The ongoing saga of pretending to be a farmer

tacpmurgtacpmurg
edited March 22 in General

I really dont have anywhere to word vomit but here, so hopefully this community finds this interesting. If not thats fine.. I just wanted to yell it out to the world really.

I am learning to be a farmer.. very.. very.. slowly. And when I say slowly, I mean monty python waiting for the knights to charge kind of slow. Well lately that has started to finally get some inertia. I have:

  • Worked with a seed company to purchase a few acres worth of local pollinator seed.
  • Working with my counties Conservation District, the state Fish and Wildlife habitat program, the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service, and more to rent equipment and get funding.

This also meant that.. I had to stop being lazy/afraid and figure out my tractor/mowing implements so I could clear the way for the new planned pollinator fields:

So on to todays saga:

I went out right about dawn to the tractor , turned it on and let it rev for a bit to warm up.

Then I maneuvered it in the barn and backed it up to the rotary mower implement... but then I couldnt figure out how to lower the 3 point connection points.. none of the levers in the tractor were doing it.

So I had to google .. and believe it not no one is stupid enough not to know how to do this because all of the videos were about other stuff BESIDES lowering it... so I had to tear apart the tractor cab to find the manual.. Then I realized after reading it, facepalm , the levers WORK.. they just arent AUTOMATIC when LOWERING.. only RAISING.

So anyway I set it the right heigh, went and manually pushed on it to lower it.. went to hook up the implement shaft to the PTO shaft... annnnnnnd... it wouldnt slide on.


The thing is heavier than sin and hurts my back to manipulate back and forth trying to shove it onto this god damn shaft while breaking my finger to push the ball bearing down.

Soooo back to google.. and everyone is like, "What are you talking about moron, its easy, but make sure to ATTACH THE 3 POINTS FIRST MORON". Facepalm.

So I re maneuver the tractor like 50 times to get it to line up, break my fingers some more attaching the 3 point connection points, lift the implement with my newfound knowledge of lever usage ... and try again.

STILL DOESNT GO ON.

So back to google. "Moron, if its still not going on, why havent you greased it? Also if you are this dumb you probably havent greased every other part of the tractor". Yea, they right, they right... Asked my neighbor but he didnt have any.. so off to fricken town I go to buy a $350 grease gun, grease, and a bunch of other stuff I needed.

SO NOW I have to figure out this grease gun, which has like 100 ways to load it, and the way I need to load it, I accidentally snapped the spring against my finger utterly bruising the shit out of it and making a mess of this grease everywhere.

Then I go to the tractor, break my back some more getting to the like 8+ grease points on each side filling em up (its a good thing the internet told me, they were pretty damn dry), and then moved on to the PTO shaft...

Well after greasing it up (and myself all over because my back is breaking and im falling all over), I FINALLY shoved that damn thing onto it...

Only to now have to wait till WEDNESDAY to cut these damn fields because it is now ONE PM lol and I dont want to accidentally catch the farm on fire by sparking the dead fields.

So yea.. so continues the saga of pretending to be a farmer. One day ill actually have grown something lmao.

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Comments

  • cuddlefaerycuddlefaery

    This is totally outside my wheelhouse, but I'm in awe of the dedication and hard work you're doing.

    Progress over perfection - I'm sure you'll get where you need to! 🤗

  • tacpmurgtacpmurg

    This is totally outside my wheelhouse

    Thats ok, its totally outside of mine too 😂

  • SolitaireManSolitaireMan

    that's actually impressive, i been struggling just to grow a fuckin onion outside that started sprouting in the cabinet. Lawn service mowed over it, then i start trying to find decent fencing to put around it so it doesn't happen again, can't find the right type. Thinking about trying to build a fence with wood that's about in forested areas just laying around. Anyway some of the mowed straight parts have regained their shape, so it ain't dead yet, still trying to grow and i'm trying to help it along, hoping i don't fuck up and let lawn service at it again

  • tacpmurgtacpmurg

    The little onion that could

  • SunsetSnugglesSunsetSnuggles

    @tacpmurg
    This was a hilarious and impressive read!

