believe in peak corn or high prices yet think this guy is the shat

O and please read the article thru and thru

He denounced subsidies yet has cashed some big freakin checks

Some big checks that need to be repaid after those comments

And denouncing 1500 acres and joe farmer

Really

[dairyfarmmn]

Good Post time. And I agree with Hobby. I think the overall article is trying to say farmers are using more technology and how farming has changed but could have been done better.

How is this guy any different than any of the rest of us? Sounds like he started out pretty modest and built his business just like anyone else. I do sense lots of jealousy when everyone says he will fail. If he was 28 maybe, but at 58, and been doing this many years..... I don't know. Maybe the crop farmers just aren't used to hearing or dealing with a guy like this. The dairy industry has been dealing with guys line this for decades now. No big deal really. I know lots of dairy guys like this.

And what relevance does knowing the 9th in line to the pres. bring? We get that far down the line it will be Mad Max time anyway.

[BA Deere]

If this guy this guy is 58 that would put him in that prime age where he was a 'young tiger' in the early 80's and perhaps got a debt writeoff? IDK, but if that's the case he's always swam in the shallow end of the pool. If we go through a period of below C.O.P. on grain, some of these guys are in for an education, I can always take a 3rd job as a Walmart greeter or find my old lady another job, but these mega btos don't have all these other options.

I've always figured if things did get tough for them, they probably have a golden parachute in the form of a totally unrelated corporation bailing them out and hiring them as a manager. But prices going below cop is a possibility, because these high prices have "created more land" 140 million acres worldwide according to Dr Michael Boehlje. Not the best acres maybe, but if I was a bto I would be cultivating alliances.

[bullrider685114]

BTW Time if he has 2.5 mill grain storage, potatoes and specialty crops are not where his bread is buttered

[kraft-t]

I wonder about the ire raised amongst our friends. The natives are restless when faced with such a message. I don't know Mr Tom at all and could care less about what he does and what he says.

We could all be bigger and expand our acres as much as our management abilities take us. I am not jealous in the least. I'm doing what i want do and when I want to do it. Why get cranked up because someone else has different objectives. And calling him profane names because he is doing something i don't even want to do.

I think success may be different for different people. I think personal contentment is a worthy goal. And that does not mean you have to be the biggest and the baddest. What the heck, Two thousand acres of prime Iowa farm land all paid for and aload of cash should make most anybody happy. I'll admit i'm a little short of that but I am content. Contentment is a laudable acheivement.

You will not find me bowing down to Mr. Tom but i won't be cursing him either.

[425Cat]

Stamp farms in Mi also

[425Cat]

Yes indeed your contentment is commendable, now if we could just get you to change your politics lol

How many of these guys are ego driven. How much does one need to be happy

[Mizzou_Tiger]

Mizzou!!!!!!!!!!!

[mnvtfarm]

Frankly I feel sorry for the guy. I wouldn't trade lives with him for anything. I'm perfectly happy being a part time farmer. If the guy truly is as arrogant as the tone of the article makes him out to be I feel even more sorry for him. If he's not, then the writer should be fired.

But then maybe he's just compensating for something buying all that big machinery?  🙂 

[hanktbd]

Here's the TRUTH. Most of he new technology Mr. Toms is so proud of has been in use in most businesses for over 30 years and it is nice to see he is catching up with the rest of the world. He is obviously smart and has made some good decisions, but when a business gets big enough, all the technical stuff and knowledge becomes secondary to character and leadership skills. If he truly made the comments alluded to in the article regarding Joe Farmer, then he is clearly lacking in both of these critical areas, and that is the reason his business is likely to implode when it undergoes some kind of stress testing from markets or otherwise.