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Thursday, February 23, 2012

Frank W. James quits farming

I like Frank W. James and his blog. I have never seen him on TV as we don't have cable but I suspect he is a bit of one of those a little gruff, tell-it-like-it-is farmer types. The one who keep me a one my toes when I am planting for them. The sort who can calculate seed rates in his head and is generally about five steps ahead of me in the thinking department. (Most people are about three steps ahead of me in that department so you can take that statement for what it is...)
I hate to see him quit farming. I found some camaraderie in our concurrent farming activities. I admire his decision making ability. He just made up his mind and did it.
And then there is the fact that it reminds me of my own mortality. He is quitting while on top. I will be farming till I fall over dead or start wetting myself and falling asleep during coffee break and the nephews and the daughter leave me in a wheelchair at the dog track. (an event that happened in Oregon previous to the internet as I can't find a link to the story) Or I'll go broke or run my arm through the hammer mill...
I will be doing that because I have no money and no savings and no other real idea of how to make a living other than being a janitor somewhere-which doesn't sound like that bad a job.
So I wish Frank well in his retirement and if he ever wants to travel west and shoot nutria off the river bank he is welcome to do so at our farm. Now that would make an odd reality TV show segment...
Have a nice day! I am going to a class on wheat marketing, if my brother ever gets out of bed. I suppose I should call over there as I see no lights on in his house.
Of course he could be up by now as I am blogging from my "office" and it has no windows and I probably couldn't hear his knock at the door as the exhaust fan is really loud...

6 comments:

  1. Thank you for your post. It was not an easy decision, but it was 'time'.

    As per the 'nutria' you've just given me a reason to take a trip west...

    All The Best,
    Frank W. James

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Frank, I admire your decision making abilities. I doubt we will be able to make it to your auction.

      Delete
  2. Yeah, I read his post. Hated to see it, but understood. My red-tape was nothing compared to what he had, but when I quit growing Christmas trees and sawmilling, there were 17 taxes, fees, licenses, permits, etc. that I either had to pay, collect or find some legal way to avoid. And that was for a ONE MAN operation! They were trying to pass two more at the time. I don't know if they got them or not.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yesterday we went to a meeting where fuel and fertilizer reps gave us advice on buying strategically to avoid the extreme market swings. It was more depressing than challenging.

      Delete
  3. Party Time. Load up the bus. We're heading out west.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well don't make any deep personal revelations on that bus cause it is a long drive to Oregon and you will have guns!

      Delete

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