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> You need to be a welder, plumber, vet, horticulturist, builder, metrologist I love this about farmers. They are the polymaths of our age and folks dont get i

> You need to be a welder, plumber, vet, horticulturist, builder, metrologist I love this about farmers. They are the polymaths of our age and folks dont get it. Farming YouTube is a trip because there's more tech in a tractor than in some startups. > and if you're doing properly, crooked accountant as well. Yea, most people dont get what a "future" is, and why corn and lumber have them (but not onions... thats a lesson too)... The farm has the support of a lot of high finance and hedging exists not just as an instrument but has a purpose. Ask a farmer about a grain/pork "Marketing Plan" and who they are hiring as advisors and where that person got their degree... It's a complicated world and there are some interesting intersections out there.

barbs 2y ago
Does the Farming Simulator series of games aim to replicate this complicated variety of skills?
- jon-wood 2y ago
  Farming Simulator, whilst good for listening to podcasts, seems about as accurate a simulator of farming as Goat Simulator is for being a goat.
- ethbr1 2y ago
  Press A to stick weld your plow in the middle of the field.
AdamN 2y ago
> You need to be a welder, plumber, vet, horticulturist, builder, metrologist Not sure how commmon this is anymore. The age of the family farm with a mix of livestock, rotating crops, and woodlands are long gone in the developed world. Each of these tasks would be handled mostly by a professional in any serious farming operation.
- zer00eyz 2y ago
  Common. Plenty of farmers (who are super savvy) have embraced social media, and are showing not telling what they do.
- zknow 2y ago
  that might be gone but in my experience - and I live on a farm in the developed world - while some tasks are handled by professionals on serious operations, its pretty common for farmers to do a bit of their own welding, a bit of their own plumbing, treat their own animals, etc, and only bring in professionals for big jobs. Its still very much a family affair even if a farm is only focused on one crop.
- dgacmu 2y ago
  I don't know how common this is in row crops, but it's exceptionally common in cattle ranching. The majority of cattle producers ("cow-calf" operations, the ones who raise cattle from birth to about half-grown) are smaller operations. They're absolutely jacks-of-all-trades.
- chongli 2y ago
  Look up “Just a few acres farm” on YouTube. Pete, a retired architect, has done all of the above and documented it on his YouTube channel. Heck, add aerial drone videographer and video editor to the list. He makes some excellent videos while cutting hay! He also has a lot of really practical videos on the business of small farming. He’s very adamant about not going into debt before you start, doing market research in your area, and starting very small but rolling over the proceeds from your first sales back into the farm.
- KaiserPro 2y ago
  Depends on what you farm. But if you have pasture, then you are all of those things. You need to make sure that the land is growing something edible at the right time, it needs to be drained. All of that requires big machinery, and that breaks or is expensive. So it needs fixing. specialist fixers are there for expensive things, like combine harvesters. but for unfucking a plough or much spreader, thats a you problem.
- fullspectrumdev 2y ago
  A lot of farms where I live, in a developed country, are exactly this kind of mix. Some cattle for dairy, meat and market. Some crops. And often some woodland for tax or grant reasons or under forestry contracts. Maybe some chickens or pigs or similar - usually for local markets. It’s actually quite neat: I can easily obtain actually free range eggs at relatively low cost, produced within a few kilometers of where I live (a city). Same for pork products, etc.
3D30497420 2y ago
> (but not onions... thats a lesson too) That was too enticing to not look up. Wow, the story behind that is something: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onion_Futures_Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onion_Futures_Act Edit: There's a Planet Money with more on this story (which I've not listened to): https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2015/10/14/448718171/episode-657-the-tale-of-the-onion-king https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2015/10/14/448718171/epis...
- zer00eyz 2y ago
  I put on history guy (YouTube) when im doing busy work. Thats where I picked up the fun fact: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuiREF2e-Ps https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuiREF2e-Ps
- ethbr1 2y ago
  The fascinating bit to me was that they axed the whole onion futures market vs just adding guardrails against predatory trading. Then again... this was the 1950s and paper contracts, so US market intervention or not was more stark. And also Eisenhower was likely more concerned about whether the USSR was going to nuke the US and if China was going to try to invade Taiwan for a third time.
