Do people think Ranching is easy? Check out what John Q Public thinks

[starmac]

Give me a flat, step, lowboy, dolly, bullwagon or tanker and I am fine, but never had the right temperment to deal with dock workers required to pull a box or reefer, especially at food warehouses.

[Just Duke]

This is an interesting thread. I've been on both sides of the fence. I grew up around farming and ranching. Growing up I milked 65 to 70 head of cows. Farming and ranching is a labor of love. If you don't love it you need to get out. A wise old man said if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life. When you are farming or ranching, you are self employed in a business that puts you at the mercy of nature. You do what you have to do to be successful. How hard you work is entirely up to you. The harder you work shows in the pride you take in your place and it shows. Drive through the country and you can tell which places are better cared for.Being self employed also gives you the freedom to do what you want when you want.

Where I have a problem is with people who farm or ranch who think they work harder than EVERYONE else. This is straight up BS. I worked far harder after I left the farm than I did on the farm. I've worked for some of the worst people imaginable. I've worked for people who thought you OWED them because they GAVE you a job. Sorry folks, I earned every damn dime you paid me or should I say underpaid me. I've worked for people that would cheat your time sheets if you didn't watch them. I worked for a guy that I more than doubled the amount of earnings my portion of the business generated in the 4 years I worked there. When I started the area of the business I operated was producing $65 K per year. 4 years later I won national awards from the parent corporation for the number of invoices I serviced and the dollar value produced. The yearly revenue grew to $135 K and the owner was putting $60k a year in his pocket on what I alone produced. I was making $28k. I asked for a raise. I showed the owner how much I had increased the revenue and explained that I felt I was worth more than I was being paid. I was told I had a bad attitude and was fired. He had to hire two people to match what I had produced. I'm 59 years old and feel the aches of a lifetime of hard physical work.

To those of you in farming and ranching, I've been there and done that. I know what you do and I respect it. Your life can be difficult and your efforts are not always rewarded. However don't think you work harder and do more than everyone else because it just isn't true. Sure you work harder than than some dirt for brains knot head in a coffee shop, but there's plenty of us out here that work just as hard and some even harder than you do. Please don't disrespect those of us that work as hard as you do and don't have all the perks that come with ranch life.

Looks like we have both worked for the same employers. This is also typical in most work places I have seen.

[Gator 45/70]

I only work 87 hrs in a 7 day period, I feel like a slacker.

[Bad Water Bill]

Just remembered a special truck I did buy.

A 1931 model A Ford truck.

Double tires on the rear with a PTO but no doors.

While driving her rapidly down the road(a major BLACK cloud was over head) about 60 MPH I was pulled over by a State trooper.

He wanted to buy the matching 1931 truck license plates.

They are still around here someplace but the truck was stolen years ago.

In the many years I was involved in Model As and at conventions at Dearborn Mi I never saw so much as a photo of that type of Ford.

[lefty o]

I only work 87 hrs in a 7 day period, I feel like a slacker.

lol, yup everyones job is always harder than anyone else's.

[Mumblypeg]

Yes it is. I've been lucky. Being in the military & being able to have small farms/ranches most of the time. Working full time, going to school, running a farm & bleacher butt from 3 kids keeps you busy.

Fixing fence cause of those dam angus & fixing fence cause of those gd dam angus & fixing fence cause of those bleep bleep angus, really sucks.

Really miss the horses & cows + a couple sheep & pigs. We talk about fencing some of our acreage frequently & putting some livestock on it. Then we think about it. Then we laugh about it. Then we forget about it.

But, I sure wish I could still ride, just to busted up. Rode my first bucking horse at about six. Had my Appy stud for 33yrs. Just loved that old horse.

Sure could use some of those Simental x cows throwing 100+lb calves now with beef so hi. Think the highest I ever got was $57 or 58.

Don't know how people can make it with pigs now (or for the last 30+ yrs) unless you grow your own grain. I had a farrowing operation & grain from the farmers went from $17 to $55 in less than a year & the price of wieners went up only $2 & grain never came down. Couldn't do any butcher hogs except for our own consumption after that.

But still miss the old farm. Best life in the world.

I work on a friends farm many days now. He and I both retired from LE. I'd rather do that now than fool with drunks and crazies. Cows don't talk back much... I can string some barbed wire and look back at what I've done. He always says " Fences are for honest cows." LOL. It's more about the trees that fall on them around here than the cows... and the deer mess them up a lot too. Oh... and we have a horse but the 4 wheeler carries more and I don't have to feed it when I'm not riding it! I never get home before dark though but I'm not complaining! Just watch out for the cows that have a funny look in their eyes.....

[starmac]

Never really had trouble with deer and fences, they usually jump them. Antelope and elk are a whole nother story. An antelope will not jump them, but goes through them, elk will halfway jump them and ride them down.

[Mumblypeg]

You know Duke, all you have to do is invite that waiter over on one of his days off and let him see if he likes the job..... that way they won't have to re-hire him when he goes back to waiting tables...