the entire farm/ranch experience is so romantic but so cruel. I grew up in it and could deal with it if I had to but people who never did that want to "buy some acres" and run cattle or farm are in for a rough ridin' bad day if they are expecting to earn a living. Even figuring out how you can turn a profit in some of this stuff involves fairy tales that you tell to yourself. I'm speaking specifically to cattle but probably holds true to crops as well. Running cattle is a brutal endeavor. the margin to make money is so thin and the risk is so high it's not something anyone should try to do if they have other options imo. generational players are the only ones that can even weather the tides short of government intervention. my dad is on his way to calling it and my brother is there but I'm not sure he's capable to handle without my parents support (or mine, which is taken up with other bandwitch). not operatoinal, he's a whiz at that. but the financial side.
