Farm Journal

Thoughts and images from life at Foster Road

Entry: May 31,2009

Journal Entries

Tractor

One of the few good things about buying a big property in the winter is not having to worry about the landscape. A blanket of snow keeps everything looking tidy. Then early spring comes, and the sweet little tufts of grass will soon be a hayfield if something isn’t done soon.

With four acres of fields, mowing with anything smaller than a tractor is out of the question. But choosing this expensive piece of equipment has been intimidating. The range of choices go from the merely pricey to second-mortgage-high. And chances are, I’ll have this tool for decades, so choosing wisely added to the pressure.

I spent the winter researching tractors: HP, PTO, etc., and it was all very entertaining—until it came time to make a decision. We’re talking big bucks for me, and yet under-sizing would have me cursing before the season was out.

I walked into the Empire Tractor knowing pretty much what I wanted. It was ten minutes before closing, but they did not give me the bum’s rush. What would soon become my first piece of farm equipment was sitting right on the showroom floor—a year-old model at a great price and ideal financing.

On Friday afternoon, my sub-compact Kubota tractor was delivered to Foster Road. After a quick tutorial on three point hitches and more, I mowed my first doughnut. It’s a delight to use and it will soon be a familiar friend. In the meantime, I have baby pictures to share with my indulgent staff and friends. And a lot of grass to mow.