*Farms will be gigantic acreage's and listed on stock exchange. Head office will be in the city.*

Its all been tried before, 579. Give it 10-15 years, by then
investors have lost their shirts and leave, tail between their legs.
But I grant you, more gullible investors do exist and city people
generally don't know a thing about farming. Enough pain helps
to teach them.

Farms controlled by an office still has to be farmed, the only difference is they get wages.
There's a sizable dairy farm here, 3,000 cows, they do not have any labor worries. Any-one who wants to milk a cow or have a working holiday can go there and work for free, and no wages. They milk 24 hours a day.

There ya go 579, a dairy farm is not a cropping farm. The second
largest cropping farm in WA, involving 100'000 acres, has just
gone bust. It will take them 3 days just to sell the machinery.

Large turnover does not equate to profit. Our super funds know that,
that is why its Chinese and Arabs buying land now, they don't know
how Australia works.

Alot of farmers now have to rely on backpackers to do the seeding
and harvesting, as no Aussies are putting their hands up. So just
imagine, a modern header with a 40ft front can cost around 800
thousand. The backpacker hits a rock or tree trying to drive it,
oops, 150k damage. Its ok 579, best your super fund just pays
it and takes it from your account.

The National Farmers' Federation (NFF) has released -
"Farm Facts 2012," which shows that agriculture continues
to grow both its food and fibre production and its
contribution to Australia's economy.

It shows that agriculture may be a small industry - but
that its "punching above its weight."

Some of the facts given were that - Australian farmers
produce 93 per cent of Australia's daily domestic food supply
and that the average Australian farmer grows enough food to
feed 600 people. 150 at home and 450 abroad.

Apparently in 2010-11 alone - Australia's farm exports earned
the country $32.5 billion. Up $400 milion in 2 years.
And the gross value of Australian farm production at
farm gate in 2009-10 was $48.7 billion - up a massive $600,000
million in just one year.

The fact sheet stated that:

"Sure challenges like the declining number of farm businesses
in Australia, the increase in the average age of Australian
farmers to 52 (12 years above the national average of other
occupations), and the labour shortage that the industry faces
with many people having left the sector make things difficult.
Plus the challenge of increasing productivity enough to meet
the growing global demand for food and fibre."

The UN estimates that production will need to increase by
70 per cent by 2050 in order to meet the world population need.

However, that is why increased investment in Research and
Development for Australian agriculture is critical, to ensure that
our farmers can achieve this great task. The government is on
the right track.

Rechtub gets a bit negative.
Yes the average age of farmers is 57.
But too cropping farms given rain are getting much bigger and bring bigger crops per acre, in good seasons.
NZ and us are getting concerned about Chinese ownership, but food growth will increase there too.
Governments once subsidized farmers, still do in bad times.
A day may return that reduces or even dumps tax on all farm fuels, it should be considered now.
But we produce a great deal more than we can eat now cattle sheep pork? well not worth it at todays prices for imports.
I see no reason ,not any, to fear our continued growth in producing.
Its the selling, of wheat say, this harvest, that concerns me.

I'm a city boy, so help me out here.

What's a "farm"?