"Hobby Farmer"?

I was just thinking about what everyone's definition of a hobby farmer is. I've read comments in other posts would suggest that hobby farmers do things differently than "professional farmers ". So a professional farmer who farms 5000 acres may view a 500 acre farm as a "hobby farmer". Just curious that's all.

I know a guy who's a doctor who farms 40 acres...he went out and bought a bunch of fairly large equipment (Deere 4440, 6600 combine, Chevy C60 grain truck, etc.) for it....I'd call that a hobby farm because I know he definitely isn't in it to make money.

Edited by CrestonM - 20 Jun 2017 at 8:54am

drobCA wrote: I'm a "self-confessed" hobby farmer. I use that as justification for acquiring, refurbishing and running pre-1960 AC tractors. almost works, too... but Joyce still wants to know why I need so many tractors for a little 5 acre "farm". I just shrug & grin.

Edited by CrestonM - 20 Jun 2017 at 12:12pm

I tell folks I am a hobby farmer every time I do something that has little hope of making a profit like planting barley with current prices. But I have never had a real job so to speak. I lease 2000 to 3000 acres to run less than 100 cows so by some standards a large farmer but never been doing it just for the money.  If money was the motivating factor you would have to call me crazy farmer rather than hobby farmer.

When we were out selling new equipment for a farm that was owned by an Accountant, Lawyer, or any other professional we always tried to get the professional owner to drive the equipment.  Made the sale evey time.  They loved it.

I couldn't afford to be any kind of farmer!

I always thought a hobby farmer was someone whos farm was not their main source of income. I know a hobby farm is classified deferent on your income tax than a professional farm.

Methinks the real difference might be who takes a gov't loan and subsidies...

I consider myself a hobby farmer. (My neighbor that milks 500 cows calls me a Saturday farmer).

dt1050 wrote: Ranse wrote: I always thought a hobby farmer was someone whos farm was not their main source of income. I know a hobby farm is classified deferent on your income tax than a professional farm. Heck that'd rule out about everybody, most folks who farm around here have to have another job just to keep the farm running. lol.  In PA. in order to be classified as a farmer on your taxes you must show a profit from the farm a minimum of every 5 years.  to me if you put the time most of your time in to the land/livestock your a farmer.

There are very few farmers that rely solely on the money they make farming with no
other income or help.Some have off farm jobs,some do custom work,some do mechanic work for other farmers,some collect
Gov't Subsidies,many get Federal Crop insurance which is subsidized heavily by the
Gov't,many get conservation payments and the list goes on.

We did our taxes this year for the first time with the schedule F.  It included a lot of purchases and very little income due to acquiring equipment mostly in the fall.  This year wont be too much better because we are starting small.  Our accountant told us that if we were just "hobby farmers" as opposed to being "for profit" we would not be able to file the schedule F and pass the straight face test.  

Let me start off by saying the IRS views the difference between farmers and hobby farmers as "the intent to make a profit." They do not say has to make a profit. Dad worked in town and farmed the whole time and now I work in town and run the farm. We pay our income taxes on our earned income. But the farm has not shown a profit since the early 80s. Every year we reinvest in new equipment. If your accountant tells you that you have to show a profit every 5 years then you need a different accountant. There is nothing illegal. Just using the tax code as it's written. Dad still holds the checkbook and that's fine. But I have farm expenses simply by driving my truck to look at equipment. My accountant told me he has no problem filing expenses against a schedule F with no income as long as the intent is there. And it is easily justified that it is.

We share crop 300 acres and run 60 head of mama cows. We feed out 10 calves a year and sell by the half with the corn we grow and alfalfa from the neighbor. We trade services with the neighbors for veggies and eggs. We do all square bales and haul with a self propelled bale wagon. We have a lot of nece equiplent. I slways tell people we are not getting rich farming. In fact I've been doing it for free for 35 years. But I've got a lot of cool toys. And I love my way of life.

Some say we are overkill. We are running a kinze planter with GPS control with an 8010. Most big farmers in this area aren't running GPS. We have an 8050 and 8070 Fwa. We run a 13' hydroswing diskbine along with a Vermeer r2300 rake and we put less than 100 acres of hay. We've got an L3 Rwa, F2 Rwa and F3 for 300 acres. So all things considered we are more high tech than most of the big boys around here . Dad always told me work smarter not harder.

We are hobby farmers compared to a lot of our neighbors and big time compared to others. I say it doesn't matter how much you farm. If you put in a crop and harvest it or look after livestock your a farmer.

Oh yea. We don't have crop insurance. Or get subsidies.

Edited by wekracer - 21 Jun 2017 at 9:49pm

I don't think....an 8N had anything, cept maybe it was better than walking? LMAO

Gary Burnett wrote: CrestonM wrote: drobCA wrote: I'm a "self-confessed" hobby farmer. I use that as justification for acquiring, refurbishing and running pre-1960 AC tractors. almost works, too... but Joyce still wants to know why I need so many tractors for a little 5 acre "farm". I just shrug & grin. Because changing implements is HARD work!! Just get one machine for every implement!  I heard a story about a guy who did that with Minneapolis Moline U's back in the 50's. On my hay equipment I have two of everything ready to go most of the time hooked to tractors. 2 NH 456 mowers hooked to 1)yanmar 330 2)Long 460 2 NH 256 rakes hooked to 1)David Brown 780 2)A-C CA 2 NH 851 balers hooked to 1)Oliver 1550 diesel 2)Oliver 1600 Utility 1 NH 847 Baler hooked to an Oliver 1550 gas 1 Oliver 62-T baler hooked to an A-C D15 Plus 2 more spare round balers and several spare tractors

wekracer wrote: Let me start off by saying the IRS views the difference between farmers and hobby farmers as "the intent to make a profit." They do not say has to make a profit. Dad worked in town and farmed the whole time and now I work in town and run the farm. We pay our income taxes on our earned income. But the farm has not shown a profit since the early 80s. Every year we reinvest in new equipment. If your accountant tells you that you have to show a profit every 5 years then you need a different accountant. There is nothing illegal. Just using the tax code as it's written. Dad still holds the checkbook and that's fine. But I have farm expenses simply by driving my truck to look at equipment. My accountant told me he has no problem filing expenses against a schedule F with no income as long as the intent is there. And it is easily justified that it is.