Part-time Farming for Additional Income

256 Pages·2012·8.58 MB·English

X-1,- 11$
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STARTING AND MANAGING A FARM
Copyright, , by the McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc. All rights
reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be. reproduced in any form
without permission of the publishers. Printed in the United States of America.
Preface
This book deals primarily with the problems of those who wish
to start farming. It is intended to guide not only those who wish to
make a good living by full-time farming, but also those who ;wish
to augment a nonfarm income by running a profitable part-time
farm. Subsistence farming, on the other hand, is discouraged as
being uneconomical both to the family and to society.
The book is designed for use both as a classroom text for high
schools and colleges and as a practical manual for individual study
outside of schools. It should be particularly helpful to city dwellers
who wish for a little farm, to elderly people who wish to retire to a
farm, and to veterans who are returning to farming after having
been out of touch with agriculture for several years. Also, practicing
farmers should find the chapters on managing a farm and the future
of farming of considerable value.
An effort has been made to present the material clearly and simply
and in easily understood language rather than to display linguistic
polish or scientific form in writing. Some statements have been
made more than once in the book because it was felt that their
repetition at relevant places would help to impress the reader with
an idea and to give a more complete picture of each topic being
discussed.
All statements in the book are based on extensive research and
wide experience. Most data used were taken from the years 1935 to
1939 because those years were considered normal years and it was
assumed that within a few more years prices would decline from
their present wartime high levels to levels similar to those of 1935
to 1939. Ample use of 1947 data has been made to bring all prewar
v
Vl Preface
data up to date, thus making advisory statements applicable to con
ditions of high prices. Also, shggestions have been given to assist the
reader in making adjustments in his business to meet possible
changes in agricultural condi'tions through the coming years.
Teachers planning to use this book as a classroom text may be
surprised to find that no suggestions for classwork have been in
cluded. But it was felt that such aids to teachers would be superfluous
in courses in farm management since many of the students will have
had some first-hand experience of their own, and thus for every topic
discussed in the book, some member of the class should be able to
raise a specific problem for class consideration.
Teachers of veterans will probably find that most of their students
are preparing for full-time farming; in this case it would be well to
postpone the section on part-time farming until after the remainder
of the book is completed.
During the years that have gone into the writing of this book,
the author has had help from a great many persons who cannot be
named here. The long list would include farmers from 15 states,
farm economists from 23 states and the United States Department
of Agriculture, and veterans from 21 states.
Special aid has been rendered by John R. Greenman, Professor
of Agricultural Economics, University of Florida; Lt. Onis Hyatt,
Supervisor of Agricultural Education, Welsh Convalescent Ho~­
pital; and by the author's wife who, knowing little of farming, con
stantly insisted that each idea be expressed in a way that she could
easily understand.
C. M. HAMPSON
Contents
PREFACE v
PART I. WHAT TO EXPECT FROM FARMING
1. Why This Book Was Written and How It Will Help You 3
2. Small Farms Do Not Pay Well . 6
3. Why Small Farms Do Not Pay Well 14
4. Pros and Cons of Farming 24
5. 'Opportunities of Small Farms . 41
PART II. PART-TIME FARMING FOR ADDITIONAL INCOME
6. Will Part-time Farming Pay? . 53
7. Financing a Part-time Farm . 59
8. Choices to Make in Part-time Farming 67
9. What You Should Pay for Things 84
10. Managing a Part-time Farm . 96
PART III. FARMING FOR A LIVING
11. A Large Farm Business Should Pay Well 109
12. Kinds of Farms . 116
13. The Future of Farming, Prices, and You 127
14. What It Takes to Farm Successfully 146
IS. How to Get Started in Farming 157
16. Selecting a Farm 183
17. Managing a Full-time Farm 210
18. Planning a Life Program 243
INDEX 245
vii

PART I
What to Expect from Farming
Part I discusses what you may expect from farming. It
tells you that a farm about which you have dreamed may
become a real farm and be a lovely place on which to live
and to earn a living. It also tells you that a real farm may
turn out to be a terrible nightmare. You must face facts
and act accordingly if a farm is to bring you happiness and
contentment.
Part I also tells you that, if you have some income from
another source, a small part-time farm may be just what you
need; that a full-time farm, well managed, can be made to
pay you a good income; and that a small farm without some
other income will lead to disappointment and unhappiness.
No ambitious, sensible man will try to make a living on
a small farm after he has read Part I.

