OT: TSC revisited

Today i decided i would try to sell about 1/2 my flock to attempt to recover the $200 loss the damn birds created.

First thought was to try to sell them to the new breed of "country dweller". I decided i needed some idea of what a "hobby farmer" was, and googled it. This turned up.

Judging by the text, i think were lucky to get ANY sections, chain-or anything but assorted john deere tee shirts, dog food, and horse feed from the little yuppie joint.
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Its modern times Lanse. A year ago my small time grocery story sold. The old owner was a german meat cutter and ran a great little store. The new owner is rebuilding... I just came from there with a gallon of milk. The vegitable counter had two 5-lb sacks of potatoes and 3 bunches of bananas. The entire rear wall is now frozen food freezers with pre-packaged frozen foods. Every where you turn is a display with "vitamin water"-health drink, etc. And chips and junk food. She knows what it take to run a store now. Same with TSC
Kenny

Yep, you live too close to an urban area...The better half here stopped by the yuppie wine and garden shoppe and while there a guy came in wnating to know how he could tell when his grapes were ripe....at least the ones that survived the Roundup application. She started to help but then backed off and let the staff deal.

It is difficult to find a TRUE farm supply store in this day and age.

A suppose that I am considered a Yuppie as I live in a city and own 16 acres outside of town, own a compact tractor, etc. The difference might be that I used to farm and know what it is all about.

Yuppies turned working farm pickups into four door sedans with a small wheelbarrow like bed to haul a few things in. Any of you remember the prices of truck back in the 1960s or 1970s before they became Yuppified with accessories and began riding like on cotton balls instead of manly? Back then they could haul a real load.

Same deal with small farms to a point. Can you have a small hobby farm without too many horses for their acreage, whatever that number may be? Many horse owners barely know which end to feed let alone really care for them.

Yes, we lost our trucks, had our farms split up, and have also lost our farm supply stores. However, could a real farm supply store make a living for the owners in today's market?

You think youre a yuppie??? My mom is president of a seminary, and we live on under 5 acers. I cleared it with the dealer about the whole "plowing with the kubota" thing involves dirt instead of snow. They were supprised.

If you ran into my mom and i without knowing it, it would be hard to believe we are realated. Last fall she had a "party" with some of her co-workers at the "farm". She offered me $20 to give the little kids wagon rides. I was asked sevral times if you needed a lisence to operate a tractor. I answered sevral more questions why i dont grow anything organicially. I clarified the fact that chickens are do not eat hay. I also explained that a 40 year old wagon can be in good, solid, safe working order.

Now im not a defination yuppie because of the wagon on blocks in the yard, a 75 year old tractor next to the house, half of a B next to the barn thats falling down and the 6" high yard (not lawn).

Yep. I guess we're yuppies since tsc is "Where Americia's Farmers Shop"

Hey-Only one things healthier the vitimain water-Dehydrated Pre-packaged Vitamin water.

I guess you can tell these people anything. The Globe is warming and health water is is better then regular water. My school sold alot of that crap last year. I tried it once and it tasted like-well, blue water

Actually, I think the internet is responsible for changing the direction of the "farm" stores.
It is much easier to do a google search for the tractor part you need, buy it on-line, and have it delivered right to your door in three days or less. Why would anyone go to a TSC for anything other than dog food?

Thats interesting. I never thought much of that.

The only thing ive bought from TSC tractor related is paint. Everything else comes from the local auto parts store, or the internet. Mostally because auto parts store is cheaper, the people know what theyre talking about, and everything there is better made then TSC stuff. And auto parts store is 4 miles away, TSC is 20 or so and requires getting someone to take me there.

Rusty, who do you order from that gets your parts to you in 3 days. Ordered from this site 3 weeks ago and still no parts.

I guess I'm in trouble. I bought range cubes in December from TSC. With the discount coupon they were $5.32 for a 50lb bag. Cheapest I could find. Don't buy dog food there, too high.

