|
Manitoba | I'm dairying north of the border where it is real pricey to grow but at least I know that my returns are going to be above my cost of production ( as long as I do if I do a better than "average" job of it, that is how the return is calculated, based on the average costs of an average selected group of producers). But even knowing that I am going to be profitable, there are times when I start to question why the heck I am doing what I am doing. Sometimes, when you are buried in the headaches of the thing it is hard to step back and see the big picture, there is something about it, hard to put into words, that is really unique and worth the effort but not everyone sees it. For me, I can deal with the cropping, the cows, the weather, the 24/7 of the thing, all of it is not a problem with one exception. For me it is a struggle dealing with people , employees or lack there of is what pushes me to the edge. I find I have become very cynical, that should not be but when you get burned time and time again it is very hard not to get like that. So I would think that for me it is that factor more than anything else that pushes me to the negativity toward dairy thing. Something I continually have to work on.
I don't know how you guys south of the border can hang on (when the price crashes below you cost of production for long periods of time) when you have to deal with all involved and at the end of the day, you may be further behind than when you started (financially wise). I would like to think that I would be tough enough to deal with it, but I don't know I would be able to ride that out, waiting for the uncertain day when you are again in the black.
Anyone who really gets what is all involved in the thing definitely won't be complaining about the money dairymen make when the margins are healthy. Nobody is forcing us to do this but when we make money at it, it is well earned.
Edited by Oakwood 11/22/2011 10:37
| |
|
Negativity towards dairy farming?
