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1. Ok, answers to your questions and a possible solution, this is tough but I’ll try and I’m no writer by any means.
This wasn’t meant as a “poor me” tweet, but as a “I’m still here and sorry I haven’t gotten all your popcorn orders out quickly as I usually do cuz my plate is
This wasn’t meant as a “poor me” tweet, but as a “I’m still here and sorry I haven’t gotten all your popcorn orders out quickly as I usually do cuz my plate is
2. a bit overflowing all of a sudden”. It took me over 3 hours to read all the responses and DM’s and respond. I truly appreciate the time you took to share your private struggles with me. I have discovered what I thought was a relatively isolated problem, is in fact a nation/
3. worldwide epidemic. Farm mags have been preaching farm succession planning for decades but it appears nowhere near enough is being done. This nation is just starting to go through the biggest wealth transfer in history and what is not being talked about enough in the
4. farm sector is the “look what happens when you ignore planning”. Individuals such as myself, waiting on a plan other than a will, often seem left in the dark, ignored or at the demise of “control” and left out to hang on our own, all by ourselves without
5. any good resource to turn to thinking it’s just us, when in fact, it’s quietly going on EVERYWHERE! Like many I grew up on a farm, no livestock, just corn and beans. I would spend all of my time chasing grandpa and my father down to ride and after enormous amounts of
6. “I can drive” at age 7 was cut loose on my own. I spent every hour I could behind the wheel so growing up; tractors and dirt became my friends. Dad bought grandpa out when he retired and I went off to college. At the end of college “it wasn’t a good time” to buy in so I
7. did other things but continued to help waiting for the right time to come, yet it never seemed to come. Since I loved the magic of planting a seed and growing, I started with some old garden tools and a 10’x10’ plot at the community garden selling the extra. The second year
8. I grew to the size of a football end zone. Third year I grew to 2.25 acres, fourth year I grew to almost 10 acres selling every last thing and discovered I was on to something. Then I started making popcorn, which that is a whole story in itself and is completely separate from
9. the family farm. All while still wanting to farm, I would continue to help out and save the year in several cases but never offered the opportunity to buy in. So as the years rolled on it was understood that when dad was done, I wanted the opportunity to take over and buy him
10. out just as he did with his father. Well that day came with a phone call saying he was going to retire. So I jumped in the truck and headed for a family sit down to figure it all out only to find he had already gave up the ground (we farmed 50/50) and was going to
11. auction everything off and wanted my advice and help in doing so. Disappointment and shock doesn’t even begin to describe it; I still think there is a dent in the floor from my jaw dropping. I don’t want the cash, I just wanted the opportunity to buy the equipment I grew
12. up with (my friends) which is older but has been highly maintained and mechanically sound. I honestly don’t think I could stomach the sight of it being all auctioned off. So what do I do? I don’t have land that is paid for; I don’t have enough to buy the equipment all at
13. once which I figured around 100K would get everything. So I started brainstorming and came up with 2 “what if’s”. What if, 5000 farmers/people invested $20.00 and I could buy the equipment outright, which would give me the equity to start on my own. And each year
14. as income comes in, go down the list and pay each 20 dollars back until it’s all paid. OR, sell around 12,000 large bags of popcorn in the next 60 days which would be a big task but I would do it if I had the orders.
So what do you think about as those ideas? I know, most
So what do you think about as those ideas? I know, most
15. of you don’t really know me but I don’t like taking handouts, so the later one shines more to me.
But the real question is…..Would you honestly make a commitment to something like one of those ideas?
But the real question is…..Would you honestly make a commitment to something like one of those ideas?
