Lazy farmer any oxymoron

IndianaTom · Mar 16, 2014

I was thinking that I spend an incredible amount of time regarding farming even though I have but 175 acres. There is more than just planting and harvesting such as maintenance, marketing, book keeping and all the other managerial requirements and decision making. The larger farmers spend an incredible amount of time in that they normally never have a 40 hours work week. I have concluded that anyone who farms is not lazy and if they were they would not be farming for long.

DeltaRed · Mar 16, 2014

Another oxymoron is a "rich farmer".

rrlund · Mar 16, 2014

Does anybody else remember the articles "Song of the Lazy Farmer"?
I don't know how many magazines it used to appear in,but I remember it being a regular feature in either Farm Journal or Michigan Farmer.
Song of the lazy farmer

greenmech · Mar 16, 2014

I remember reading those in the Farmer Magazine we got in the 50's. Ron Mn.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 16, 2014

Might be the case if you are trying to farm in the Ozarks or some other unfavorable region, but certainly not the norm in most locations. Most if not all farmers in this area are multi-millionaires. The adage "live poor and die rich" might be a more legitimate statement.

Traditional Farmer · Mar 16, 2014

Apparently you've never seen Tobacco Road.

JMS/.MN · Mar 16, 2014

My Dad always said it reminded him of his dad......he really wasn"t very ambitious.

allisanddodge · Mar 16, 2014

"in the Ozarks or unfavorable region" ??? Just a little advice--We don"t all smoke corncob pipes or make moonshine!!! You probably think no one owns a computer, right? YOU--SIR--YOU DON"T HAVE A CLUE!!!!

Mike (WA) · Mar 16, 2014

It was also in the Washington Farmer, later to become the Washington Farmer-Stockman. He usually made one of his rhymes by ending a line with "by gee".

My dad had an ear for poetry, and usually read it aloud, with the proper meter. He also liked Ada the Ayrshire in Hoard's Dairyman. We had a few Ayrshires over the years, and I could sure see why they picked that breed to be a cantankerous cow. Of course, you'd get kicked now and then, but an Ayrshire was the only one who ever tried to jump on top of me and trample me.

JD Seller · Mar 16, 2014

There are many farmers that don't break much of a sweat. They usually would be a crop farmer of some sort.

I would amend that there are few "lazy" livestock farmers. Even having livestock is not a hard working guarantee some manage to do it with out much effort.

I will have to say that while farming can be a hard occupation, that many factory jobs would be harder work to me. There are many workers working for low wages at hard work and off hours in many plants in the country.

sms · Mar 16, 2014

I think he meant it was harder to farm a mountainous region and did not intend to insult you or your home. I'm in NY in the mountains and large farms are not possible in some areas. Photo shows farm of someone we know. Hillside farming.

Old weldor · Mar 16, 2014

Song of the lazy farmer was a regular feature in a magazine here in Iowa called Wallaces Farmer. I remember it in the 50s and 60s.

Paul from MI · Mar 16, 2014

I remember those monthly articles in the Ohio Farmer from the 50's and 60's. I never could figure out how the guy got away with not working--sure didn't happen on Dad's farm.

Heifer · Mar 16, 2014

That looks like Delaware county, NY to me, maybe the town of Hardenberg in Ulster County. I am used to those hills, and they are not easy.

Folks from Delaware County, NY and the Ozarks are a rugged breed.

oldtanker · Mar 16, 2014

There are indeed lazy farmers. The are normally large farmers who are more owner than manager. We have a few out west that spend their days in town drinking coffee telling each other how hard they work. They raise only grain. Have a Farm Manager, lease new equipment and hire help. Some even thought young snow bird and go south for the winter while the manager stays here and makes sure grain gets hauled in when it's supposed too.

The Song of the Lazy Farmer was also in The Farmer rag in the mid 70's.

Rick

showcrop · Mar 16, 2014

I knew two brothers who had a dairy farm. They inherited it all from their parents. They were absolutely driven to never do anything today that they could put off until tomorrow. They hired the ground prep, planting, and spraying done. They chopped some corn in the fall, but mostly they collected insurance off the planted corn and then bought silage. In the winter you could tell from lack of tracks in the snow that they weren't doing AM chores until PM. Maintenance was virtually unheard of. They used to change the starter in their Case skid steer twice a year rather than install a heater in it. If they wore the starter out before it was out of warrantee they were happy. Check the oil and change the starter. They sold off land to buy equipment, and just kept refinancing. After they were both gone all of us owned the farm and we got way less for it at the auction than we were owed for it.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 16, 2014

Thanks, you're correct no insult was intended. Just tough to farm profitably in some areas.

Dan T in MO · Mar 16, 2014

Years ago, a relative was trying to talk my Grandpa into pulling up stakes and moving to Iowa. He said you could dig down 40 feet in Iowa and never hit a rock. Grandpa responded that here in the Ozarks, we can dig down 40 feet and never hit dirt. His cattle would straddle a crack in the rock and feed on the grass growing up in between.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 17, 2014

Realize I'm beating this to a pulp, but not too far away in Central Illinois they were digging a deep trench on the edge of a field and I couldn't see the end of the top soil and it was at least ten feet deep. All black. I know several individuals from Missouri and they claim in some areas if there are a few inches of top soil you are fortunate.

sms · Mar 17, 2014

Close Sullivan county between Grahamsville and Sundown. We like Delaware county, try to go to fair every year. Members of Hanford Mills Museum.

sms · Mar 17, 2014

We logged the hills in the picture when I was a teenager, near slope in picture is steep. Lots of big oak then. 1969 to be exact.

Heifer · Mar 17, 2014

Beautiful area. It is amazing how rural Sullivan County is. Many people think that NY State is just NYC. The year I was born (1970), there were more cows than people in Andes, NY. I used to be part of the Jersey Cattle Club in Delaware Co., did the poop scooping in the show ring, won $6 showing a heifer. Good times.

Heifer · Mar 17, 2014

Hey sms,

Hanford Mills Museum is a great place. Do you go to the tractor show? It is dedicated to my good friend Dan Rion who passed away unexpectedly in 2007.

Now back to topic..... I plowed a flat field in Delaware Co. once in my life. Other than that, hold on and be ready to pick stone for a few days.

sms · Mar 17, 2014

I like to go to the engine show at the museum but life often gets in the way, it has at times fallen on the same day as our tractor show at the Grahamsville fairgrounds. I knew Dan Rion and attended the steam course at Hanford Mills with him. My wives sister lives in Ashland and knew Dan very well. Considering Dan's collection when he showed me his business card I laughed and he was taken aback at first until I explained that Rion rearranged is...Iron. I have a 38 GMC 1 1/2 ton I hope to take to the show this year with some old chainsaws and maybe some lumber in the back.

Heifer · Mar 18, 2014

What a small world. Glad you knew Dan. He was a good friend of mine and rebuilt my Farmall M. Beautiful GMC! I love the trucks from the 30"s. I will have to tell his wife that I met someone on this site who know Dan. Life is good!

Farmers may be hustling this year to get their spring chores done in the northeast. I will be fixing fence in may at this rate, hay in August.

Lazy farmer any oxymoron

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