!980 I got a loan from the FmHA and built a Dairy, Bought 25 cows in milk and 40 bred heifers... Started milking spring of 1982 .Milk was $16.50 a hundred, next year 15.50 next year 14.50 next year 13.50 the next year 12.50... Got out during the Buy out... South Carolina was a milk deficient State...Meaning we had to Import milk from other states...The Dairy farmers had to share in the cost....I hope I live to see the day you have to have a Perscription to get it....
Pennsylvania Farming not bad getting really busy with the electrical side of things up here in Chicago which is good because farm equipment is expensive
I'm with you on that, I want to milk cows when I get older. if you bottle your milk you make more money without messing with cow shares, and it's legal.
My cousin milks cows in Corry,PA. He sells his milk to the government to make cheese. I have another cousin in Clymer, New York that raises replacement heifers. He used to milk cows but got out of the milk business. Hate to see the family dairy farms getting out of the milk business but it just doesn't pay and you have to milk cows twice a day 7 days a week 365 days a year.
That is pretty cool. I think just about everyone around Corry knows Walter. He is a super great guy. I always enjoy going up to the farm to see him. The farm is where my grandfather grew up. He had 19 acres down the road from the farm on Lindsey Hollow road. My Aunt Marie and Uncle Alan Dingerfelder own it now.
thanks for the video on the showing the barn. I don't know if you know or not but I am building a herd up to have a 50 cow Dairy. the Holstein that I had with the beef cow had her calf and now we moved her over to the dairy and she's making milk. once I have all 50 I'll send them up to you to milk. have a great evening talk to you later
Pennsylvania Farming at this point we are just continue to send them over to a small Dairy within a few miles of our farm and they are milking them for me.
Elm custom harvesting it's an excellent time to build a herd, Milk and beef are so up and down, but I do believe that milk makes more in the overall aspect... ten year average milk beats out beef big time. I'm itchen to start my herd up
It sounds like you have the desire to do it so that's a start. I've worked for dairy farmers my whole life doing cropping and mechanic work and also some feeding. I always knew that the business part of it would bury me so that's why I never attempted to go on my own. I've considered dairy goats off and on but in my neck of the woods there is no infrastructure for it on a scale large enough to make it self sustainable. At the end of the day its still a business and all the farmers I know that are successful treat it that way
i've been milking since i was 4 (not by choice!!!!!!!!!!!). started in 1975. my dad was disabled with parkinsons when i was 17 so i never got to have a life. running a 66 cow dairy with 480 acres TOTALLY ALONE there's no day off even with a broken ankle and appendicitice. prolly should have sold the cows back then. the cows were sold in 2002; i just could'nt go another year without getting a milk check from years of constant record low market prices and the bank did a derivative on the mortgage without our sayso. so what was once $4000/month payment suddenly became $8000/month (could you handle that with just 66 lactating cows?) we never ever missed a mortgage payment since 1958 when dad went into debt here but the bank was in trouble because so many other dairies were not paying. not us! i milk off the farm at another dairy now. 2001 milk was $9, corn was $1.10/bu and 2 week old holstein bull calves were $50 per/head and sometimes the sales barn gave my calves away for pet food. it was nice being self employed and i still miss my cows. So why was the mortgage so high? Because interest rates go up down up down up down since 1958. Sometimes up to 21%
it sound like it is in your blood unless you have several hundred head it had to make a good of it and how many did you all milk before you stop dairying.
Pennsylvania Farming where kinda on the fence but the milk inspectors are just getting pickier but we thought to sell when the quota was worth something
Cool video, it'd be neat to see another Dairy UA-cam channel someday lol
I wish milking was more profitable too
Come down to Berks county! We are milking 144 in an 82 tie stall barn. You'll get over the joy of milking cows real quick.
!980 I got a loan from the FmHA and built a Dairy, Bought 25 cows in milk and 40 bred heifers... Started milking spring of 1982 .Milk was $16.50 a hundred, next year 15.50 next year 14.50 next year 13.50 the next year 12.50... Got out during the Buy out... South Carolina was a milk deficient State...Meaning we had to Import milk from other states...The Dairy farmers had to share in the cost....I hope I live to see the day you have to have a Perscription to get it....
Great to see a video from you. If you want to start a dairy then do it. A 1,000 mile journey starts with one step.
