This post is a continuation of Oct 12th’s observation of National Farmers’ Day. You may want to start there.
“It’s just a little under-powered. If I had a do-over, I would’ve bought the model with the extra ten horsepower.” My buddy’s Kubota serves him well on his Northern Virginia horse property, but his wish for just a little more power puts him well within the norms of tractor owners. Both he and I have acknowledged our occasional symptoms of tractor envy (he for more horsepower, myself for a tractor at all, plus a property that would justify even needing one). Yes, I’m aware of the 10th Commandment’s admonition to not covet my neighbor’s ox or donkey (the ancient tractor-equivalent).
Brand loyalty is another symptom of tractor disease, “I almost un-friended you when I saw the picture of the toy John Deere on your page. I’m a Kubota man. ” Joking aside, there is a serious point here.
“With a few exceptions, the agricultural legacy I witnessed on the High Plains was an accrual of bigger barns, more powerful tractors, additional fields, larger combines, but fewer people and the loss of communities. What were the farmers seeking after? Jesus’s parable* speaks to the spiritual futility of storing up worldly wealth at the expense of our eternal outcome, but it also points to another, more earthly danger of placing our trust in “bigger is better.” I do not believe for a moment that (most of) the farmers on the High Plains were motivated to consolidate and expand their farms as some defiant fist-shake at God. Rather, they would argue, with much justification, they were simply responding to the pressure of technological, economic, governmental, legal, and societal forces beyond their control. Were they not trying to simply preserve something from the old days?” P. 172-173, Dryland Lament.
From the GPS-guided, self-driving, articulated four-wheel drive giants of the modern era down to the smallest utility tractor, farming equipment will continue improve. Agriculture will evolve, but the future fate of farming is not set. I believe there is room for a healthy discussion about how to balance our “bigger is better, farming as a corporate venture” path with the virtues of “Lunatic Farming” a la Joel Salatin and others. (which is where my heart lies)
In the meantime, wanna-be farmers and fellow tractor disease sufferers will keep perusing the Kubota and John Deere websites, visions of front-end loaders and mowing attachments dancing in our heads.
