When the Town Finds Out You Have a Tractor

[Iplayfarmer]

I've had my little SCUT now for almost three years. I've done some small jobs as favors to friends and neighboors here and there. Word has now gotten out that I have a tractor with a tiller, and I'm learning that I have a lot of "new friends".

Actually I'm loving it. I only have an acre, and I can only till my own garden so many times. I tilled three gardens this past week and did two others and my own Yesterday. It's a good way to get seat time.

Everyone always offers to pay me, and I turn them down. I know that when I was younger a lot of the farmers in the area came and plowed my family out in the winter and helped keep our gravel driveway groomed in the summer. Dad was always having to borrow someone else's tractor to clean the corral (now he borrows mine). No one ever took a cent for it. The least I can do is till a few gardens and plow a few driveways.

I'll have to draw the line at some point in time. For now I'm taking all the seat time I can get.

 

[Cliff_Johns]

It's called "Pay it forward," and it's called Karma, but there's nothing that adds a sense of comunity to a town like doing things for others without feeling the need to be repayed. Each time you do something like that -- even a quick tilling of a garden -- it adds to the Pay It Forward pool.

Cliff

 

[RoyJackson]

That's really cool, "farmer"!

Just accept enough for fuel anyway...

 

[mjarrels]

I think my neighborhood has more tractors than cars and trucks!

mark

 

[PBinWA]

I always seem to get paid in beer! And I'm not complaining!

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I always seem to get paid in beer! And I'm not complaining!

I have gotten a lot of cookies. My kids love it.

We really have a neat community. I hope that I'm contributing to keeping the community the way it is.

 

[chrisjbell]

I also enjoy being able to help others out, and using my tractor to do it is a great way to do so. I don't accept payment, either, not even for gas. Accepting money makes it a business transaction - both emotionally and legally. My insurance won't cover me if I'm using my tractor commercially but will, even off my property, if it doesn't involve money.

 

[BTDT]

It not only makes you feel good about helping others, but kind of moves you up in the pecking order too.

 

[sodamo]

I agree

Funny thing is before I had a tractor (and before we moved here) I hired a neighbor to cut an acre or so overgrown grass - for which he charged and I happily paid. That little exchange was part of the rationale my wife used to support getting or own tractor.

Since then, over the last 2 years, I've had numerous opportunities to help other neighbors. My pallet forks are quite popular, but also a bit of backhoe and grass cutting. Last week another neighbor built a smoke house and with my forks we moved it about 300 feet and set it perfectly on his concrete footing. Always feels good and I know its appreciated. Maybe has cost me 5 gallons of diesel total.

David

 

[bigdad]

Funny, When I got my tractor I figured that I would make a little "Mad" money doing little chores around this little town. I have certainly done my share of snow plowing etc but have yet to put anything into my pocket besides my cold hands.

Oh well...........I get waved at a lot more. Ha!