If you have been anywhere near social media for the past couple of years you’ve probably heard the phrase “hustle culture.” Consider yourself fortunate if this is the first time you’re hearing it.
There are many figures on social media promoting the idea that if you work hard, put in a lot of work hours and go after every financial opportunity you will be a millionaire in no time. I’m paraphrasing a bit, but you can get the idea of their message – hustle more and get more.
Hustle culture is nothing new for dairy farmers. Waking up every day before everyone else, working long days, fighting Mother Nature and machinery and hoping cows cooperate is the definition of hustle in my dictionary. Can you imagine the views some of these social media influencers would get if they filmed themselves telling a dairy farmer to work harder?
They would be chased off the farm! Social media is not always a reflection of the real world and the hustle culture message does not translate well to farming. Working harder, especially on a dairy farm, will not always correlate to a larger income. Every dairy farmer knows that markets change, feed prices go up and down, interest rates change and life happens.
A common theme for people promoting hustle culture is to find new or alternative ways to increase revenue, or in other terms, diversification. Traditionally, diversification for farmers has included growing different types of crops, raising freezer beef or selling hay off the farm.
Those continue to be great sources of income, but in the past several years more opportunities have become available to capitalize on your “unused” farm property. While there are risks with these opportunities, they benefit from requiring little to no investment on your part.
Hunting leases
We’re in the heart of hunting season, so hunting leases is a timely opportunity. As access to public lands becomes more limited, some hunters are seeking our land leases from private owners. Farms with wooded areas may be able to offer just what hunters are seeking.
Allowing hunting on your property has the added benefit of helping control wildlife populations and reducing crop damage. Prices will vary around the state, but advertised hunting lease rates for 2023 start below $20/acre with some exceeding $100/acre.
If you choose to explore hunting leases, check out the OSU Law Bulletin available at go.osu.edu/huntinglease for important details on what to include in the written lease. These leases could be for as little as a day to a full season and may be a way to provide additional revenue for a corner of your property.
Timber
If you have a woodlot, you may also consider the value of your timber. Managing your woodlot in collaboration with a forester can be a good long-term investment that will provide income over many years. Aside from harvesting timber, leasing woodlots for maple syrup tapping is another way to provide revenue from your trees.
Photography and camping
Your farm also has value just because it is a farm and many people are looking to connect with agriculture. Even if your farm is not Instagram-level picturesque, for people without experience, it has a certain level of intrigue. Opening your farm to photographers and campers has been successful for many farms around the county. An entire industry has emerged that helps people with RVs who are looking for farmland to camp on with farms willing to host them.
I’ve been on many farms throughout my career, and I know the thought of opening your farm to strangers will make most of you cringe. I get it. Whenever someone turns around in my driveway, I am a little suspicious, too. So maybe hunting leases, photographers and campers don’t work for your farm, but there are many other options that might work for you. Keep an open mind and continue to look for ways to diversify your income. Remember, it wasn’t too long ago that breeding heifers to beef breeds was considered unconventional.
You can hustle for more money for the rest of your life, but you know that dairy farming is about more than just money. Money is nice but your family, love of farming and passion for the industry are likely why you get out of bed every morning. Find a diversification strategy that works for you so you can keep doing the dairy farm hustle.
(Lee Beers is an assistant professor and extension educator with Ohio State University Extension in Trumbull County. He can be reached at 330-638-6783 or beers.66@osu.edu.)
