NCDOT Bridge on the jboyst62 farm (updated with pictures)

[boyst]

The Dispatch article. Edited July 12, 2013 by jboyst62

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

First of all, LOL that the newspaper calls it "imminent domain".

 

Second, what a terrible person you are to stand in the way of progress. Don't you realize that high-speed rail is "good for you" and that government knows what it's doing? My god, you should be donating as much of your land as possible to the government because they're smarter than you.

 

Edited April 25, 2012 by \GoBillsInDallas/

[Taro T]

So if it gets built, you gonna call it the New Holland Tunnel?

 

(Ducks for cover. )

 

 

 

Good luck w/ it.

[Chandemonium]

"To me, this field is no different than Walmart. This field is my business,"

 

I didn't know you owned Walmart too

[boyst]

The total project, two bridges, is going to be worth $100 million

 

"To me, this field is no different than Walmart. This field is my business,"

 

I didn't know you owned Walmart too

Why do you think I never show them my receipt?

 

edit: Honestly, it is a pet peeve of mine. People see a gas station on the side of the road; it's a business. People see a bunch of trees in an orchard and can see apples growing. They realize it is a business. People look across large lucious fields of green and think it's a field, or a lot, some even actually realize it is a pasture. However, few and far between to people put their two cents together to realize that grass is a business, it makes money. To quote a farmer I met a long time ago "we cannot just think of ourselves as beef farmers. We grow grass and beef is our by-product." Every step on the field is akin to walking on money. You walk in to Best Buy or Walmart and realize that every cubic foot of the store has to make money. The same goes for a farm. Whether it is the big money movers (cows = TV's) or it is the slow moving stuff (trees, sheds = socks and q-tips). All in all, I have been up in arms about this for a while and it is something that is difficult to fathom.

Edited April 26, 2012 by jboyst62

[Beerball]

The Dispatch article.

Good for you, I hope that everything works out. Seems like a tunnel would be the best approach for you and your cattle.

 

Hopefully this isn't an issue with any of the herd.

[CowgirlsFan]

I bet you'd get a favorable decision

if ALL of us showed up at that board

meeting to give our support!!!

[The Avenger]

First of all, LOL that the newspaper calls it "imminent domain".

 

Second, what a terrible person you are to stand in the way of progress. Don't you realize that high-speed rail is "good for you" and that government knows what it's doing? My god, you should be donating as much of your land as possible to the government because they're smarter than you.

 

 

Imminent domain is when the government shows up and tells you they are going to take your property - tomorrow....

[Guffalo]

Its a reasonable argument and you are just asking for fair continuance of your livelihood. I hope it all works out. Understanding that eminent domain is forcing a loss of family property, some sort of concession by the DOT or other agencies should be expected. I just wonder how much effort and expense (and down time for the road under which it is constructed) will be considered reasonable to accomplish the construction of the tunnel. A very good article, please keep us posted.

[BuffaloBud]

Good for you dude for fighting the man!! High speed rail is a bunch of crap. They tried singing that tune here in OH and it didn't get far. Every once and a while it comes up and then they realize they don't have the money to fund it.

[stevestojan]

3 acres per cow? My office is 14x14 and my apartment is 1500 square feet. How to I sign up to live on your farm? I'll go into town once a month and pick up steak and milk so I'll be paying the same rent as the cows. This is bull **** man. My dinner lives better than I do!

 

First of all, LOL that the newspaper calls it "imminent domain".

In all fairness, unless jboyst can do something about it, it does seem the eminent is imminent.

[boyst]

As per the fed gov that funded this per Obama initiative all construction must be done by year end 2016. I can postother documents and links if anyone is interested. Basically, the state did nothing in consideration to how this will impact anyone. A fire station will lose access to some of its territory instead of crossing the railroad it is against it will drive 3 minutes extra to the nearest bridge to travel 100 yards away from the actual station.

[boyst]

http://www.co.davidson.nc.us/media/PDFs/23/041112_VAD_Public_Hearing_Report.pdf

 

Here is the VAD report from the public hearing.

[Fan in San Diego]

Thanks for the article, sucks they are taking part of your land and creating a big hassle for you. How many cattle do you have? The farm has been in your family for a 100 years, how did you become a Bills fan in NC? I've been thinking of getting into the beef business, would you recommend it? What type of beef cows would you recommend?

[boyst]

Thanks for the article, sucks they are taking part of your land and creating a big hassle for you. How many cattle do you have? The farm has been in your family for a 100 years, how did you become a Bills fan in NC? I've been thinking of getting into the beef business, would you recommend it? What type of beef cows would you recommend?

I was born in Brockport and raised in the midwest. Eventually I migrated South to NC where my mother s from. In 2007 when my grandpa passed away I took over operations from a commercial stocker program to a direct to market grass fed beef program. Luckily, the capital investments had already been made; land, equipment, buildings, etc. I have worked with the Co-operative extension office to change things and make them a lot better business.

[Jim in Anchorage]

I was born in Brockport and raised in the midwest. Eventually I migrated South to NC where my mother s from. In 2007 when my grandpa passed away I took over operations from a commercial stocker program to a direct to market grass fed beef program. Luckily, the capital investments had already been made; land, equipment, buildings, etc. I have worked with the Co-operative extension office to change things and make them a lot better business.

Are they paying you for the property? Is it a fair amount?

[DC Tom]

Good for you dude for fighting the man!! High speed rail is a bunch of crap. They tried singing that tune here in OH and it didn't get far. Every once and a while it comes up and then they realize they don't have the money to fund it.