Mr Nate thanks for the comment. how are things going out your way?
Pennsylvania Farming not bad getting really busy with the electrical side of things up here in Chicago which is good because farm equipment is expensive
times gone by and memories some hard to think on. thanks for sharing those with me.
Soybean Farmer "hard memories" that's for sure
I'm with you on that, I want to milk cows when I get older. if you bottle your milk you make more money without messing with cow shares, and it's legal.
My cousin milks cows in Corry,PA. He sells his milk to the government to make cheese. I have another cousin in Clymer, New York that raises replacement heifers. He used to milk cows but got out of the milk business. Hate to see the family dairy farms getting out of the milk business but it just doesn't pay and you have to milk cows twice a day 7 days a week 365 days a year.
Rdrake1413 thanks for the comment. I really like routine.
I actually live in Corry and am working towards starting a dairy on a small scale. My neighbor currently has a dairy farm and milks about 50 cows.
You might now my cousin. Corry is a small town. His name is Walter Royek.
yep....Walter is my neighbor....great family. super nice people
That is pretty cool. I think just about everyone around Corry knows Walter. He is a super great guy. I always enjoy going up to the farm to see him. The farm is where my grandfather grew up. He had 19 acres down the road from the farm on Lindsey Hollow road. My Aunt Marie and Uncle Alan Dingerfelder own it now.
thanks for the video on the showing the barn. I don't know if you know or not but I am building a herd up to have a 50 cow Dairy. the Holstein that I had with the beef cow had her calf and now we moved her over to the dairy and she's making milk. once I have all 50 I'll send them up to you to milk. have a great evening talk to you later
+Elm custom harvesting are you going to milk or have someone else milk them?
Elm custom harvesting I thought you said you were waiting for the prices to come back?
Pennsylvania Farming at this point we are just continue to send them over to a small Dairy within a few miles of our farm and they are milking them for me.
Cherryfarmboy60 it's a good time to build a herd up. and yes I'm hoping the price comes up. thanks for your comment
Elm custom harvesting it's an excellent time to build a herd, Milk and beef are so up and down, but I do believe that milk makes more in the overall aspect... ten year average milk beats out beef big time. I'm itchen to start my herd up
It sounds like you have the desire to do it so that's a start. I've worked for dairy farmers my whole life doing cropping and mechanic work and also some feeding. I always knew that the business part of it would bury me so that's why I never attempted to go on my own. I've considered dairy goats off and on but in my neck of the woods there is no infrastructure for it on a scale large enough to make it self sustainable. At the end of the day its still a business and all the farmers I know that are successful treat it that way
Milking is hard to make money at but beef is just as bad or worse. But when your 80 you can't turn back the clock and try again...
i've been milking since i was 4 (not by choice!!!!!!!!!!!). started in 1975. my dad was disabled with parkinsons when i was 17 so i never got to have a life. running a 66 cow dairy with 480 acres TOTALLY ALONE there's no day off even with a broken ankle and appendicitice. prolly should have sold the cows back then. the cows were sold in 2002; i just could'nt go another year without getting a milk check from years of constant record low market prices and the bank did a derivative on the mortgage without our sayso. so what was once $4000/month payment suddenly became $8000/month (could you handle that with just 66 lactating cows?) we never ever missed a mortgage payment since 1958 when dad went into debt here but the bank was in trouble because so many other dairies were not paying. not us! i milk off the farm at another dairy now. 2001 milk was $9, corn was $1.10/bu and 2 week old holstein bull calves were $50 per/head and sometimes the sales barn gave my calves away for pet food. it was nice being self employed and i still miss my cows. So why was the mortgage so high? Because interest rates go up down up down up down since 1958. Sometimes up to 21%
Brothers beard is getting pretty grey
and yet tell your brother I said hi I'm glad he's in the videos. and maybe someday he could just tell us a story.
it sound like it is in your blood unless you have several hundred head it had to make a good of it and how many did you all milk before you stop dairying.
I'm in grd 9 and where done milking on the first of march
+Nathan de Jeu is your family happy to stop milking or sad
Pennsylvania Farming where kinda on the fence but the milk inspectors are just getting pickier but we thought to sell when the quota was worth something
how many cows did you have?
+TheCustomFarmer on average they milked 40 but they milked 70 at one point