McFarming....... EE I EE I O............

Old MacDonald had a farm

Ee i ee i o

I know nothing about farming, so, Im'a gonna write about it.  Huh?  You can't do that!  Well hell, Wiki does that.  Anyone that's gotta keyboard, access, can enter any dang thing they want on Wiki.

And on his farm he had some cows
Ee i ee i oh
With a moo-moo here
And a moo-moo there
Here a moo, there a moo

Everywhere a moo-moo

I've been going to the gym daily.  Before the back-patting starts, mind you, sometimes all I do is hop in the jacuzzi... then, walks to the sauna... then home.  Yep. That. Sometimes. (There are days I actually move, but it ain't much, and usually it's simply walking in the pool for 30 minutes.)   Victor?  What's this got to do with the price of tea in China?

Mebbe more thank you think.

Old MacDonald had a farm
Ee i ee i o
Old MacDonald had a farm
Ee i ee i o
And on his farm he had some chicks
Ee i ee i o
With a cluck-cluck here
And a cluck-cluck there
Here a cluck, there a cluck
Everywhere a cluck-cluck
Old MacDonald had a farm

Ee i ee i o

My last two visits to the sauna... I've met two different farmers.  Different in the fact it's two separate people.  Sure, farms/farmers are different, but I'm learning they have a lot in common, so maybe they ain't as different as one thinks.

Younger guy... mid-40's (cattle ranch).     Older guy, 63. (Dairy, with some beef cows)...

Assbackwards.  Sometimes I, and I think mebbe, we, do things assbackwards.  I met, talked to them, then I Googled, Wiki'ed a bit about farming (assbackwards).  Wiki done learned me of the types of farms...  "Arable farming means growing crops, this would include wheat. Growing fruit means having orchards, devoted to growing fruit."

A little diddy (no, not Jack/Diane).. about Wiki and sometimes me no likey. As Wiki proceded to educate me on farming, it mentioned 'subistance farming', smaller farms, where "only enough food is grown to feed the farmer, his family, and his animals."   Readers with keen eyeballs might say "That's (his family, his animals) very misogynistic to say" and I shake my head right there withya.  I done seen me a woman or forty atop a John Deere, dear Wiki, and dear Liza dear Liza was onea the ladies, so.. there's a hole in your theory dear Wiki dear Wiki.

Then, (Mr. OR Mrs. "I know everything, just ask me") Wiki  wrote "The yield is the amount of food grown on a given amount of land, and it is often low. This is because subsistence farmers are generally less educated, and they have less money to buy equipment."  OK, I'll buy the perhaps "less money", but Mr (or Ms) whoever-entered-the-Wiki-on-this, I think you are kinda an asshole to put in writing "generally less educated."  Dunno much about farming (seen a 3pt hitch once) but what I do know, that (saying basically "not as smart") gets my gourd.  Would that be 'arable' or orchard there Mr. (or Ms.) WikiWisacre?

Old MacDonald had a farm
Ee i ee i o
And on his farm he had some pigs
Ee i ee i o
With an oink-oink here
And an oink-oink there
Here an oink, there an oink
Everywhere an oink-oink
Old MacDonald had a farm
Ee i ee i o

Of course Wiki then listed 'livestock'.  Another article I read (stole from) spoke to the benefits of farming:

Instills a passion, love and respect for land.

Builds character.

Instills a good work ethic.

Teaches responsibility 

Facilitates a bond with family and a common project.

Teaches responsibility. YA DONE SAID THAT ONE. Victor, might I remind you that you, and really ALL old farts, repeat themselves, frequently.  YOU'RE RIGHT.  GO AHEAD, PARTY, ER, TRACTOR ON.....

Provides lots of room for youth to play.

Builds lifelong friendships with other farm youth.

You get to have the best pets.

Everything ain't quite up to date in Kansas City unless I add, it's damn hard work (you knew that), and much can (and does) go wrong.  A farmer on 'Quora' learnt me about the hours:  "My day starts at 4am and end at 11pm 7 days a week between april and october. From october to april it starts at 6am to 8pm 7 days a week. I am lucky if I am able to get a few hours here and there to eat and run errands. I work my farm 365 days a year with no vacations. The most time I get to relax each week is on sunday mornings when I attend church services before going back to work ."

What else can go wrong Victor, er, I mean Wiki?  Pollution, Erosion, Diseases, Pests, Weeds, Drought, Rainfall, Climate, Contamination.  Dayum, that's a lot and I'm certain there are fer sure more things that can go wrong..

On farms, children who complete chores for their allowances, or as part of a family business, have more respect for saving and spending.

The 40-something farmer I visited with in the sauna.  Nice man.  Respectful. Happy. Family, religion, important to him. Loyalty. Listening to others. Could easily see him as a giver.

The 63 year old farmer I visited with in the sauna. Nice man.  Respectful. Happy. Family, religion, important to him. Loyalty. Listening to others. Could easily see him as a giver.

Commonalities seem to "run in the acreage." 40-something on crutches, "Yeah, a steer stepped on me." Broke onea them big bones in his lower leg.  We talked 'weather' and I mentioned our recent week of below freezing (often below zero) weather.. "Yes, we (our farm, my folks, brothers, their spouses) lost two calves."  Oh I'm so so sorry. "No, well, it's not OK, you're correct, but, we have a pretty large farm. We feel lucky to only lose two as brutally cold as it was." I've met, visited with this dude several times, same impression each, every time.  Great guy. Nice. A GOOD LISTENER, remembered everything my TMI mouth had told him about me before.

The 63 year old farmer. "From Minnesota actually...Well, actually we started farming in Iowa, when we took over my grandparent's dairy farm... then, as my parents aged, my son and his wife took over my/our farm.. and we went to take care of my mom and dad's farm.  My sons loved sports (wrestling, baseball, football.) All of 'em played.  One moved here, bought a duplex, lives in half, rents the other half out.

My oldest, really all his life his goal, love, was farming. He and his wife have pretty much taken over my/our farm in Minnesota.  So, to see all our boys, my wife and I bought a duplex here too, live in half, rent the other half out, plenty of room for frequent family gatherings. Still have the farm back home, but our youngest son and his wife pretty much tend to the farm now."

Commonalities among those two and every other farmer I've had the pleasure of meeting.  (Nice, respectful, hard working, smart, cognitive ability, solving any number of woes, problems, FAMILY, generational.)  Me, my personal farming experience includes ONE DAY of  "No thank you, I don't ever wanna 'buck hay' again, ever, in my lifetime." Large round bales, tractor with a pole to grab big bales mebbe, but buck hay, hells to the no's.

Pun perhaps intended, farmers are a special breed.  I couldn't do it, but as I bee bop on my electric cart to haul in my groceries I am ever so thankful for farmers. I am gonna guess, as small towns sadly get smaller, less farmers leads to not-as-many, but LARGER farms. Generation after generation after generation.

"Farming may look easy when your plow is your pencil and you're a thousand miles from the cornfield."  Dwight D. Eisenhower.

I agree sir. That's the way, uh huh, uh huh, I Ike it.

Off for some scrambled eggs, wheat toast and I might have a small bowl of cornflakes. EE I EE I Over and out.

Love, Victurd

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