Verified FBN Member (MN)

General

What's the best farming advice a previous generation gave you?

Maybe the best farming advice in general works, but it's cool to hear advice from your farm's previous generations.

I'd say for me it is "Never forget about management. Sometimes you have to work smarter, not harder. Find what makes the cash flow work, then stick to the plan" Not necessarily a perfect quote but something like that.

There's got to be some really good quotes out there from Grandpa (and Grandma). Let's hear **!

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Verified FBN Member (IN)

“Don’t let your wants get away from your needs”


Verified FBN Member (SK, CAN)

Take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.

1


Verified FBN Member (MT)

Farmers rarely go broke because of the bad years. They go broke paying for what they bought in the good years.

4


Verified FBN Member (SC)

Don't worry about the good years they will take care of themselves, try to minimize the bad ones because it might take years to recover from...

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Verified FBN Member (MI)

You make a decision, then you make it work.


Verified FBN Member (OR)

My Mentor told me, "You make a lot more money in your office seat than your tractor seat." This isn't what I wanted to hear, but have found...

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5

Verified FBN Member (IA)

Good one! Would you mind giving some examples of how you’ve found this to be true?


Verified FBN Member (WI)

Livestock is also deadstock.


Eric
Eric Sorensen
FBN Insurance
FBN Employee

Something well bought is half sold.


Verified FBN Member

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Verified FBN Member (IL)

Weight, grades, and money; three things easy to keep ahead on if your ahead, three things easy to get behind on, if your behind.


Verified FBN Member (NE)

When I started farming I always talked to my neighbor for advice which was more of a grandparent to me than a neighbor and more often than n...

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1


Verified FBN Member (ND)

Keep the cows.

3


Verified FBN Member (OR)

The best thing you can put in your fields, is “your shadow”

2


Verified FBN Member (AL)

The good years will break you before the bad ones.

4

Verified FBN Member (OR)

So true!


Verified FBN Member (MN)

"It takes money to buy whiskey"! - Meaning have some cash around

4


Verified FBN Member (MN)

My grandfathers quote pertaining to my pending career in farming, "Don't do it for the money". I sure wish the grumpy tool was here now, co...

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1


Verified FBN Member (AR)

My grandfather always told my dad "never farm anything you have to feed" he said it about cows, but my dad applied that to catfish when it b...

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Verified FBN Member (IA)

I never knew my Great Grandfather but reading his journal I am pretty sure he had a good attitude, more often than not the first thing he wr...

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9

Verified FBN Member (OR)

Great point!

Verified FBN Member (IN)

Great post, love the reminder


Verified FBN Member (WI)

Take care of your soil. Once it is gone you never get it back. The best info lately is realizing the benefits of cover crops and no-till.

1


Verified FBN Member

Don't trip over a dollar to pick up a nickel. Pick up the dollar and make ten.

1


Verified FBN Member (MN)

"Farming is the best job or work you can ever have.......IF YOU CAN MAKE IT WORK." That came from my dad in 1994. I was 17 years old. M...

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1


Verified FBN Member (MN)

Don't make your debts in good times and try to pay them off during the bad times

2

Verified FBN Member (NE)

Again I don't think some folks listened to this advice.


Verified FBN Member (SD)

Build and maintain strong working capital.


Verified FBN Member (SD)

"Live below your means." from my neighbor, landlord and friend ***********. It is the problem with the whole country and many farmers right...

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1


Verified FBN Member (ND)

A farting horse will never tire. A farting man you should not hire.

2


Verified FBN Member (AR)

Take care of the land and it will take care of you.

3


Verified FBN Member (MN)

"If someone ever offers you a mint or a piece of gum, take it" haha

1


Verified FBN Member (AB, CAN)

I was told to always focus on your own stuff and don’t worry about what the “neighbours” have.

5


Verified FBN Member (SK, CAN)

"A stitch in time saves nine"


Verified FBN Member (ND)

When you get knocked down get back up and dust yourself off so someone else can knock you down again. Grandpa.


Verified FBN Member (WI)

The generation before me never gave me any advise. Only told me I couldn’t make it and tried to make it so I couldn’t get any land to use. ...

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1

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Verified FBN Member (NE)

My dad is 92 and still giving good advice, I’m 57 and sometimes I still listen.

Some of his nuggets are:

It is your “young” money that count...

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3

Verified FBN Member (KS)

This best I read so far and agree with it!!!


Verified FBN Member (NE)

When laying on your deathbed no one says "I wish I would have farmed more, instead of spending time with the family".

5


Verified FBN Member (OH)

I didnt get any, other than,"get in a different profession". We dont farm enough to matter however for me its about letting my kids have the...

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3


Verified FBN Member (KY)

Only 3 pieces of equipment make you money - a good planter, sprayer, and combine

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Verified FBN Member

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Verified FBN Member (MN)

Pay more attention to your spending in good years because you might not be able to afford some of those commitments in bad years.

7

Verified FBN Member (NE)

It looks to me that there are some that didn't adhere to this advice!!


Verified FBN Member (WI)

Even in a very wet spring my grandpa would say always plan for a drought, and I have found that to be true. Cant predicted the weather, and...

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2


Verified FBN Member (NE)

“Be married to your wife, not the farm”

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Verified FBN Member (NE)

Perfect

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