[KarlInOhio]

The example given of an 80 acre farm. That is right at the bottom of what I would consider a full-time farm. Corn produces about 150 bushels per acre with a modern mechanized farm (plowing, fertilizing, applying herbicide and harvesting) . At $7 per bushel they would have a gross income of $84,000 before they pay for a any fuel, seeds, fertilizer, equipment or land payments. On the other hand, a yoke of oxen can plow about one acre a day, so those 80 acres would take 40 days if they had two teams working. That is probably too long to plant one crop and be able to have a full growing season for the last planted seeds.

I wonder how many people are doing it seriously, versus a few hobbyists or survivalist types, and the newspaper is trying to pump it up into a movement for the story.

On the other hand with all the rain in Ohio this year, some farmers could use water buffalo to plant their rice crops because they can't get corn or soybeans into the ground yet.

[GWynand]

My mom remembers only using horses on their 160 acre farm up until the 1940’s. Plenty of Amish here in Ohio do too. In time the farm concentrated on dairy, so the 160 acres supplemented feed for the cows. Don't think you will be profitably growing wheat for sale on the 160 acres with oxen, but helping supply feed for a dairy or pig farm, maybe.

[Rebelbase]

“Corn produces about 150 bushels per acre with a modern mechanized farm (plowing, fertilizing, applying herbicide and harvesting) . At $7 per bushel they would have a gross income of $84,000 before they pay for a any fuel, seeds, fertilizer, equipment or land payments.”

What about arugula?