- pbhjpbhj 2y ago
  Why would you only protect onions from market manipulation?
ragebol 2y ago
Onion futures are banned apparently because ppl F-ed with them: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onion_Futures_Act https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onion_Futures_Act
qb1 2y ago
Economics and polymath abilities aside. There is significant risk of bodily harm in farming. Humans, machinery, and chemicals create a potential deadly mix. The risk often captures children and amateurs as they have lesser developed farming knowledge and skills[1]. [1] https://www.nifa.usda.gov/about-nifa/blogs/study-reveals-agriculture-related-injuries-more-numerous-previously-known https://www.nifa.usda.gov/about-nifa/blogs/study-reveals-agr...
hnthrow289570 2y ago
>I love this about farmers. They are the polymaths of our age and folks dont get it. Letting it get too complicated risks losing all of the small-scale farms because then only large companies will have the scale and aggregate skill and money to farm. Tight margins means they might decide to quit and go do something else given the amount of skill and work required for so little profit. Being a farmer and not owning the land that you work is soul crushing.
gunapologist99 2y ago
> Yea, most people dont get what a "future" is, and why corn and lumber have them (but not onions... thats a lesson too)... The farm has the support of a lot of high finance and hedging exists not just as an instrument but has a purpose. Not many farmers I know (in an ag community) understand what a future is either, or would even know how to trade them. That's the domain of hedge funds, not farmers. (And, if they tried, they'd probably lose. It's not much different from me trying out day trading.) The fruit of a farmer's work is not futures trading. It's trying to keep things alive long enough to make a small profit.
- baq 2y ago
  They should, it's basic insurance. You don't have to be a speculator, just understand that you're long the thing you're producing in the future so it makes sense to be short some future contracts to lock in your price in that future. (Just make sure your futures broker accepts delivery, otherwise there's funny stuff happening)
  - zer00eyz 2y ago
    > They should, it's basic insurance. If you grow corn: It can be sold as a future, and you can have crop insurance on it. IM not sure you grasp what a future is in the case of a farmer... Now if your in construction, or buying fuel a future can be insurance. Or a risky bet. None of that is like your heath or home owners or car insurance.... unless you dont have them.
    - shagie 2y ago
      The Great Onion Corner And The Futures Market - https://www.npr.org/2015/10/22/450769853/the-great-onion-corner-and-the-futures-market https://www.npr.org/2015/10/22/450769853/the-great-onion-cor... How an Iowa farmer pushes through less-than-average crop yields - https://www.marketplace.org/2023/07/27/how-an-iowa-farmer-pushes-through-less-than-average-crop-yields/ https://www.marketplace.org/2023/07/27/how-an-iowa-farmer-pu... > Ryssdal: Yes. What about prices? When you take it to market — or when you’re going to take it to market — are you selling futures? > Hemmes: Well, a lot of people do that. I forward cash grain, or forward contract. Right now, I could sell delivery in March and set my cash price, or set the basis. A lot of people do options to set that bottom. But I’m telling you, Kai, I need some kind of collar because of the whiplash I’ve been getting from these markets — they’re up one day 50, down 40 the next, and everything adds to it. Farming is “not easy and it’s a lot of risk,” says Iowa soybean producer - https://www.marketplace.org/2024/05/28/farming-is-not-easy-and-its-a-lot-of-risk-says-iowa-soybean-producer/ https://www.marketplace.org/2024/05/28/farming-is-not-easy-a... > Ryssdal: Have you sold your futures yet? Have you sold any of this stuff that just got in the ground? > Hemmes: I have. I’ve sold about 30%. Our co-op gave me a heck of a bid. But it’s kinda like wait and see because this market just keeps going. Like soybeans are down 18 cents today and then they could go up 50 tomorrow. Who knows?
mawaldne 2y ago
Can you recommend some good farming youtubes?
- zer00eyz 2y ago
  Mike Mitchell is great. He's very Canadian but pleasant. And they have an operation on a massive scale (family business). Barn Talk is... something. IF you're liberal it might offend you at some points, but there is a ton of gold in there. They also have a channel about their day to day farming. Welker Farms, Millennial Farmer, Cole the Corn Star and Larson farms are all "interesting"... They are all very different.
- KaiserPro 2y ago
  Clarkson's farm has a number of issues, but it does give a fairly broad base about modern farming in the UK especially as all that work in the first year meant he made something like £900

barbs 2y ago

Does the Farming Simulator series of games aim to replicate this complicated variety of skills?

