FARMING

Via Knuckledraggin

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Brian
Brian

I blame big agra and their poison seeds and sprays they essentially force on farmers.

JLS
JLS

I would equally blame FDA, USDA and Congress as well for their conspiracy ag policy.

I am not sure if farmers’ primary motive is to feed us or to make a living.

hardscrabble farmer

1) He’s feeding the wrong people

2) If he’s losing money he’s doing it wrong.

3) That guy, with that gut isn’t working any hundred hour week.

4) Appreciate the thought, though.

Robert (QSLV)
Robert (QSLV)

He needs to stop feeding on the hog corn and eat human food.
Also go out and do a real day’s work.
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Robert (QSLV)

hardscrabble farmer

Anyone who would eat pork that came from pig fed that kind of slop is absolutely out of their mind.

You have to know where your food comes from if your long term health and that of your family is of any consequence.

TPC
TPC

Eh, we fed them a steady diet of ground corn and fermented soybeans. If the beans got more wet than usual then it would kind of get that soupy look to it sometimes.

We also fed them those little decorative pumpkins. They didn’t really eat them so much as use them as a chew toy.

It was kinda cute.

Robert (QSLV)
Robert (QSLV)

The soy is loaded with estrogen, and the males in you clan will suffer from chronic lympadikia.

Robert (QSLV)

Maggie
Maggie

Agree. By the way, in a humorous aside, I called up the neighbor with all the kids and suggested the boys might like to take the rest of the young rabbits “away.” The boys were here lickety split to round up the five young rabbits and take them away. The rest of my Christmas kits have found their destiny.

Max1001
Max1001

Mr. Byers raised many generations of hogs on food scraps he got from the kitchens of the Robert Driscoll hotel in Corpus Christi. What was scraped off the plates was the remainder of the fine food served to the upper crust who passed through Corpus Christi. Mr. Byers would regularly retrieve 55 gallon steel drums full of scraps. He figured that what was good enough for the gentry was good enough for his hogs. Don’t remember if he boiled the hog food before he presented it to his 4 legged guests.

Mr. Byers was able to assemble several sets of fine crockery and several sets of flatware from the barrels of hog food. Didn’t want his sows or his boar, Roscoe, to be harmed by ingesting flatware. I was mildly scandalized that the kitchen help at the hotel didn’t safeguard their employer’s interests more carefully. Don’t remember if the flatware was stainless steel or sterling silver. Silver was so cheap in the early 1950’s that sterling flatware was probably cheaper than stainless steel.

I asked why the flatware and crockery were not taken back to the hotel. Everybody looked at me like I was an idiot. People are always doing that to me. Dunno why. Somebody told me that the hotel management probably didn’t care much about small losses of kitchen furnishings, and Mr. Byers didn’t want to antagonize the scullery staff. He needed the free hog feed. My introduction to situational ethics.

Roscoe the boar was really tame, but we were prohibited from climbing into his pen. I was only about 5 or 6 years old then, so I would have not made much of a meal for Roscoe. Parents are sometimes useful, as small boys do not always understand danger.

The Byers were elderly. Mrs. Byers was almost unable to move because of something that was described as Parkinson’s disease. Old Ma would periodically make a few bucks by cleaning their house and doing enough cooking to last for a week.

The hog business was good then for small folks. Not so good now. The big ag corporations have achieved vertical integration in the pork business.

Max1001
Max1001

Mr Scrabble

There are any number of farmers in my neck of the woods who have protuberant guts like that fellow in the photo. They work about 60 hours a week, but they spend those hours sitting in the seat of a tractor, spray rig, or harvesting combine. They also buy all their food from the grocery store!!

One cold, blustery night in deep winter, I walked two blocks up the street to the local bar & grille. The locals all looked at me like I was insane, as I shook the snow and ice off my parka, and stomped it off boots. One of them asked, “Did you actually walk here?”

I said, “Sheeit, its only two blocks!” It was clear to them then that I actually am completely and utterly crazy. Nobody around here will walk more than 1/2 block, but they do get 220 to 250 bushels of corn per acre of irrigated land. Do quite well with soybeans, also.

