For those living on the farm, was it passed down to you or did you purchase it from total strangers? If passed down, how many generations does it go back.

I was in the doctor's office waiting for a friend the other day and 2 gentleman were talking, former farmers both of them. One said "our family farm is now in the 4th generation, but the 5th won't be". He seemed so sad and I thought how sad that our farmers can't support a family farm like they use too.

Thoughts!

I don't live on a farm, unfortunately. My ancestors however had a family farm for several generations, until it was passed on to my 'neer do well cousin. Now, the hundreds, if not thousands of acres have been sold and the family farm is gone.
In the past , I had a real problem with the practice of land being passed on to the oldest child. Now, I see why that was done, it was to preserve the family farm. I still don't necessarily agree wtih this , but I do understand why it's done. I hope this wasn't too much off topic.