Farm or Ranch??

[SandburRanch]

That's how it always was in East Texas. When I first came here it puzzled me that my inlaws raised cattle but called the place a farm as did their neighbors. Over the last 25 years or so that has changed. With new people moving into the area we've seen a lot more "ranches" spring up. I guess that it's a lot more romantic to be called a rancher that anything so mundane as a cattle farmer.

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This trend may call for new legislation. I've always heard of farm subsidy but never of ranch subsidy.:laughing:

 

[Western]

Weldingisfun is right, you own it, you can name it.

Traditionally, in Texas, if your predominant activity is aimed at raising stuff with feet, then it's a ranch.... you know, cattle, sheep, goats, horses, deer, etc. In this pursuit, you can have tractors and even raise crops aimed at feeding your animals...oats, hay, feed, etc.

A farm is where your predominant activity is to raise crops for sale, typically row crops...corn, milo, cotton, peanuts, etc. You may have animals which clean up the fields or maintain waterways, but are not your primary income focus.

Put another way, a farmer wears seed caps, a rancher wears a cowboy hat.

Then, there are the gray areas. In my mind, you have
catfish farms
chicken farms
turkey farms
worm farms

Regardless, there are always the Great Pretenders....those who are "all hat and no cows," they talk a lot but don't really do anything. They may or may not have any critters, money, land or equipment. What is common is that they have an exaggerated opinion of themselves and only a shallow understanding of the complex natural processes in play on their property and how their activities impede, exploit or benefit those processes.

What he said, but you for got one..We also have a few "NUT" farms too

 

[BandRRanch]

I think it is just those guys that use that fancy salad dressing instead of just using mayonaise and ketchup.

 

[BandRRanch]

Oh wait, I am one of those guys... lol...

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

"All hat and no cows" definitely made me chuckle! I guess that's exactly the impression this guys "XXXXXX DAWG Ranch" decal gave me.....especialy the "DAWG" part....
In my mind, anything in our area is traditionally considered a "farm" - big or small doesn't matter. Growing up around here and south central PA, I never heard anyone refer to anything as a ranch until recent times. Obviously, it doesn't matter at all, it's a free country, they can call it whatever they like.... I just allways related "ranch" to large places in western states, but the explanation of raising cattle and horses = ranch and breaking ground primarily for crops = farm does make sense.

For myself, I MIGHT call our little chunk of real estate place "farm" now that we're actually growing more than kids / pets -- but we usually joke about it it being "Igneous Acres" for the rocky ridge we live on!

Funny, though, I don't consider my self either a farmer, rancher, or cowboy even though I grew up on farms and have actualy been paid for riding a horse!:laughing:

 

[Duffster]

Speaking of names-stop me if you've heard this one!- three Texans are bragging on their "spreads". Number one says, "I got twelve thousand acres, I call it the Double Bar R.":thumbsup:
Number Two says, "I got twenty thousand acres, I call it the Lazy Z."
They turn to Number three, ask, "How many acres you got?"
"Thirty."
"Thirty! What you call a little bitty place like that?":laughing:
"Downtown Dallas."

That reminds me of this.

A Wisconsin farmer and a Texas rancher meet at a Ag conference.

The rancher asked the farmer how big his "ranch" was. The farmer replied that if you start walking that it will take you all day to get to the other side.

The farmer asked the rancher how big his "farm" was. The rancher replied that if you get in the pickup it will take you all day to drive to the other side.

To that the farmer replied " Ya, we used to have a (Dodge) pickup like that too.

:laughing:

FTW I was always told that farmers plow and ranchers don't.

 

[beppington]

I've always felt like Ranch was just a pretentious name for a Farm :laughing:

(Hope I didn't step on any toes)

 

[Western]

I always get a laugh when people say they have a "Ranchette"! What is that? a low calorie ranch?

 

[DAY]

I've always felt like Ranch was just a pretentious name for a Farm :laughing:

(Hope I didn't step on any toes)

There is a certain "ranch" in Crawford, TX, that mostly raised "brush".
- ditto the toes

 

[ShenandoahJoe]

"Ranch" comes from a Spanish word, so I'd guess what to call it is related to where your land is, more than what you do on it.