So, yesterday I sold some hay at Gopher Valley. She had bought hay from me the day before, so I knew the lady had lost her job so instead of charging $10 a bale for the 110lb three-tie bales, I charged her $8. And then since she only had $16 in her pocket, I through in another bale for free-since I was already on the stack and it seemed a shame to just get two bales.
Her and her husband come back to get more hay yesterday. He is some sort of jet airplane inspector and makes big bucks and will never get fired. They were buying hay at the farmstore for $15 a bale. $10 would have been fine.
Very nice people. He worked summers on a farm. They ran Freeman 330 balers, bulled by Toyota Landcruisers. Somewhere around Stockton, CA. He said they would load the hay into boxcars. Anyone who has done that kind of job in that kind of heat has got to be some sort of super-hero...
I could sell a lot more hay to the locals up there if I had it to sell. Kind of a funny market.
I see the fellow I'm subrenting my other hay field to got his rained on Timothy baled.
I do think it is funny to think that he wouldn't sell me that three acres of hay. Then he got it rained on... Then they didn't take care of it till it was bleached brown. I could have sold the rained on hay as well.
I'm continually amazed by farmers. If you found 20 farmers I bet 18 of them would screw you in a business deal if they could. Of the 18 two of them would be honest about it and laugh and the rest would tell you it was for your own good. I try to be friends with the 2 out of 20-and do business with 2 honest out of the 18.
On my way up to Gopher Valley I was thinking about that issue.
I was driving by fields of grass straw. I have no straw to bale. We have lost a few acres by refusing to pay outrageous prices that those who out bid me did not actually pay. I need a couple hundred acres. I've approached several farmers with the idea that I would just take care of their straw. Pay them what it is worth and do a good job.
I know the straw is not worth very much, but I would get it done...
Back to work.
Who cares
Posts
Yeah, farmers play rough. Kind of takes the fun out of it sometimes.
ReplyDeleteSaw a guy lose his farm because neighbor B falsely reported to the landlady that farmer A was planning to retire and move to town. She didn't check it out, rented the spread to farmer B and so A and his wife were out of their livelihood, and their home. It would be a lot different around here if people were just kinder to each other. And didn't throw their Bud Lite cans everywhere. That's not even beer.
Well it was for the fellow's own good. He needed to retire. Plus this other farmer is, well, you know he is a little better farmer. You know these old guys need to step aside. Probably had a little older equipment. You know those bigger operators just are a little better than the rest of us anyway. We just need to accept that.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course we are just jealous.
In reality the problem is with the evoloution or de-evoloution of our society. We are moving from societal control which was based on old cultural and religious norms into a new society based on more relative values. So you have guilty Christians vs those who have figured out there is no penalty for wrongdoing and now just don't give a rip. Happens in Government, Business, Church, and on the Farm...
IMHO
COuld be full of crap.
I know I'm full of crap but thats another subject...