Farm Equipment - I need to help someone grow pastures and hay

I've been helping some friends improve their place for the past several years but find it's time to move on to other pastures, so to speak. During that time I've bought the following equipment: AC 190XT diesel, MF 165 diesel, JD 24T square baler, single row tedder, single row rotary rake, 9 wheel inline rake, 30' field sprayer with electric valves, 17' JD disk, 3 point seeder and a new wire feed welder. I don't have a mower conditioner or round baler. My rake and tedder are single row because they don't have a large acreage of hay fields and I was only wanting to upgrade from the side delivery rake they have.

I don't charge them for the equipment or labor; I do it because I love improving pastures/hay fields, that's my reward. Yea, it seems to be a lousy return on investment, doesn't it? But everybody has to have a hobby to squander some of their money on and this one is mine.

Why am I leaving? That's a fair question. Because I don't feel that I can make a difference anymore. There is too much livestock putting pressure on the available forage and not enough decent fence to control where they go. I've replanted some fields over the past two years, mostly at my own expense, only to find the cattle and/or sheep have decided that's the best place to hang out. In the process, they eat the grass and clover down to the ground and eliminate any possibility of a decent hay crop or managed grazing for the season.

I'm not looking to make money off of my time or equipment, nor have much interest in livestock....beyond providing quality grazing and hay for them. If there should happen to be a financial return, that would be great but it isn't my driving force by any means.

I live in the outskirts of St. Louis and spend my weekends at the farm near Jefferson City, MO; a two hour drive from my house. Last year I took a month off work to put up the hay. I'm looking to find a long term relationship for myself and my equipment in Missouri. Several things have to be taken into account finding a proper fit. I have no means to transport the equipment. Driving time from my house needs to be a consideration, as does having a place to store some of the equipment inside, particularly the square baler. I retire in about 3 1/2 years, when I turn 62. Driving time after that won't be an issue because I plan on buying a house near where ever I land this time. I'm an avid deer hunter and prefer to hunt north central or north eastern Missouri but I am surely not opposed to staying in the Jefferson City area. However, moving down to the Ozarks wouldn't be high on my list, only because of the hunting.

Please reply be email at mailto:Swede65mm@aol.com - Swede65mm@aol.com or phoning me at 314-739-8106 if you think there is a possibility we could find a suitable fit for both of us and we will see where it goes.

Many thanks for taking the time to read this long post,