    I love that you're taking wildlife into consideration and planning for their benefit, as well! 🤎

    @sillysassy may find this thread interesting, and/or have wisdom to share. 😁

    ~ Sunset Snuggles

    🫂 Enthusiast 🏞 Travel Junkie 📷 Shutter Bug

  • Carrie_AnneCarrie_Anne

    @tacpmurg
    What you’re doing is beyond impressive and your motivation and creativity is admirable!! Please keep us posted on the progress!
    We all need a good challenge to keep us motivated especially when we get to retirement.
    For me it’s navigating a huge city where I don’t speak the language or even know the alphabet. lol it’s adventure that I look forward to.

  • tacpmurgtacpmurg

    @SunsetSnuggles @Carrie_Anne

    Thank you for the kind words, im trying my best to bumble through it. I hope if all goes well ill be posting pictures of fields of flowers one day soon <3

  • hangingonhangingon
    edited March 22

    That is exciting and I totally get doing something new and outside the box like that. I've thought about something not too different, more just to challange myself and create something. But I've only thought about it so far, not had the guts to actually do it. If I ever go up to Washington I'd be willing to lend a hand if you ever needed it. Although the closest I've been to a farm is maybe going to a pumpkin patch.

  • AL3XGage_06AL3XGage_06

    It's all much easier in Farming Simulator when you back up to the implement and press Q to attach it.

  • stormydaycuddlestormydaycuddle Mod

    @tacpmurg scream out into the void anytime… as long is it’s not more than once a day…or a controversial subject…or…
    🤣😂
    In seriousness that was interesting to read.

  • CaramelNotesCaramelNotes

    Congrats! This was super interesting

  • tacpmurgtacpmurg

    @hangingon next up is the fruit tree orchard, you could break your back with me digging holes and planting the trees 😂

  • disneysamuraidisneysamurai

    Nice! I think farming is really starting to become in vogue again as farm land has been disappearing and people would rather run their own farms than buy from a multinational farm that uses a lot of pesticides, etc. it’s a lot of time and money though and essentially a full time job!

  • tacpmurgtacpmurg

    @disneysamurai yea I went into this knowing id be basically just subsidizing it from my main paycheck the whole time. My main goal is conservation and a rescue farm for animals from slaughter, egg production, milk production, etc. If I manage to sell any crops and generate a little income that will just be added bonus for now.

    DID YOU KNOW, 1 acre of potatoes is TEN TO THIRTY THOOOOUSAND POUNDS of potatoes?!

    Thats a lot of spuds.

  • Goonie4lifeGoonie4life

    That's a lot of spuds for the spud rocket. 🤣 J/k

  • tacpmurgtacpmurg
    edited March 25

    nothing is ever easy in farming, this is what ive learned
    I started mowing successfully after again waking up at an ungodly hour, was really feeling it, nice fog, just really peaceful.. until BAM my shear pin broke on the bush hog (mower) lol...

    So I need a 1/2” x 3½” Grade 2 shear pin.... not grade 3, not grade 5, grade TWO
    because anything higher than grade 2 will snap my gear box
    guess what no one has

    the TRACTOR SUPPLY.. store doesnt have it
    my dealer.. doesnt sell bush hogs anymore, so doesnt have it
    and everyones annoyed at ME for asking for the right pin lol
    ffs

    So I had to buy TWENTY of these things online at an agri-supply for like over $100 lolol.,..
    Why did I want to be a farmer again 🤣🤣🤣

  • TheFunCartelTheFunCartel

    Why did I want to be a farmer again

    Because it was so fun and easy on FarmVille and Stardew Valley?

  • tacpmurgtacpmurg

    That long line on the right is all I managed before breaking my pin 🤣

    Im learning one failure at a time...

  • TheFunCartelTheFunCartel

    Im learning one failure at a time...

    If you are learning then it is not a failure. Learning is progress even if comes at the expense of time and effort. Keep it up! I love the tenacity you are showing.

  • tacpmurgtacpmurg
    edited March 29

    sighs deeply WHAT AN ADVENTURE.

    Alright, so.. I get out there again this morning, crack of dawn. I have to replace the broken shear pin on the shaft with the new shear pins I OVERNIGHTED for over $175 ... but of course the old shear pin.. sheared.. so a piece is stuck in the shaft.

    So BACK to google..

    "You're a farmer.. whack it with a hammer dummy."

    Well shit.. ok.. time for some elbow grease. Except I cant get to it because of the safety cover over it.. and FUCK disassembling my whole implements PTO shaft just to replace one bolt.. time to get creative.

