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jeremya37 · 10-08-2011, 01:43 PM

hello guys and gals, I'm kind of new to the whole farming industry, I have been living in the "country" all my life (im 21) but ive never actually farmed. My family has owned a 160 acre farm for over 100 years now that my uncle is living on now. Currently he rents the land out to a neighbor, but i was wondering if i was to farm it what would I need. Say I rotate the crops every year from corn to beans. How big of a tractor and combine would I need? A plow, planter, truck. hp or model numbers would be nice. im just trying to see what it would cost to get started on something like this.
thanks in advance everyone!

Mickey · 10-09-2011, 11:06 AM

I'd say the most important thing is missing from your list and that's experience. Takes way more than equipment to be successful. You talking full time or would this be a side line?

What crops are economically viable in your area? If you would have a crop come harvest time, who would you sell to? In your area is it an open market or do you have to have a contract? Any custom harvesters in your area that you could pay to harvest the crop? Sure would save on equipment needed and could gain experience seeing how that end of the operation is done.

There is a lot of truth in the old saying, want to make a million $ farming? Start with two million $ It's a hard way to make a living but if done successfully, it can be personally rewarding.

**Country Boy** · 10-17-2011, 10:58 PM

If you truly want to get started farming, I'd see if any local community colleges have classes for farmers. Our local one has a Farm Business and Production Management course that is spread out over 5 years. They meet one or two days a month at the school, the instructor visits the student during the course of the summer, and they usually have farm tours and barn meetings. If you have no experience farming, then you will fail. It takes a lot more than just working the dirt and putting seed in the ground to get a crop, not to mention the marketing and storage of that crop. You can do it, but learn all you can before you get started. As Mickey said, renting or custom-hiring equipment is probably your best bet, at least to start. Tractors and combines are ridiculously expensive these days. A new combine could set you back close to a half million dollars. If you do get started, you may want to start small, perhaps with 20-30 acres and work your way up from there. I've been farming all my life (29 years) and I still don't know everything.

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