Mr. Maxwell

Iska Waran
Iska Waran

If he doesn’t like it, he should quit and do something else.

Tommy
Tommy

So, don’t bitch in tough times about the destruction you’ve experience to a working career of effort, history, memories. Yeah, ’cause we can all just reinvent ourselves in a manner sufficient to provide for our families in reasonable accordance to what they require….when we’re in our 40’s/50’s….you’re such a douche (see also: boomer). Ever just stop for a moment and just honestly consider the ramifications of the realities to those little chestnuts of wisdom you spew out? Heard you blab it before but it never gets any more sensible. Now reach into that little toolbox and get out that short terse response that really puts me in my place. Can’t wait. In anticipation, fuck yourself.

Hollywood Rob

Tommy, you are going to have to reread your posts before hitting the Post Comment button. It helps to avoid simple errors and makes you look smarter too.

Tommy
Tommy

Hollywood…..clarify, please. There are some mental monsters around these parts I’m careful with – you ain’t one of ’em.

Hollywood Rob

So, don’t bitch in tough times about the destruction you’ve experience to a working career of effort, history, memories.

So you don’t see some errors in this sentence? Just saying that a quick reread can reveal a misplaced letter, like a d, or a word poorly used. It’s only a suggestion.

Iska Waran
Iska Waran

Whenever times are tough for me, I don’t wear a whiny T-shirt about it or expect Johnny Cougar to come and sing his crappy songs on my behalf. Businesses fail all the time – restaurants, homebuilders, machining companies, framing contractors, banks, software consulting businesses, plumbers, you name it. I don’t hold farmers in any lower regard (aside from the whiny T-shirt crap) than any other business, but I don’t hold them in any higher regard, either. I’ll stop razzing farmers when they hold an HVAC-Contractor-Aid concert or when there’s government-subsidized business failure insurance for dentists.

Vodka
Vodka

I never got my bail-out check from Johnny Cougar. I wonder where the money ended up? Good on Tommy for kickin’ you in the balls. It keeps the threads lively.

Iska Waran
Iska Waran

I always appreciate a good ball-kicking. Saves me money with my hired dominatrix. Here’s my initial comment: if the guy doesn’t like farming, quit and do something else. Seriously, how can that be contested? It’d be nice if everyone could live on their grandpa’s land their entire lives and make a decent living doing the same thing they’ve always done – growing the same crops, the same way they’ve always done…forever. That’s not reality. The cities are filled with people whose ancestors left farming. Guys made a living delivering ice to people for their icebox. Home refrigerators put those guys out of business. Not many left in the farrier business. There are shitty lawyers who fail. There are shitty writers. They fail. Most homebuilders seem to eventually fail. If farming’s not working out for you, figure something out like everybody else has to.

MN Steel
MN Steel

Why would he quit farming?

Good years, pocket enough to buy another $300k tractor and new truck and the neighbor’s land, bad years, insurance check covers another new truck, no tractor. Plan your crop rotation, corn/beans.

At least that’s how it’s done here.

Vodka
Vodka

You’re 80% correct. The 20% you’re wrong about will kill you. You’re welcome.

Monogram
Monogram

The answer is always “more subsidies” to grow more crops like corn. At least that’s what this guy’s Congress critter will tell you.

TPC
TPC

Anytime anybody, anywhere, for any reason experiences hardship the Congressional answer is “more subsidies.”

Penforce

Come on HSF, haven’t you ever heard of slopping the hogs. Old-timers usually fed a ground corn and oat mixture. It was ground fine and it was dusty. Farmer mixed either water or the skim milk from the days separating to the feed to limit waste.

BUCKHED
BUCKHED

I know a lot of farmers.

I’ve never met a big farmer that didn’t live in a hell of a nice house,rode in a 70K pick up truck or had a wad of cash in his pocket .

Tommy
Tommy

yup….so true.

