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BMr, Jason, Greg . . .

We were 47 and 46 when we moved over here. It isn't as far in miles,
(about 500) as what you are talking MLR, but it is a totally different world here than where we were.
The hard part is not having family close, but we didn't really have family close where we were after our daughter graduated. This area is
easier on you physically (I say this after Mr. FH just left with 8 ton of
mineral to deliver. The delivery semi truck couldn't get in to the ranch Monday because of mud), which is important as you get older.

One thing, I do think you miss your family more as you age. Anyway
I have. There are lots of families here and we don't have any nearby. So that is definitely something to consider. Holidays can be rather tough. And of course your family left behing is getting older, so it is harder for them to travel on important occasions.

You will find good and bad people where ever you go. For the most
part people here have been very good to us. We have good neighbors. It would have been easier to meet people if we had kids in school. But being the Vigortone dealer has really helped us meet people that we might not have met otherwise. If you move to a new community, you need to get involved and participate in what goes on. I have been a CattleWoman since 1965, and I joined the CattleWomens group here. Those ladies helped me soooo much as I didn't know a soul when we moved here.

It isn't easy and you only get to pass through this life once. So do what you need to do. Chances are it will work out one way or the other. Remember, life is an adventure.

One other thing I can tell you for sure. When you move, you just trade
problems. There is no place to ranch that is without problems of some sort. Make sure you are trading for problems that you would rather have than what you have now. That is what makes it worth it. For us, we had sick cattle for tooo long. We have solved that problem now, but that was
the problem we had where we were and why we decided to leave.

Talk to someone who has moved. They can help you more than anyone.
People that have lived in one place all their life, don't understand what goes on when you move into new country. If you had good neighbors where you were, I'll bet you'll have good neighbors where you go.

BTW, I was not raised on a ranch, but I always knew I wanted to marry a rancher. Been married to the same one for 43 years now!!!

Good luck to you!!!
 
Lots of families run a few hundred cows up here with no hired help-there's still alot of neighboring that goes on which isn't all bad. Maybe you can have your caker and eat it to lol. Some sharp cookies up here run alot of cows and don't work themselves to death.
 
It doesn't matter how you run the cows, a large land base purchase highly financed is a tough go.

I am almost by myself here, dad still does a lot, but I can't expand without more help.

If it is a straight cow op or a mixed place, the stocking is what kills the deal.

I was looking at a place near Medicine Hat as it is still "civilized". I am not a big fan of snowed in winters farther North get. I have been raised on chinooks, and mid winter warm ups. That place would have been a stretch to work by myself, but 1 good man and myself would be doable. Finding 1 good man is the tough part. Most of them are running their own place.

The extra cows and machinery I would need to operate were the kicker. The land mortgage would be easy, paying for the stock and iron kills the idea.
 
Just out of curiosity, Jason, how many cows were you looking at? The neighbor calves out 4 - 500 and has anywhere between 500 and 1000 feeders. In the winter, he does all the work himself. He hires a man for March calving season, then brings him back for haying season, primarily because he also custom cuts and bales.

There is no doubt that being heavily leveraged makes things rough. I've got another 2 years of heavy leverage, then I'm debt free and going to expand like mad. There are a minimum of 9 quarters available within 1 mile of my place

Rod
 
Jason; The reason a lot of people move is that they can take the equity they have in their home operation( where they often can't afford to expand due to land costs or inavailability)and buy a sustainable operation with little or no added debt. Even a younger person that needs higher levels of financing stands a better chance if they can find affordable land that will cashflow! We've had hundreds of families move to this province over the past few years and by and large they have been a real asset to their chosen communities. Quite often they bring a desirable attitude and the desire to succeed and in most cases bring young families that are helping rejuvenate communities! It's a good deal all around for everyone involved!
 
I understand the whole equity thing, if I was to move it would have to mean a better standard of living for me.

To invest all my equity here just to be leveraged into more work with little chance of making more net income but triple the gross doesn't excite me much. I could retire better but later.

I guess I'm just past the point where I want the risk or hassel of moving. I'd retire now if I could swing it. I've been under heavy debt since I was 18 and now finally carry less debt than I have for a long time. I can see putting in another 5 years then being able to slow down to 20 hrs a week.

Maybe I'm just old before my time. Most guys have another 10 years under their belts before they talk retirement, but I started younger than most too.
 

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