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Neofetch developer archives all his repositories: "Have taken up farming"

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Re: Neofetch developer archives all his repositories: "Have taken up farming"

#71
post #26

Farming for fun is probably ok but farming for income sounds like a horrific idea

Yeah, the ROI is way lower than tech. You need capital for land (and if you are going to have this capital as a tech person, go invest it and get passive returns, or start your own tech company doing service work) + labor. Your labor is worth less, and close to third world wages. The economic value comes from improving the land with labor and tech. Your competition is paying the same wages. I know 2 people doing this…

They're both on medicaid because we have decided collectively, as a society, that "ROI" is something we should chase. The mentality that it's the wrong choice because he's not trying to write a money printing piece of software is precisely why we live in the world we do. I admire someone who wants to go out and create something in the physical world. Even if, for insane reasons, America no longer seems to value that.

Re: Neofetch developer archives all his repositories: "Have taken up farming"

#72
post #56
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It pays badly yet it's the most essential bs-devoid job on this planet. That's showing how much our society is twisted.

Oh there's lots of bullshit in farming, especially if you have cattle

Golden comment.

Re: Neofetch developer archives all his repositories: "Have taken up farming"

#73

Every time this topic comes up I say the same thing. If you've never worked on a farm and have some kind of romantic idea about it then you shouldn't do this. Farming is hard work. Modern farmers have college degrees, millions in equipment, and a vast amount of knowledge and experience you do not have. If you're thinking of doing this and do not have experience go work on a farm for a year before you buy in.

With all this tech youd imagine it should have become easier to self sustain.

Re: Neofetch developer archives all his repositories: "Have taken up farming"

#74
post #54

Every time this topic comes up I say the same thing. If you've never worked on a farm and have some kind of romantic idea about it then you shouldn't do this. Farming is hard work. Modern farmers have college degrees, millions in equipment, and a vast amount of knowledge and experience you do not have. If you're thinking of doing this and do not have experience go work on a farm for a year before you buy in.

Maybe they have saved enough from working in tech that they can grow vegetables for themselves in a very low scale way. Its nice to escape from the career you've had for decades. Sometimes its not even an escape from the career, but the career and the city you've lived in. Moving to the forest and growing some vegetables and raising chickens isn't that difficult. You certainly don't need "millions in equipment". Its…

Funny comment about it being dark in Michigan. My feeling here in the summer is like, will the sun ever set (somewhat light out until almost 10pm depending on location)? I know what you mean, of course.

Re: Neofetch developer archives all his repositories: "Have taken up farming"

#75

Every time this topic comes up I say the same thing. If you've never worked on a farm and have some kind of romantic idea about it then you shouldn't do this. Farming is hard work. Modern farmers have college degrees, millions in equipment, and a vast amount of knowledge and experience you do not have. If you're thinking of doing this and do not have experience go work on a farm for a year before you buy in.

Farm doesn’t always mean hundreds of acres and millions in loans. My neighbors across the street are farmers and live in a residential neighborhood. They have a quarter acre in the front yard for growing veggies and own a 1 acre plot just outside of town.

At some point sitting at a computer becomes unfulfilling and some point some people can’t take it anymore.

Re: Neofetch developer archives all his repositories: "Have taken up farming"

#76
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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 les…

> 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.

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.

Re: Neofetch developer archives all his repositories: "Have taken up farming"

#77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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 les…

> 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 tr…

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)

Re: Neofetch developer archives all his repositories: "Have taken up farming"

#78
post #7

Twice in my life now I've thought about the effort I've been putting in to my various projects and the lack of satisfaction I've subsequently received, and generally thought about giving it all up and going back to my dad's goat farm (Note that a single goat can go for about €1000). Then I let loose for a week, touch grass, allow my mind to wander/wonder and - boom - a new coding project consumes me and I rekindle th…

One has to wonder if this sort of thing would be less frequent if the West had a decent attitude regarding time off and vacations. Its inconceivable to me that folks in that part of the world don't get more than 2 or 3 weeks off every year, most often, unpaid. (Dylan is an Australian - they only have a moderately slightly better attitude about vacation than the USA, alas. 4 weeks instead of 2-3, on average. /laughs i…

"The West" usually includes Europe. Since you're in Austria I'm guessing you're using it solely to mean "the US", but that is not the usual usage.

Re: Neofetch developer archives all his repositories: "Have taken up farming"

#79

Every time this topic comes up I say the same thing. If you've never worked on a farm and have some kind of romantic idea about it then you shouldn't do this. Farming is hard work. Modern farmers have college degrees, millions in equipment, and a vast amount of knowledge and experience you do not have. If you're thinking of doing this and do not have experience go work on a farm for a year before you buy in.

Funny how nobody ever says the same about software, which underpins the entire modern economy and has the power to irreversibly change the lives of billions.

Re: Neofetch developer archives all his repositories: "Have taken up farming"

#80
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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 les…

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

Farming Simulator, whilst good for listening to podcasts, seems about as accurate a simulator of farming as Goat Simulator is for being a goat.
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