TS
TS

I grow hay, and run cattle. A 100 hr week ain’t shit. Don’t confuse the big agro corporations with the smaller family business, even though some of those are of a pretty good size. Try running 20 hr days in the middle of calving or harvest. Sleep 2 hrs, then up to check the heifers. Repeat for a minimum of 2 months. While all the other things need done. Work from 3am till 11pm harvesting, while also maintaining the equipment. And the outbuildings. And the fences. And the wells. And the water systems. And doing the husbandry.
Pay the vet. and the taxes. and the leases. and the insurance. and the fuel. and the supplies. and the loans. and so on.
Nobody in my area whines about this. Part of the deal. But why does your outrage against an overbearing gov and greedy corps all of a sudden not matter when it comes to some guy and his family trying to make a go of something he’s doing because he loves the lifestyle. Trust me, unless you’re damn big, you don’t have much ready cash. A lot of assets, maybe, but so what? Something ALWAYS goes wrong, or breaks down. There’s ALWAYS a new regulation, or stipulation, or law. Every fucking year.
That gut is nothing out of the ordinary. They don’t go to the gym, and usually don’t eat right because they just don’t have the time. Here, actually most are a lot thinner, but the older boys that tend to have that would pretty much give any of you a run for your money, where it really counts.
Me, I don’t wear t-shirts like that, but it’s damn close to the truth.
All you smug sanctimonious sonsabitches can kiss my ass.
It’s real easy to tell who actually knows what they’re talking about, and those just running their mouths.

Brian
Brian

^^ He ain’t wrong. Small time farming/ranching is no easy job. 12-16hrs in a Cat going in circles all day stopping only for fuel and rocks…I often wondered why my grandpa talked to himself so much….I was at that point I knew why.

TS
TS

So, Brian…is Gramps initials RT?

Maggie
Maggie

? Explain please? Oh, and the Aristocracy post is going to hit 200 I think. Line them up, boys… I think this might be Robert’s first time around the 200 mark.

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TS
TS

I think Brian and I might know each other. Almost anybody else I wouldn’t say anything.
I’ve been dropping in and keeping an eye on the 200 ringathon.

Vodka
Vodka

A nice rant, TS, which I always admire in a man, but don’t exaggerate. Nobody is buying the “A hundred hours a week ain’t shit” schtick. What, you work 150 hours a week?? Don’t think so.

I’ve bailed more hay and sent more cattle to slaughter than you would ever guess, so I am possibly one of those you describe as “…actually knows what they’re talking about…”. But when you overstate your case, it will not help you in the end.

TS
TS

No, from what I’ve seen I would guess. And of course it’s not every day of the year. Just like 20 hr days for 4 months w/ no days off on a carrier doesn’t happen all the time. But they do happen. Frequently.

So you know that a lot of that time is setting up, getting back and forth, trying to figure something out. It all adds up. Paperwork adds into it. But, yeah, it was more of a bite-back at attitudes more than anything else. Still, my days generally are 16 hrs +. Not always, but way more often than not. Seven days a week.

Vodka
Vodka

As the chinks would say: “You so funny!”.

Funny how you would have the time and energy to read and post responses to comments on a blog in the midst of a 150 hour work week.

TS
TS

Never said 150. That was your contribution. This is a slow time. You know; winter, mud, preparing. I’m doing taxes right now, so I’m on the computer quite a bit. Unless you think us fucking yokels ain’t got electricity.

Tommy
Tommy

Dude, you’re a rancher…we’re talking farming, crops. Nobody knows what drives you folks. You guys are the last of the terminators and we want to know how you do it. Not why…. Shit, you’re tough as fuck and twice as crazy!

Maggie
Maggie

Well!!

I didn’t realize you have cattle. How many head? Do you buy feeder calves in the spring? Am curious as we probably will do that this spring or next.

TS
TS

130 mother cows, 6 bulls. Leased pasture to 60 more pairs this summer.
No, don’t buy feeders. Calve them out.

EL Coyote
EL Coyote

“All you smug sanctimonious sonsabitches can kiss my ass.” – TS

Sooner or later the noobs want to make themselves at home, right away they feel like they can break wind at the dinner table.