jon-wood 2y ago
Farming Simulator, whilst good for listening to podcasts, seems about as accurate a simulator of farming as Goat Simulator is for being a goat.
ethbr1 2y ago
Press A to stick weld your plow in the middle of the field.

AdamN 2y ago

> You need to be a welder, plumber, vet, horticulturist, builder, metrologist Not sure how commmon this is anymore. The age of the family farm with a mix of livestock, rotating crops, and woodlands are long gone in the developed world. Each of these tasks would be handled mostly by a professional in any serious farming operation.

zer00eyz 2y ago
Common. Plenty of farmers (who are super savvy) have embraced social media, and are showing not telling what they do.
zknow 2y ago
that might be gone but in my experience - and I live on a farm in the developed world - while some tasks are handled by professionals on serious operations, its pretty common for farmers to do a bit of their own welding, a bit of their own plumbing, treat their own animals, etc, and only bring in professionals for big jobs. Its still very much a family affair even if a farm is only focused on one crop.
dgacmu 2y ago
I don't know how common this is in row crops, but it's exceptionally common in cattle ranching. The majority of cattle producers ("cow-calf" operations, the ones who raise cattle from birth to about half-grown) are smaller operations. They're absolutely jacks-of-all-trades.
chongli 2y ago
Look up “Just a few acres farm” on YouTube. Pete, a retired architect, has done all of the above and documented it on his YouTube channel. Heck, add aerial drone videographer and video editor to the list. He makes some excellent videos while cutting hay! He also has a lot of really practical videos on the business of small farming. He’s very adamant about not going into debt before you start, doing market research in your area, and starting very small but rolling over the proceeds from your first sales back into the farm.
KaiserPro 2y ago
Depends on what you farm. But if you have pasture, then you are all of those things. You need to make sure that the land is growing something edible at the right time, it needs to be drained. All of that requires big machinery, and that breaks or is expensive. So it needs fixing. specialist fixers are there for expensive things, like combine harvesters. but for unfucking a plough or much spreader, thats a you problem.
fullspectrumdev 2y ago
A lot of farms where I live, in a developed country, are exactly this kind of mix. Some cattle for dairy, meat and market. Some crops. And often some woodland for tax or grant reasons or under forestry contracts. Maybe some chickens or pigs or similar - usually for local markets. It’s actually quite neat: I can easily obtain actually free range eggs at relatively low cost, produced within a few kilometers of where I live (a city). Same for pork products, etc.

3D30497420 2y ago

> (but not onions... thats a lesson too) That was too enticing to not look up. Wow, the story behind that is something: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onion_Futures_Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onion_Futures_Act Edit: There's a Planet Money with more on this story (which I've not listened to): https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2015/10/14/448718171/episode-657-the-tale-of-the-onion-king https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2015/10/14/448718171/epis...

zer00eyz 2y ago
I put on history guy (YouTube) when im doing busy work. Thats where I picked up the fun fact: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuiREF2e-Ps https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuiREF2e-Ps
ethbr1 2y ago
The fascinating bit to me was that they axed the whole onion futures market vs just adding guardrails against predatory trading. Then again... this was the 1950s and paper contracts, so US market intervention or not was more stark. And also Eisenhower was likely more concerned about whether the USSR was going to nuke the US and if China was going to try to invade Taiwan for a third time.
pbhjpbhj 2y ago
Why would you only protect onions from market manipulation?