 

[Fan in San Diego]

I was born in Brockport and raised in the midwest. Eventually I migrated South to NC where my mother s from. In 2007 when my grandpa passed away I took over operations from a commercial stocker program to a direct to market grass fed beef program. Luckily, the capital investments had already been made; land, equipment, buildings, etc. I have worked with the Co-operative extension office to change things and make them a lot better business.

What cows would would you recommend to raise. As far as gaining weight, good marbling, good taste. I noticed you recommended 3 acres per cow. Is that you so you can leave two acres fallow at a time and move them around to new 1 acre portion and let the grass grow in the other two? Since I am thinking of starting from scratch, is there a better state to raise cattle in than others? Better prices, etc.

[boyst]

Well, home now. Wasn't sure how much interest this subject would garner, but now I will share more.

 

Are they paying you for the property? Is it a fair amount?

I will get "reimbursed" for the land they are purchasing - eminant domain has not been truly declared (which two points, her spelling is also correct, I looked it up; also, in this county eminant domain can only be used for schools and hospitals, however state law is different). 1.7 acres, depending on how they figure it in appraising it could vary. If future use is done then the you're looking at the ways I use that land for the farm, or something along that lines, or just generic price you can figure maybe around $20k. Nonetheless, no matter what that number may be, I have my business at 14-16 steers a year with an average of each steer bringing around $3k. After expenses and other info I make a little bit - but what matters is the income is around $50,000/year. The next 3 years = $150,000. Losing access to half of my land for grazing and 70% of my land used for croping hay just figures that if my heard size, say 50 head now, gets cut in to about 2/5. I would plan on keeping 20.

Breaking that down, currently I have 15-18 breeders, a few culls, 1 set of calves born this year and 1 set born last year. A cow calf pair eats 1.5 of an adult cow, a calf eats .75 of a cow (it breaks down all funny), and a yearling eats 1/1. The bull, fwiw, eats 2.5 times more then a cow. So, cutting that down, I will have 7 or 8 breeders - one or two could cull, 6 current year calves, 6 yearlings, and 1 bull. That means I cut my income by a little over half.

Because North Carolina does not recognize the term "loss of business" and "injury to business" I was told that I will will be unable to receive money from NCDOT or the state government for losing this. However, NC DOT does recognize "damages." Damages are how the state damages the business of a business; that is, a study will have to be done to determine if I am eligible for recovering money lost to "damages." Yeah, exactly...what?! Basically, it is all legal nomenclature for bend over.

 

I would welcome any one who feels that they can provide advice to the subject. We have contacted several legistlators with no avail save for one State Rep; from local to feds. A local rep., Rayne Brown has championed our interests though she is no longer in our district due to realignment.

 

At this point we, mainly myself, is playing this very close to the chest. My parents have little to nothing to do with this, due to me restricting their involvement due to reasons I will choose not to discuss. My brother, in Dallas can only do so much; sister is in Ohio is moot.

1) We learned of this and gathered as much information as possible.

2) Put out feelers, see who could assist us, see who'd answer any "calls" about this to gain traction and more information.

3) Waited a few weeks for anything to come back.

4) Start to play the cards, using Farm Bureau (advocacy group), NC Agricultural Dept, and the VAD.

5) Wait for results from above - expected public interest and was proven as the local newspaper took up interest. Including official farm reply to VAD.

6) Plant the seed; put information out to all local newspapers in the area from Raleigh to Charlotte. Place calls to political figures if/when those local papers pick up story. Push forward with intent - we want an underpass constructed or design plans shifts.

7) By end of May we expect to have appraising done by state; using this number we will either hire a lawyer, take the millions and billions and run (yeah, right!), or we will simply counter.

 

Basically, I am heading this up. My brother, a banker for one of the big 3 banks and my sister in law who has a pretty awesome federal job are both very good at advising on what to do. We are holding this tight to the chest and keeping our heads down.

 

 

What cows would would you recommend to raise. As far as gaining weight, good marbling, good taste. I noticed you recommended 3 acres per cow. Is that you so you can leave two acres fallow at a time and move them around to new 1 acre portion and let the grass grow in the other two? Since I am thinking of starting from scratch, is there a better state to raise cattle in than others? Better prices, etc.

It depends, a lot, really, on what you want your niche to be. I chose Charolais because that is what my gramps had. It is a good breed, unique, has great qualities for health and make it an ideal canidate for grassfed beef. Grassfed beef does not have the same "marbling" and commerial types of things.

 

I am in transition to be able to rotate all of my land in a system that allows me the ability to save making hay. The cow/acre ratio is variable. In some parts of Kentucky Bluegrass grows all year and you can just use that the whole time. In feedlots, you'll have 1/8 of an acre holding 30 steers. Where you chose will be very dependent on it. If you want to raise grassfed cattle find somewhere that grass grows very well; the catch, so do row crops. In a perfect world you could move to somewhere in the midwest, buy 50 acres and plant grass. However, that is costly land there.

 

Regardless where you go, figure you'll need an initial capital investment of at least $500,000 for buildings, land, a herd, equipment, business fees, etc. The one perk of having a registered farm - you pay no taxes on things at places lik Lowes, etc as long as it is for farm and then you get a sheet-ton of money back on your farm. However, remember that getting all of that money back is because you paid a lot for a good accountant and likely spent a lot to get it back.

 

Feel free to PM me, anyone, who wants to know more about farming, where to find beef; I am going to find that thread mead made about me paying for people if they buy grassfed beef somewhere.

[Nanker]

I bet you'd get a favorable decision

if ALL of us showed up at that board

meeting to give our support!!!

 

 

public plea.