TS
TS

Gotta admit, tho. Has a ring to it.

I figure if you can’t run with the pack you better slink home and lick your nuts.

Iska Waran
Iska Waran

Do it if you want to, but don’t be a fucking martyr about it. Nobody’s holding a gun to anybody’s head making them be a farmer.

TS
TS

True, but no one’s holding a gun to your head to be an asshole, either, but there you are.
I guess we should all stop complaining and go do something else. The commute is too long so I’ll say fuck it and stay home, work one of those great online opportunities. Or better yet, go back to school and get a wonderful degree. Oh, my; the government has decided that I shouldn’t be able to do this, so I’ll just change my career. I’ll let them decide what that will be.
And who the hell is trying to be a martyr? Does that mean don’t share, to suffer in silence, to not have your say? Lead the way, wiil.

EL Coyote
EL Coyote

TS, there are assholes here but Iska is not one of them. You are getting the noob treatment, just about everybody gets the business – except Maggie, she got in under the wire. Preggers, I guess.

Maggie
Maggie

Heard that. There you go again.

TS
TS

I hear you, EC. I haven’t seen asshole out of Iska, either, until that. But I don’t just lay down and whimper. You’ve seen how I prefer to get along, generally speaking. But if someone growls at me, I can growl back.
Having said that, I have a pretty good understanding of the dynamics on this blog. It’s easy to get too familiar when you’re used to that kind of back-and-forth. I’ll check myself.
I know you guys have a lot of history on this blog. I’m not trying to horn in, but I do want to be a part of what I think is a unique structure. I appreciate your explanation.

Anonymous
Anonymous

Carry on, history be damned.
EC

Tommy
Tommy

Damn you Iska….. Say something that fucking stupid again and I’ll clear Friday just for you. Did you get outta high school with all of your teeth or is this some late stage issue?

EL Coyote
EL Coyote

It’s the new TBP group therapy; aka bareknuckles support group.
RiNse said it worked wonders for his self-esteem.

Maggie
Maggie

I’m here for you boys.

Maggie
Maggie

300!

TS
TS

Bah, humbug.

hardscrabble farmer

I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE.

Wip
Wip

HardScrabble

I saw your “epic” take-down of me on the Aristocrat article.

That photo was of Mussolini and Claretta, correct? Who were they fleeing?

Mussolini allied himself with Hitler, relying on the German dictator to prop up his leadership during World War II, but he was killed shortly after the German surrender in Italy in 1945.

If not for a world war (other countries), would he have fled, been caught and executed?

hardscrabble farmer

My response was to the claim that elites always get away with whatever injustices they happen to perpetuate against their people and that there is no hope of ever attaining any kind of justice for people who seem to be above the law. I wasn’t responding to you or anyone personally- unless that’s your take- but generally.

All of human history is built upon a series of cycles. They do not all run at the same length or intensity. Some peter out slowly, some go out with a bang but they live and die just like the individual humans that make up these collective organisms. It isn’t a philosophy, it is a fact.
Anyone who thinks that we have come to the end of history, that this time it is different, that if a person isn’t hung by their neck it doesn’t qualify is simply lying to themselves. These “elites” (some people think that the term is one of endearment, go figure) have a finite shelf life. Some may go on for generations, dynastic aristocracies that outlast most human life cycles and if they are inordinately lucky, if they are unusually brutal and draconian, if they face no external threats due to remote location or some other fluke of time they may survive a very long time, but in the end, they fail.

I’m a big believer in 4th turnings and this one certainly has a lot of the features of one. If these people were so comfortable in their estates and ivory towers they probably wouldn’t be deep into the intelligence/surveillance/police state phase of their tyranny. That’s almost always an indicator of a ruling class that is deeply concerned about it’s future rather than secure.

Who knows.

Wip
Wip

Thanks for responding. I always like your insight.

TS
TS
flash
flash

Poor farmers, how do they ever get by?
Double Dipping: How Taxpayers Subsidize Farmers Twice for Crop Losses
https://www.ewg.org/research/subsidy-layer-cake#.WmIl6oMUmM8

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