Pasture

[Jake]

I'm pretty sure I've come on before depressed and whining but I think I'll do it again.

I don't know for sure about any other part of the country but I know it's getting harder and harder for somebody to find grass in our area. You have to be weaseled in with an ole timer and hope to get a shot at his land when they quit or pass on or your stuck. We haven't expanded our herd any lately and have actually sold cows here lately but we're still dry lotting cows to keep them around in order to make ends meet. Counting the bred heifers we had a good 70-85 head in the lot this summer. Got a land lord likely to take away the last pasture from us as he's expanded his herd over the past 5 years riding the market wave trying to get back into the game.

Ok I'm done ranting for tonight...

Anybody else running across this in their area?

 

[Jason]

Before BSE hit it was exactly the same up here. Cut throat for any grass. I was hauling cows 250 miles for summer pasture.

Private grass is still a bit tight, but the reserve has lots and they are starting to control it better. It's still nasty with cut fences and stuff, but if you live close enough it can work.

 

[IL Rancher]

Pasture is tight around here,especially any that has fence worth anything. tIt is amazing how much fence has gone up though the past 4 years as formerly vacant land has been put back into production due to good prices.. I haven't checked on renting any pasture ground because I don't have the need as we actually have brought some cattle in on a custumn graze basis but I know my neighbor is moaning a lot about lake of available grazing... He is either going to sell out eventually to move somewhere that is more grass than row crop or try to buy me out..

Some folks are trying to get the marginal corn ground and convert it into hay while they convert their ground closer to/attatched to home from hay into pasture... WE are lucky in that all of our ground is basically continuous except for some roads except for a 200 acre piece that is 2 miles away... If only the boss man would let us go all cattle, lol.

 

[badroute]

Land around here is starting to really free up some now. Alot of my neighbors are in their 60's and 70's and are getting tired of working hard every day. It is a great opportunity for a young man like myself to keep expanding. Just last week I was able to pick up a 5 section lease so I am probably done for a while now. The folks leasin anymore are renting to smaller outfits that take care of things better as some of the bigger outfits have burnt their bridges. As more and more young folks move away I see this trend only getting stronger.