ragebol 2y ago

Onion futures are banned apparently because ppl F-ed with them: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onion_Futures_Act https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onion_Futures_Act

qb1 2y ago

Economics and polymath abilities aside. There is significant risk of bodily harm in farming. Humans, machinery, and chemicals create a potential deadly mix. The risk often captures children and amateurs as they have lesser developed farming knowledge and skills[1]. [1] https://www.nifa.usda.gov/about-nifa/blogs/study-reveals-agriculture-related-injuries-more-numerous-previously-known https://www.nifa.usda.gov/about-nifa/blogs/study-reveals-agr...

hnthrow289570 2y ago

>I love this about farmers. They are the polymaths of our age and folks dont get it. Letting it get too complicated risks losing all of the small-scale farms because then only large companies will have the scale and aggregate skill and money to farm. Tight margins means they might decide to quit and go do something else given the amount of skill and work required for so little profit. Being a farmer and not owning the land that you work is soul crushing.

gunapologist99 2y ago

> Yea, most people dont get what a "future" is, and why corn and lumber have them (but not onions... thats a lesson too)... The farm has the support of a lot of high finance and hedging exists not just as an instrument but has a purpose. Not many farmers I know (in an ag community) understand what a future is either, or would even know how to trade them. That's the domain of hedge funds, not farmers. (And, if they tried, they'd probably lose. It's not much different from me trying out day trading.) The fruit of a farmer's work is not futures trading. It's trying to keep things alive long enough to make a small profit.

baq 2y ago
They should, it's basic insurance. You don't have to be a speculator, just understand that you're long the thing you're producing in the future so it makes sense to be short some future contracts to lock in your price in that future. (Just make sure your futures broker accepts delivery, otherwise there's funny stuff happening)
- zer00eyz 2y ago
  > They should, it's basic insurance. If you grow corn: It can be sold as a future, and you can have crop insurance on it. IM not sure you grasp what a future is in the case of a farmer... Now if your in construction, or buying fuel a future can be insurance. Or a risky bet. None of that is like your heath or home owners or car insurance.... unless you dont have them.
  - shagie 2y ago
    The Great Onion Corner And The Futures Market - https://www.npr.org/2015/10/22/450769853/the-great-onion-corner-and-the-futures-market https://www.npr.org/2015/10/22/450769853/the-great-onion-cor... How an Iowa farmer pushes through less-than-average crop yields - https://www.marketplace.org/2023/07/27/how-an-iowa-farmer-pushes-through-less-than-average-crop-yields/ https://www.marketplace.org/2023/07/27/how-an-iowa-farmer-pu... > Ryssdal: Yes. What about prices? When you take it to market — or when you’re going to take it to market — are you selling futures? > Hemmes: Well, a lot of people do that. I forward cash grain, or forward contract. Right now, I could sell delivery in March and set my cash price, or set the basis. A lot of people do options to set that bottom. But I’m telling you, Kai, I need some kind of collar because of the whiplash I’ve been getting from these markets — they’re up one day 50, down 40 the next, and everything adds to it. Farming is “not easy and it’s a lot of risk,” says Iowa soybean producer - https://www.marketplace.org/2024/05/28/farming-is-not-easy-and-its-a-lot-of-risk-says-iowa-soybean-producer/ https://www.marketplace.org/2024/05/28/farming-is-not-easy-a... > Ryssdal: Have you sold your futures yet? Have you sold any of this stuff that just got in the ground? > Hemmes: I have. I’ve sold about 30%. Our co-op gave me a heck of a bid. But it’s kinda like wait and see because this market just keeps going. Like soybeans are down 18 cents today and then they could go up 50 tomorrow. Who knows?

mawaldne 2y ago

Can you recommend some good farming youtubes?

zer00eyz 2y ago
Mike Mitchell is great. He's very Canadian but pleasant. And they have an operation on a massive scale (family business). Barn Talk is... something. IF you're liberal it might offend you at some points, but there is a ton of gold in there. They also have a channel about their day to day farming. Welker Farms, Millennial Farmer, Cole the Corn Star and Larson farms are all "interesting"... They are all very different.
KaiserPro 2y ago
Clarkson's farm has a number of issues, but it does give a fairly broad base about modern farming in the UK especially as all that work in the first year meant he made something like £900