Quote:
Originally Posted by lungs
I was going to bump this thread but since it's in the archives I'll start a new one.
Anyway, I've made it 9 years milking cows since that thread describing my economic plight. But this year is different. I've pretty much decided on selling all the cows. That's over 1000 living and breathing animals I'm going to be looking to find new homes. Thankfully, I have two friends that are adding capacity and are looking to buy a good chunk of what I have. I know my girls will do just great for these guys.
Why, you ask? It's pretty simple. The dairy farm model I've been working with is very quickly becoming unsustainable and not competitive. I'm staring at some absolutely massive losses this year. Everybody out there is. But when I look at the future, I just don't see the way I'm operating now as being efficient enough to survive.
So what next? I'm looking forward to taking a breather. This isn't bankruptcy. It's a choice where I'm reading the tea leaves and getting out while I still have the shirt on my back. I don't think I'm completely done with milking cows. I plan on investigating putting up a robotic milking facility and starting back up in a year or two. As much as I value my 13 employees, the fact is that when performing a tedious task like milking a cow that still requires precision and diligence, humans suck. Automation is the future. With robotic milkers, I could probably run a farm my size with five people compared to the 13 I currently have.
Of course if I can't come up with a budget that makes robots work, it'll be time for me to find a new career. Anybody else reinvented themselves in their mid 30s? |
Sorry to here about your tough times.
I myself came out of college in the late 1980s after doing ROTC . I became an Air Force officer after graduation. I was a combat weopons officer on B1Bs and servered 12 years making major. I got out at 33 and went back to get my Masters of Science degree in Cyber Security and MiS.
Now at almost 50 I am nearing the top of my career field as a CISO for a Fortune 50 global multinational tech company making more than I ever thought possible.
So, it is definitely possible to reinvent yourself. Just don't listen to the nay sayers.
Dan