[central_va]

Never grew up on a farm did you, if you plow a field then you need to disc and drag and disc again when using animals, and then plant, with a tractor, depending on the crop you do it all in one, two or three times over the field.

The farmer who plowed with draft animals spent 0 dollars to prepare his field in direct costs. The tractor guy, How much?

[vetvetdoug]

I used to subscribe to a magazine called, The Small Farmers' Journal, and it gave information how someone could farm 40-80 acres and sustain a meager living. However, it meant working from daylight till dawn which I don't see a lot of folks doing now days because of the government subsidies and welfare. Unfortunately, the property taxes, health insurance, and healthcare costs destroy the chance of someone carving out a living without much selling or outside work.

[org.whodat]

He does have cost, the care and feeding of his animals, vets are not cheap. And sooner or later the cost of replacements and training.

[digger48]

The farmer who plowed with draft animals spent 0 dollars to prepare his field in direct costs. The tractor guy, How much?

Oxen and horses and feed and seed ands vets and farriers and implements and harnesses and hitches and yokes are all free when you farm old-style?