Farm show season is here, signaling a glorious time to be dreaming of new equipment for your operation. As fun as looking at new machinery and gadgets can be, it is also a stressful time due to the decision-making process.

Seems like there is always a project or 12 around the farm that requires removal of soil a round, pointed shovel just isn’t up to – or (maybe more accurately) your back isn’t up to.

Seems like there is always a project or 12 around the farm that requires removal of soil a round, pointed shovel just isn’t up to – or (maybe more accurately) your back isn’t up to. What’s more, these tasks usually call for a piece of machinery the average farm operator neither possesses nor has the expertise to operate.

Not too long ago in this column, we discussed some of the different ways we cut metal in and around our farm shops; therefore, I thought it reasonable we talk about some of the ways to repair metal that either was cut by accident or broke outright on its own.

There has been much press lately about how our nation’s roads and bridges are badly in need of repairs or replacement. Recent bridge collapses are prime examples of how bad things can get when maintenance and replacements are forgone in the face of financial strains.

One thing that no farmer ever wants to be called is lazy, and for the most part, we work our way well past that label in the eyes of the general public. I once had a friend who was contacted by a network news organization conducting a poll on work habits and work hours. About halfway through explaining his day, the interviewer proclaimed, “No one works like that!” and my friend hung up the phone on him.

Should I fix that aging tractor or piece of equipment or trade it (or scrap it) and purchase a new one? That has always been a daunting question and, in times of tight- to no-profit margins, that question takes on all kinds of new layers.

I really enjoy studying cars. Most cars that really appeal to me are way beyond my price range. Adding to this addiction is the fact we live in a time where I can actually buy any car I see … I just can’t afford to pay for it.

Time is so valuable; time might be our most valuable possession because it has a finite limit. It can’t be manufactured or remodeled. It is spent and it is gone. While I recuperate from hip replacement surgery, I have some time to reflect on some topics that aren’t as easy to capture on paper regarding farming.

As farmers, we frequently find ourselves serving as our own service and repair departments. With apologies to highly trained and experienced service personnel reading this, there are times when we are better trained than the employees at a local dealership.