[AT] On losing farm land

[Cecil E Monson]

	This must be the time of the year for farm stories. In the
local paper this morning is almost a half page article because of
local farmers pissing and moaning over the loss of farm land they
had been leasing from the County.

	It turns out that many years ago, the County "took" about
4000 acres of land to build a reservoir and after completion of it,
has been leasing 1400 acres to local farmers. Up until a couple years
ago, they were charging $3.50 an acre. They raised it to $7 and that
was OK until they opened it for bids. Now, it seems that farmers are
losing the land to hunters and others who are outbidding them.

	FWIW, this is pretty cheap for rented land around here. The
regular price has been up over $50 an acre for a long time.

	The article didn't say how much the hunter groups and others
(I think there was a mention of "off road" people) were paying but
it seems to me that instead of whining about it, a smart farmer
would be leasing the land and then sub-leasing to hunters. I think
these guys would pay the same amount for land that was being farmed
as they would for idle land. Local hunters are mostly deer hunters
and they know that open fields have excellent edges all around them
that make great hunting. Some local hunters would pay upwards of a
thousand bucks a year to have a place to hunt because land in our
area for hunting is just not available any more.

	Anyhow, this article caught my attention and I would be
willing to bet the same thing is happening all over the country. I
have to admit I would not pay to hunt as I am from the "old school"
who hunted land that was open to hunt without paying but know lots
of modern hunters do not mind paying. If I was a farmer with land
that could be both farmed and hunted as a business, I think I would
be looking for double income from it these days.

Cecil
-- 
The nicest thing about telling the truth is you never have to wonder
what you said.

Cecil E Monson
Lucille Hand-Monson
Mountainville, New York   Just a little east of the North Pole

Allis Chalmers tractors and equipment

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