Reality
Here's a tiny snapshot of the challenges of maintaining, operating and making a living as a farmer. According to current statistics, the average income of a farmer in Massachusetts is $28,719.00. A mid-sized new tractor cost between $25,000 and $50,000. Larger ones sell for as much as $150,000. Annual cost of repairs to farm equipment and farm buildings must take a huge chuck out of yearly income. It's no wonder that so many farmers are going out of business and the condition of existing farms often seem less than ideal.
Reality
Here's a tiny snapshot of the challenges of maintaining, operating and making a living as a farmer. According to current statistics, the average income of a farmer in Massachusetts is $28,719.00. A mid-sized new tractor cost between $25,000 and $50,000. Larger ones sell for as much as $150,000. Annual cost of repairs to farm equipment and farm buildings must take a huge chuck out of yearly income. It's no wonder that so many farmers are going out of business and the condition of existing farms often seem less than ideal.