1
CHAPTER
Why This Book Was Written and
How It Will Help You
Purpose of the Book. The purpose of this book is to help
beginners get a proper start in farming and to help them farm suc
cesshilly. Workers who have been unemployed, elderly people,
veterans, disabled persons, and others who wish to farm should find
it most useful. It tells how large a farm to get, how to get it, what
to grow on it, how much to pay for it, and how to make it pay.
This book tells plainly that small farms will not make one a good
living. However, small farms are just what some people need, so
you will learn how to get a small farm you'll like, if you want a
small farm, and how to make it pay its best. You will also learn
what it takes to become a successful farmer, how to select a good
farm, when to start farming, and how to manage a complete farm
business.
The book is not meant to discourage those who would probably
be successful on a farm; it is intended to discourage those who
probably would fail. You don't want to be coddled or fooled. This
book will neither coddle nor fool you.
Not every phase of farming is discussed because the field is too
broad, but enough is told to be a good guide to you for starting
and managing a farm.
Before deciding to farm, choosing a farm, or going back to farm
ing, one should learn more about it. You spend hours finding the
3
4 W hat to Expect from Farming
correct fishing rod, the right lIlecktie, or a pair of shoes that fit. You
I
might spend weeks or even months finding the kind of job you
want. The merchandise cos~s only a few dollars, and you can quit
I,
the job any day. With a farm it is different; you invest your whole
life savings and you start a business which will either make or break
you. Why not spend a lot of time and thought on choosing your
farm?
You get road maps, write for information circulars, talk with
friends, read books, and otherwise do much planning for a short
vacation trip. For a whole lifetime on a farm one should do at least
as much reading, talking, and planning as for a vacation trip.
Nothing can make a poor-paying farm a. good way of living, so you
should spend much time in learning and planning before you start
farming.
All vet~rans during their service in the armed forces received a
cash income of at least $600 a year without having to pay for board,
clothes, and lodging. They will never be satisfied with less. Full
time workers in other industries always draw more than $600 a year.
Few small farms ever paid so much as $600 except in wartime.
Veterans and other ambitious men will not be satisfied with small
farms that pay low incomes. The book tells how larger farms may
be secured.
How to Read the Book. Those who do not read well may need
help to get the most from this book. It may be a little difficult in
places, but if you plan to start farming, you are facing some big,
hard problems. You cannot learn to solve hard problems by easy
reading. Read slowly and consider carefully what is being pre
sented. Reread the parts that will help y.ou and think just how you
can use each fact in solving your problems and in answering your
questions. Use a pencil to mark parts that you will want to read
again later.
If you are not interested ,in some parts, skip them. If you want to
read all about some one subject, use the index to find the pages on
Why This Book Was Written 5
which the subject is discussed. Suppose you want to read all about
farm income. Find "Farm income" in the index at the back of the
book, page 246. Following the words "Farm income" are page
numbers. Turn to each of these pages and you will find facts about
farm income. Each topic in the book is indexed in the same way,
so you can quickly find what you want.
A voiding Pitfalls. It is hoped that the book will help all begin
ners in farming to avoid the many pitfalls which await them. Like
booby traps, they lead to disaster. They include
1. The desire to make an easy living on a small farm. A small
farm business will not provide a good income. The results are pov
erty, disappointment, disaster.
2. The desire to own a farm. Good farms cost a lot of money.
Most beginners in farming have only a little money so they buy a
small farm. Result: poverty, disappointment; disaster.
3. Land prices are now too high. It is bad business to pay
$15,000 for a $10,000 farm. The buyer loses $5,000, and few people
can stand such a loss.
4. Beginners look for cheap lands. Cheap lands are cheap be
cause they are poor producers: They result in much work and little
pay.
5. Young people want to move in with dad. No house is big
enough for two families, and few farms are large enough to provide
a good living for two families.
6. Land companies want new settlers. Veterans' welfare organi
zations want to aid the veteran. Land salesmen want to sell land.
All three of these facts may lead the beginner to get a small farm or
a poor farm. Again, the results would be poverty, disappointment,
disaster.
The only way'to steer clear of these booby traps is to inform your
self. This book can help you to steer clear of them if you will fol
low it carefully and faithfully.