We have Rural King here, bout the same thing. They have gone way down hill the last 10 years, but they are the place to go if you need a John Deere tee shirt. (I will give them credit, the better of thier lines of hand tools (pro-grade it think) are pretty good for the price.) I the best thing I have to say for them is you can get a five gallon bucket of hydrolic oil after noon or on Sunday.

The higher gas gets the more I use Shoup and the phone to do my shoping. Shoup has free ship'n if you spend over $150, pretty easy if you call first of the year and get a few disk blades, cultivator feet, rake teeth, disk mower blades, clipper laces for the baler, drive chain for the planter, the stuff you know you are going to need in the summer. I have dealer (some times more than one) for every piece of equipment I own, plus a few industral supply stores (often WAY cheaper) on speed dial on the c-phone. Unless I am going buy a place already, I will not go to a dealer to get a widget of any type with out calling first to see if they have it and the price before I leave the house. Fuel and time is way too high to spend a day drive'n round looking for thingamagigs.

Dave

I order from myself, and I ship quickly. I will sell to you also. Just do a google search for rustyfarmall.

I guess we're lucky, we've got an independent called Batesville Farm & Tractor Supply, located in Morris, IN on SR46. Concrete floors, narrow aisles, and full of common and odd ball parts. I don't go in often, but I don't think I have ever been disappointed.

TSC is a much better source for magazines, clothes, and Christmas presents. Plus it's close to Biggs, where I buy most groceries, so I do check them first.

Kind of like returning to the days of the Sears Catalog serving the rural farm communities that couldn't support "full service" stores within a reasonable distance.

SPECULATION -- some of the older members here may know first hand...but I reckon as automobiles became more common AND roads got better with the 1920s and 1930s "get the farmer out of the mud" campaigns, the good local stores could be found since more people could get to them easily. Prior to that, it was more advantageous for catalog companies to serve those markets.

Lanse, hate to say it, and i mean it rhetorically, - but we have seen the enemy, and YOU are them! Me too, probably! I love ya, pal, but let's face it-
You've butchered every peice of mechanical hardware you've touched, you're a failed flock farmer trying to sell to some yuppie who's more capable, yadda yadda yadda yadda.The only thing you're missing on your 5 acres is the horse that everyone on this sight agrees is apparently the requirement for being a true a$$hole. And yet- we love ya! You've been befreinded by some old timers here, and that's a good thing- a GREAT thing!That's probably what every "newbie" needs... Strictly speaking, you've exemplified everything that this group says they hate about YUPPIE infiltrators but the attitude. GOOD FOR YOU!I think that's the key-
some of you may have been lucky (?) enough to be born on a farm with mega acreage- I wasn't, I grew up in a suburb w/ folks who farmed 5 acres by hand a mile from the house the whole time I was a kid to feed 5 boys and 3 girls.
I learned to spin wrenches early, loved to hunt/ fish/be out doors, learned to love horses mainly because I love my wife and daughters. I am NOT a YUPPIE because I am NOT upwardly mobile anymore- but most of you fellas would probably put me in that category. My truck fits the category, based on what you say...I'm definitely small acreage...I have 11 horses on 7 acres-horrors to many of you- but I am also a 14X ApHC world champion, so I guess i've learned a little bit about small acreage horse training. yep- I'm probably what most of ya really hate. Oh Well- I'm not doing it for you, I'm doing it for my family.
Business fact- TSC is NOT trying to be the "farmers' farm store"- it's trying to be the Western Auto of the 60s/ 70s because that's what Jim Wright came from. I don't dislike TSC because of what they are- I dislike them because they execute who they are poorly in many cases.
"yuppies" wanting to get back to their country roots are nothing new- remember "Green Acres"?
It was one of my favorite shows when i was a lil' guy!

Yep-all im missing is the car and the high-paying job thing.

The difference is i am trying to accually do something out here except im not very good at it. The reason i cant sell any of the eggs is because of the true yuppies who give theirs away are running off with all my buissness. How am i supposed to compete with that?? Im trying to dump them on someone else-i just chose the yuppies because they will pay more for them. That would be treason if i were a yuppie......


