One more way farmers help each other out

By Joan Janzen
joanjanzen@yahoo.com

Prairie farmers are known for helping each other out, whether it’s being on hand to bring water to a field fire, or offering some much needed advice. A popular vehicle to deliver advice comes in the form of blogging.

Some farmers video-blog, like Quick Dick McDick from the Foam Lake area, who has accumulated a huge following with his quick wit (no pun intended). Like Quick Dick, most bloggers use a pseudo name. Quick Dick has said he uses an alternate name in order to protect his mother from embarrassment.

Whatever the reason may be, most bloggers use an alternate identification. Never-the-less, anyone who has ever lived in a rural prairie community knows that it’s virtually impossible to hide a person’s true identity for more than 24 hours.

Which explains why it didn’t take long for me to successfully identify a blogger who calls himself “The Crackpot Farmer”. Crackpot explained that the purpose of his blog is to help small farms be profitable by saving money and increasing productivity in unusual and creative (or crackpot) ways.

“Unless you are buying new machinery or lots of chemical and fertilizer, no one wants to help you figure out ways of doing things easier and cheaper,” Crackpot surmised.

As a result, Crackpot sends off a blog every month or so. “I do blog more in winter and try to discuss projects and experiments from the summer and plan for next year,” Crackpot said. “Part of the reason I don’t post much is because it takes several hours over the next few days to keep up with comments and messages.”

Blogging is interactive, and allows his like-minded crackpot farmers the opportunity to discuss projects and learn together. “My phone rings a lot with people asking questions (especially about grain drying) and we have helped people save thousands of dollars.”

By we, Crackpot refers to his wife and other family members who all work together on the farm, and contribute additional ideas and advice.

Though blogging is both helpful and fun, Crackpot doesn’t make any money from it. “We’re using this opportunity to help others,” he said.

One of his posts said, “I mentioned my idea to my agronomist and he looked at me like this was truly a crackpot idea. So I think I’m on the right track!” We’re not sure if Crackpot was on the right track, but he and his fellow farmer bloggers are definitely headed in the right direction, as they engage in one more way to help each other out.

PHOTO

Courtesy “The Crackpot Farmer” Facebook page