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BMr, Jason, Greg . . .

Maple Leaf Angus said:
Man, you guys are blowing me away with your input. It sounds like there are places in this country where you might be able to pencil in figures and come out in the black.
Click to expand...

When I tell people what my inputs are each year per cow, I get called a liar alot, or people simply tell me I don't know how to properly calculate inputs. While I certainly don't know what it costs to run an animal in other parts of the world, I find it difficult to believe that there are many places cheaper than in my home area. NR's area seems to have some better natural grasses, so he may blow our costs away.

Rod
 
Quackgrass is uber productive if you manage it right-that's pretty much all we graze any more.It's got to be properly rotationally grazed but it's a money making grass.
 
Northern Rancher said:
Quackgrass is uber productive if you manage it right-that's pretty much all we graze any more.It's got to be properly rotationally grazed but it's a money making grass.
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The issue we have is our water table (or at least thats what the "experts" tell me). We're right on top of a large aquifer, and if you drill a fence post 4 feet in the ground, you'll have an inch of water laying in it by morning. With the high water table, quackgrass gets root bound. Then you'll get heavy growth, but only about 4 inches worth. And you won't get re-growth. There may be a way to manage it better, but I haven't heard of it yet.

Rod
 
Lots of manure and lots of cattle for a short time works great for quackgrass-rootbound is just a misniomer for not enough nutrients for growth-a thick growth od grass 4-6 inches high will feed alot of cattle. Can't-Won't-Don't aren't words I use very often in regards to grass.
 
The land in this area (foothills/mountains) is completely out of the question, as the recreational value has it priced far out of agricultural reach. Saskatchewan is likely the best bet, and if you buy close to the Alberta border, you can do like so many Saskatchewanites do - buy everything in Alberta to avoid the extra taxes.
 
Well, thank you for all of your replies and insight. It sure looks appealing, although I am sure that there is a lot to learn that would provide a balance . . .

Like the cold silence that fell over our mealtime tonite when I merely brought up to the kids what I had started looking into. I have been talking about leaving the farm here for some time now, but this made it a little to real for them. We will have to give it some time, thought and prayer.

Thanks again. You just helped open a whole new, welcome world of possibilities.
 
quote: Like the cold silence that fell over our mealtime tonite when I merely brought up to the kids what I had started looking into.

had the same shocked reaction from our kids when we told them our thoughts about seven years ago. they're pretty happy we made the move but it's tough to convince kids sask can be a destination.
 
Maple Leaf, there are lots of places in Ontario where you don't have to pay $5000 an acre that you could look at too. Lots of areas in Central Ontario where it's $1000 or less because the Europeans don't like it, but as far as raising cattle it's just great, or up in Renfrew, or lots of places in Northern Ontario.
 
Maple Leaf, I am going to tell you a little story that might help.

My father was in the construction business, he drove heavy
equipment. Went to Alaska for about 17 years in fact.
We moved some, but really not like a lot of those workers did.
But when I was an 8th grader, we lived in Buffalo, Wyoming and
that summer we moved to another town west of there, over the
mountains. I cried and cried when we left. I went my freshman
year in this other town and then we moved back to Buffalo.
When we left this other town, I cried and cried...

Kids adapt easier than adults do. They think they don't like change,
but moving sometimes helps kids deal with the real world better.

I hope this helps. Good luck to you and keep us posted.
I tell ya, if we were younger we'd consider going to some of the
places that have been talked about on this thread.

It's a big world out there and life is an adventure.
 
Maple Leaf Angus said:
Like the cold silence that fell over our mealtime tonite when I merely brought up to the kids what I had started looking into. I have been talking about leaving the farm here for some time now, but this made it a little to real for them. We will have to give it some time, thought and prayer.
Click to expand...

I don't know your kids, nor do I know much about Southern Ontario, but it may help to introduce them to some of the things that us Saskatchewan people love about our province. We've got a year almost split in half by winter and summer, so you get the best of both worlds: Baseball, soccer, football, motorcycling, hiking, fishing in the summer and snowmobiling, hockey, basketball, sledding, horsedrawn sleighs in the winter. My kids couldn't imagine living anywhere else because they get to do all this stuff for more than a month or two at a time. Right out our back door are hundreds of klicks of groomed snowmobile trails, two different towns with a variety of extracirrular activities, and some of the best fishing in North America.

Rod
 
MLA,


Ever thought about Manitoba? Land is priced right around here and its good clay land. Lots of 1/4's for sale $50,000 up to $60,000. There is a nice set up for cattle about 5 miles east of us. Guy was in the purebred char biz but has sold out and now wants to sell his land.


http://www.homelifepro.com/FarmDisplay.asp?ID=&HRN=30001223#
 
MLA,

I agree with Dalek. Head North and you won't be disappointed. Land here in the Northwest is $500-700 for the best of the best with a light clay to sandy loam. $2-300 gets you high quality pasture and good quality crop land. Still in Ontario (not that I am a fan), but you'll escape the hustle and bustle of Southern Ontario. :D

Examples of some pasture and crop land:

http://www.tichbornes.com/vacant/vacant.html
 
Saskatchewan is one of Canada's best kept secrets for sure. Were just like albertans but without the oil 'tude. we live pretty close to the border but shop in our hometown-you have to save alot of money in taxes to pay for a trip any more.
 
I've got a d@mn sinus infection. Throat's so swelled up I can hardly swallow. Not sure if I should have another Hot Totty, or just forget the fixin's and pull straight from the jug! :lol: Bleepin' crap the Doc gave me ain't doing much so far. Only good part is, I got a few things done being up this late with the kids and Mrs. in bed. :lol:
 
Thank you BMr, the link works. NR, that Dorintosh place sure looks good. Well lots of them do. It almost gets a little overwhelming. And I can't just pop over this afternoon to take a little look around!



:)
 

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