The difference that seperates me from yuppies is that i a) am not afraid to get dirty and b) i realise and admit that i do not know it all. The real farmers are not stereotypicial gun-totin rednecks. There accually IS a requirement for intellegence to grow things. There accually IS stuff to know to get anything to grow, and im learning it the hard way, and doing what i can. A high-paying job and a few acres will not change that, its not as easy as yuppies think it is. Im not a farmer, and probabally never will be. But, i think thats better then moving a mile from town, spraying so you can have a lawn instead of a yard, buying a horse and a little kubota tractor (errr ummm just a horse) (and being happy with the dinky little plastic hunk-of-sh^t) and calling yourself a farmer.

I guess that IS what seperates me from a yuppie.

AW, YOU'RE MISSING THE POINT! The "yuppies" that you seem to despise have substantially the same aspriations that you do- they're just a hell of a lot better at making a living at something else, and THEY have kids (about your age)that they have to feed (unlike you, who are fed by your momma).
By virtue of the fact that THEY found a way to BUY what they have, and despite the demands of their REAL job manage to spend even SOME time working it, they deserve your respect. They may not know everything- but they are there. They may require turn key equipment- because they don't have the time to fart around with unreliable stuff like you do. You may not like the stuff they buy to do the job- tough! The same folks you disdain as yuppie farmers create the computer programs you use, engineer the vehicles your momma drives you around in and teach at your schools. IT IS NOT THEIR FAULT THAT TSC IS WHAT IT IS... and YOU would do well to listen and learn from some of these folks as well as the "old land" farmers.
Your mom has 5 acres- YOU will NEVER be an "old land" farmer because at best she can leave you 5 acres-just like I will never be an "old money" millionaire because my momma couldn't leave me a cent. I bought and paid for every grain of dirt I own- no "old land" and no "old money", just like a lot of so called "yuppies".
Farms get sold and split up not because 'yuppies' are willing to buy, but because farmers are willing to sell out. TSC becomes a boutique store not because of the yuppies, but because THATS WHERE THE MONEY IS.
And- laugh at my horse business, pal, but understand that I am a helluva lot more successful at raising world champion appaloosas profitably than you are at raising chickens, and I do it as a side job. Ask me how- I'd be happy to tell you, and you MIGHT be able to apply some of it to chicken farming. or- assume I'm a "yuppie" cause i drive a nice truck, and don't learn $hit.
The modern farmer is a BUSINESS MAN- as much a "YUPPIE" as any other business man, but with differnt skills and different needs. As a YOUNG MAN, you would do well to stop hanging on the coat tails of others' prejudice and try to learn from EVERY adult you come in contact with.

40 years ago there were at least 3 maybe 4 times more farmers than there are now.Most of them farmed 200 acres or less.The stuff people bought in those days was different than now because there were lots more stores that sold stuff to farmers.Since the farmers are gone,the store had to change to attract people to buy stuff.The part I dont like is that they dont have the farm stuff that they did,and the yuppie stuff will be gone too if somebody does it better.Somebody has to farm,so where do they get the stuff they need?The places are getting fewer and farther between.When you do find a place its usually high priced.I dont see what we need a farm type Wal Mart for,but the price of electricity,wages,and all that,they have to sell what they can I guess.Looks like if they had the farm stuff they might not sell as much as they did 40 years ago,but they would still sell some if they had it.Those were nice stores at first and lots of tractor parts were bought there when people mostly used smaller tractors.Now because they seem to think yuppies are rich,their prices are kinda high.Some things are still better than you find other places,like oil usually,but less stuff all the time is priced where you can afford it.If they run the people that held them up all these years off with high prices,the yuppies will get old and quit buying stuff,and there will not be any more stores,unless they can sell to younger people,or small farming comes back.

Stores tend to stock only things that sell well.No way around it.I bought my last gate from a very small farm supply.He had more gates in stock than the new TSC store.Price was the same, why drive longer distance.When small stores die it is usually the customers fault.