Are American Farmers a dying breed?

Question

Are American Farmers a dying breed?

Answer 1

Hope not.

The day there is no more farmers, is the day Society dies.

Long live Farmers!

Answer 2

Thumbs up for John H, McKay and Buck......we are a resilient breed.

Answer 3

Ones who own their own farm and make a decent living are becoming scarce. Ones who are employees of a large agribusiness that has bought up all the local farm acreage are becoming sadly common.

Answer 4

For us small family farms like me, I hate to say it but yes.  It seems that any land that is for sale that is farmable, all the big (HUGE) farmers get pushing us little farmers out of the way.  I also think that all the towns expanding into the country that is taking up space and such is going to be a problem over time.  I hope I answered your question, sorry to ask but, do you or your family farm?

Answer 5

All of you that think the American farmer is a dying breed need to get out there and get a little mud on your jeans and some manure on your boots and meet some of this dying breed.  You'll find that are are still out there and fighting and will still be there as long as we have a USA. Times are changing for sure, but the farmer will adapt and keep going strong.

Answer 6

The American farmer is defiantly not a dying breed.  They are still the best farmers in the world and and producing more produce than ever.  Their number have decreased over the years but the still going strong.  The small family farm seemed to be disappearing, but small farmers are making a comeback as well.  Small specialty farms are on the increase, in the form of organic farms, free range livestock, fruit and berry farms, vegetable farms, Christmas trees, etc.   Don't be too fast counting the American farmer out.  They are a tough and resilient breed.

Answer 7

as Hank Jr says, 'Country Boys will suvive'

and the world better hope and pray they do, because I am pretty sure we all like to eat right and we all have to live long enough to see American technology evolve biofuels to point we can tell the Middle East to kiss 'you fill in the blank'

Answer 8

if your referring to the small family farm, I'm afraid so.

Answer 9

Yes, it is getting harder and harder to farm, let alone make a profit.  Today if you are in farming it is all about shear size to make a dime.  Long gone are the days where a family could be raised and supported on a "typical" 80 acre farm.  For example, look at livestock operations.  It used to be (at least here in Ohio) that you could have 80 head of pigs (80 pigs) and sell a couple every week if you wanted or buy a couple every week if you wanted as needed for money.  Now all livestock operations have moved to a "all in all out" approach, meaning that they bring in all new pigs (or other livestock) at one point and take all (sell) them out at another point, and typically the number of head are around 2000 for pigs.  Crop row farming is the same way, you have to farm a ton of land to make it profitable, and good luck finding that much land or having that much energy to farm it.

Answer 10

yes

Answer 11

we are not dying, we are fighting to survive from more  and more obsticles that we face every day.  to educate ourselves and the non-farming community, to work together in an ever shrinking rural area.  coping with more rules, regulations and laws.  remember when you city folk move to the country and then complain about the noise of a tractor, the dust of a combine or the smell of a livestock facility....that we were here first.  keep your lawyers and your "rights" to yourselves (that includes PETA).  because we will continue to fight for our way of life

Answer 12

Yes.  It is impossible today to buy a farm anywhere and pay for that ground with the produce it will provide.  Currently prices are better than they have been since just after world war II, but in comparative dollars they are getting about 50% of what they should, and the investment is so great

Answer 13

It really depends on what sort of neighborhood you live in. Farming world wide, when it comes to small to mid-size farms are starting to cease. Due to the rising costs of animals as well the increasing destruction of usable farming land I would definitely say yes. However, there are still parts of america where family farms are still quite relevant such as Montana. Unfortunately, raising animals just for food now days is quite uneconomical, so most of those family farms raise the animals for the mere purpose of breeding and showing (where the money is).

However, this is from ten years of farming myself which ended for me when I decided that I wanted to live in the city so I wouldn't have to watch the land be eaten up by the city.