rumor mill

[elcheapo]

Its getting like everything else, corporation
everything. A few years back if you walked
into a store, you could talk to the owner.
Today there are no owners.
Locally and area wide. A couple years
Ago our last private grain elevator sold
To a big corporation. Coops, are just as
Bad. Most stores are corporation owned.
Even our locol doctors sold out to a large
Practice.
we really haven't seen (at least I don't know
about it), corporation farming on the big
Boards, unless they use different names.

[BA Deere]

I just wonder if alot of this technology really pays in the face of breakeven prices.  Does planting "straight" or skip round ripping or having a tractor that you can run in a closed shed without a exhaust fan really economically viable with a penciled in loss in some cases.  Oh it`s all cool and a tax deduction when corn is $6, but now it might be a different story.

When variable rate, grid fertilizing came out corn was cheap and farmers thought that the "cost wouldn`t pay" well here we are back to cheap corn...fertilizer is still high, but if that comes back into line with cheap corn, perhaps micro managing small areas won`t be worth it once again. 

[Nigel]

Corporate everything is not always bad...

-80% of sole proprietorships go out of business within 5 years, so being gobbled up is a lot better than going out of business. 

-Most sole proprietors don't know what their competitive advantage is...but still go it on their own anyway without any knowledge of calculating future cash flows, future expenses, etc., a good idea can only take you so far if you don't when to ask for help.

-I always try to support local businesses when I can...but sometimes it is just painful.  Poor customer service etc., can just ruin a shoppers experience.  

I ordered a bicycle part from my local bike shop a month ago.... three phone calls on when they would send it to me, not one return phone call.   Just one example.   

Give me the efficient corporation any day of the week.  

Sorry if I went a bit off topic....back to the conversation, I enjoy reading.  

[Mike central IA]

I don't know who is going to make the judgement on which farmer is old and which one is not. The age "thing" is distorted in agriculture for some reason. I am 49 years old, and I am a "young" farmer in these parts. In any other occupation, I would be the old, seasoned veteran. Maybe this is the fountain of youth? We, as a civilization need a huge influx of young people in agriculture as I see it. Otherwise, it is all going to be controlled by companies like Monsanto, Cargill, Dupont and Bunge. I just don't know how that can possilbly end well.. Without a lot of producers competing with one another, there will be no way to hold food costs down for consumers. Cheap food isn't my goal, but it seems to be what the US Government is after, so I assume, somewhere along the line they will step in and really screw things up in an effort to balance everything. But, unlike nearly everyone else that posts here, I am less afraid of the Government than I am of huge, unscrupulous corporations.

[sw363535]

When did we all take on this outside job.....

Isn't it the politicians job to pit one farmer against another?

I think the fat farmers should loose subsidies.  

And I have a set of certified scales---- so line up....

🙂

[elcheapo]

Oops.
I'm in trouble!
Better call weight watcher hotline!

[Hobbyfarmer]

Yea sure, uh huh now that elcheapo has me hooked on sprinkles.

[idalivered]

nox, that (crop insurance subsidy cap) is one of the best ideas i've heard. seriously. The problem is the guys that came up with the arc-plc heads scratcher , will be the guys to devise the subsidy cap mechanism. that would be really interesting.