    One pair of bolt cutters and a small cut out in the cover later.. I can see the stuck pin. Whack whack POP.. right out, no fuss.

    GREAT.

    Ok looks like this was lubed up too.. off to the shed to lube up the new one nice and good.. alright all set.. shove it in annnnnnnnd.

    Its fucking short.

    ITS FUCKING SHORT.

    Check the manual, 1/2 x 3 1/2" .. yep... bust out ruler... 1/2 x 2 1/2"... ffs facepalm they sent the wrong ones. After overnighting them.

    Slam everything away annoyed, go to the house to check my order... realize I bought 20 of these things so id have spares ... annnnnd... its only one bag thats short, the rest are the right size.. thank god.

    Time to get back out there...

  • tacpmurgtacpmurg
    edited March 29

    lol popped another in the field, was ready this time, got the hammer and spare and swapped it out in 5min! And then while fixing another problem i accidentally dropped my phone in the field.. glad i found it before i mowed it lol.

    groans .. i did 4 hours lol... the field is 75% done, ill have to finish wednesday. Im sooooo glad I ponied up for the air ride seat ... even with that it was hard on my back, fields are bumpy!

    Theres a LOT of water in my field.. not surprising since im near the creek, but yea I have literal like little streams and pools of water in the field.. made it hard to mow cause it makes the thick matter grass super heavy. But Im getting it done, ive gotten used to how it sounds when its getting in trouble so im constantly raising and lowering the bushhog to different heights. Also figured out the cruise control so I just ride along back and forth.

  • tacpmurgtacpmurg

    Friend said I should just make a blog, so I did.. sorry for spamming an unrelated site, all future updates will be posted here:

    https://www.harmonyecofarm.com/

    Thanks for anyone who kept up with this!

  • cutiebb2003cutiebb2003

    I love this so much!!

  • fzj80ToyotaLCfzj80ToyotaLC
    edited March 30

    I should have read this earlier. I grew up on a farm in the rural upper Midwest, and farmed 1200 acres for years prior to law school. Still own approximately 750 acres. It’s not easy to start out when you have to learn how to operate the equipment at the same time. I second the air ride seats lol. I’ve spent literally a thousand hours in older tractors (I’m 50) and my back feels like I’m 90 yrs old at times.

    Your tractor(MF) is AGCO affiliated as well as your disc mower. Do you have access to an AGCO dealership nearby that has the parts you need? It’s pretty crucial to have a dealer nearby to support the machinery you use. At least you don’t have a complicated batwing mower setup with gearboxes that need to be checked and filled routinely.

    I have no idea where you’re located but a part of me wishes I could have shown you how to set up the hitch and pto. PTO’s are nothing to mess with either. I saw a guy lose his arm and part of his leg getting caught in a PTO when I was 6-7 yrs old. I learned on the old JD 4010 and Farmall M’s before my father let me operate the heavier stuff when I got into my teens.

  • tacpmurgtacpmurg

    @fzj80ToyotaLC oof , thats brutal.

    sighs I have all the best luck. The dealership I bought from , closed down near me. Now the nearest one is like 6h away or something. I was being stubborn and didnt want to go green, and look at me now!

    I have been looking for some old timer to steal knowledge from, so if you are willing id love to hit you up to maybe not get MY arms torn off their sockets.

  • fzj80ToyotaLCfzj80ToyotaLC

  • fzj80ToyotaLCfzj80ToyotaLC
    edited March 30

    Go green, go broke lol. Tough to beat their dealer network but that’s changing too

  • Looking2relaxLooking2relax

    Love this ❤️
    Based on what I read the good news is you can now leave the bush hog hooked up right?
    Google is your friend, along with a BIG hammer! 😂
    Once you are in your groove you may want to investigate having a beehive or two. Bees are struggling at the preset time.
    Peace

  • Maverick07Maverick07

    Please always be careful. Farming is incredibly dangerous.

  • tacpmurgtacpmurg

    @Looking2relax I wish! I have to now plant the pollinator seed, the conservation district is going to rent me their All-Purpose Seeder.

    So it all comes off again haha.. but good news is that one is very simple.. you just drag it along and it 'powers' it self.

    @Maverick07 Yea, one of the most dangerous professions apparently. I do my best. I do wonder if ill be like bleeding out in a field all by myself though hahaha

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