The most iconic American image is of the cowboy and cattle ranch land. The image of expansive ranches tied to American independence has permeated other cultures as a heroic image of individuality and resourcefulness. Maybe this is why in the recent years there has been a push from millennials to move away from the appeal of city living to finding farms and ranches for sale. Can this new movement towards the pastoral be a sign of the times? There has been a recent movement for young adults to eschew urban life and find plots of land in which to begin farms. Some see this as a push towards self sustainability. However running a farm and a cattle ranch may have a romantic appeal, but the truth is that inexperience can lead to some dangerous circumstances. If you are among those that are wishing to leave city life in favor of a new life on cattle ranch land or other live water ranches, here some things consider.
Running a Ranch is More Than a Full Time Job
If you were to ask anyone that has grown up on a farm or cattle ranch land the would be able to tell you that owning a ranch is more than a job its a lifestyle. Working on a farm is a 24/7 activity. This begins in the morning with various chores that are necessary for the proper running of the farm. If you believe that you will somehow be able to maintain your full time job in the city and run the farm simultaneously you will find that it is not an easy task. If you are leaning towards a farm that has livestock you can double and triple the amount of time you will need to spend in order to have a correctly running ranch.
Taking Care of Livestock is Not to Be Taken Lightly
Depending on your livestock, you’ll need to attend to several things, such as feeding, healthcare and breeding. All of those tasks are time consuming and can not be taken lightly. It does not take long for disease to spread through a livestock population and these disease many times can also effect humans as well. There have been times in the past when these disease have spread from cattle to humans, a prime example is the Mad Cow Disease outbreak and more recently Tuberculosis in Canadian cattle. In Jenner Alberta over 1,200 cattle were found to be infected with Tuberculosis. The implications are much larger than the cattle that already had to be destroyed. Currently there are another 22,000 cattle from 36 ranches that are being held in quarantine. Each cow represents thousands of dollars worth of income for these ranchers, that are now seeking financial relief for from the government for their losses. Which leads to the next consideration.
Running a Cattle Ranch Land Can Be Expensive
Even if you are able to find a reasonably priced cattle ranch for sale it is important to realize that running a farm and ranch still has significant costs before it can become self sustainable. Planting food and tending it to harvest is a time investment as well as monetary one. Many inexperienced farmers will find that their first harvest is not enough to sustain them without some type of supplemental assistance. Although agriculture is one of the cornerstones of human society it is still a science. Consider this, do you know how to plant crops so that they germinate properly? Do you know about adequate field drainage. If you have a hard time keeping a fern alive, you will have a hard go at planting a field of corn. This goes for livestock as well. Even smaller livestock like goats cost money.
Many times in life the fantasy is much greater than the reality. We all long for some place to call our own, especially us nature lovers, but the truth is not having the right information and skills is always a recipe for danger and disaster. Before leaving all the trapping of the city behind to etch your mark on the land, get informed, take classes and make the right decision for you.