# Successful Farming; Top Shops.



## Vol

Pine Bluffs, WY.....R&K Farms. Takes a few seconds to load.

Regards, Mike

https://www.agriculture.com/video/top-shops-r-k-farms-wyoming


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## Farmerbrown2

Nice shop for a big operation. Me personally I would prefer separate buildings I don’t believe having that much equipment in one building. Yes you have insurance but you usually end up on the short end of the stick if something burns down. I can see a lot of pros and cons to it all.


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## swmnhay

Nice shop but I would also not like everything in one building in case of a fire.

A hydraulic door would be a lot simpler then a double roll up door with a pillar to move.I like my roll up door but in this case I think a hydraulic door would be a much better choice,it would be less costly then 2 roll up doors also.

Have a friend that lost a big machine shed to fire last yr.He built 2 smaller ones to replace it.


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## Teslan

I've always enjoyed looking at Succesful farmings shops. When I was younger I thought it would be cool to have one like those. But now I realize that due to my lack of mechanical ability and desire I don't need such a place.


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## swmnhay

Teslan said:


> I've always enjoyed looking at Succesful farmings shops. When I was younger I thought it would be cool to have one like those. But now I realize that due to my lack of mechanical ability and desire I don't need such a place.


There is one about 20 miles from here that was in SF magazine.Sure is purdy with leather furniture and a pool table.Floor is spotless too.The employes are not alowed to work on stuff in the shop,even change oil because the floor might get dirty.Tractors are taken to town for everything even a oil change.

So Marc you don't need mechanical ability to own a shop that gets featured in SF.


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## Teslan

swmnhay said:


> There is one about 20 miles from here that was in SF magazine.Sure is purdy with leather furniture and a pool table.Floor is spotless too.The employes are not alowed to work on stuff in the shop,even change oil because the floor might get dirty.Tractors are taken to town for everything even a oil change.
> 
> So Marc you don't need mechanical ability to own a shop that gets featured in SF.


Are you serious about that? That seems unbelievable. They have it for bragging rights huh? Is it lined with expensive tools and such that are never used either?


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## swmnhay

Teslan said:


> Are you serious about that? That seems unbelievable. They have it for bragging rights huh? Is it lined with expensive tools and such that are never used either?


Not sure about the tools but one of the shops is just for the toys.Jet Ski's,snowmobiles,boats,etc,etc.

I have a beer with the one of the employees occasionally I'll have to ask him about the tools.

Silver spoon BTO.


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## mlappin

Already getting to the age where I doubt spending a small fortune on a shop will ever pay off, instead use the money to upgrade equipment so I don't need so much shop space to be doing repairs in.


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## carcajou

I like working space in a shop but prefer to store equipment elsewhere. New shop is 2500 sq/ft and thats enough for a large working area, a large 2 post lift and a space for the chore tractor with it's own door. Even room for most of the parts and misc stuff i may need.


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## IHCman

I don't need a big or fancy shop, but one day I'd like to have a heated one. I've changed a starter in a cold building when its -30, layed in enough snowbanks under a piece of equipment, and froze my butt off enough that one day I'm going to have a heated one someday.


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## carcajou

IHCman said:


> I don't need a big or fancy shop, but one day I'd like to have a heated one. I've changed a starter in a cold building when its -30, layed in enough snowbanks under a piece of equipment, and froze my butt off enough that one day I'm going to have a heated one someday.


A parachute and a Herman Nelson sure come in handy for outside winter work.


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## RuttedField

I went to a sheep farm one time where they had sheep pens on one side, then on the other a timber framed great room, complete with commercial kitchen, couches, pool tables, fireplace and bathrooms for both men and women. A huge place and it was really beautiful...

So this non-profit place was giving out grants to farmers and in getting it they set up this team to help me get started in sheep farming. This one guy asked the group about sheep farming, and when no one knew anything about it, he suddenly became THE EXPERT and got all puffed up and started spouting off how I should have all the stuff this fancy sheep farm should have.

I knew better. Some types of farming are great at being high tech because they have high cash flow, yet some (like sheep farming) are only successful at being low tech due to low cash flow. This is just how it is, not better or worse.

But the thing is, this farm was just a tax write off and I knew it. the owner made his money as a high end landscape company in the biggest city in Maine; it was NOT from raising sheep. In the end I opted out of the grant because with advice like that, it was not worth it. Having a grant to increase farm debt is not a very good practice for successful farming in my opinion.


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## Teslan

RuttedField said:


> I went to a sheep farm one time where they had sheep pens on one side, then on the other a timber framed great room, complete with commercial kitchen, couches, pool tables, fireplace and bathrooms for both men and women. A huge place and it was really beautiful...
> 
> So this non-profit place was giving out grants to farmers and in getting it they set up this team to help me get started in sheep farming. This one guy asked the group about sheep farming, and when no one knew anything about it, he suddenly became THE EXPERT and got all puffed up and started spouting off how I should have all the stuff this fancy sheep farm should have.
> 
> I knew better. Some types of farming are great at being high tech because they have high cash flow, yet some (like sheep farming) are only successful at being low tech due to low cash flow. This is just how it is, not better or worse.
> 
> But the thing is, this farm was just a tax write off and I knew it. the owner made his money as a high end landscape company in the biggest city in Maine; it was NOT from raising sheep. In the end I opted out of the grant because with advice like that, it was not worth it. Having a grant to increase farm debt is not a very good practice for successful farming in my opinion.


Bah! Sheep need pool tables and fancy clubhouse rooms to be happy. What kind of sheep farmer are you? I suppose you just have a 50 inch TV for them to watch. Poor sheep.


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## hillside hay

We're I to splurge on a fancy barn it'd definitely be a hi tech hog barn. I've been muddling in an old dairy barn and it just isn't worth it. The hogs and myself are miserable. The remainder are going to sale next week until I get my act together.


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## Randy Litton

A welder pulled up to the job site to ask for a job. The foreman asked him to submit to a welding test. The guy becomes indigent, "look at my fine fancy welding truck". The foreman's reply, "you could have bought that".


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## Ushuaya

Giving the amount of time that has passed since the last comment, does anyone have any updates on this? I have to admit that although I have a garden and I couldn't imagine my house without a garden, I have never been a fan of farming. I love having as much space as possible in my garden because I like doing all kinds of activities there, especially to work out. Also, I love having tea and breakfast in the morning there. I was a little worried about the furniture, but thanks to www.gardenfurniture.co.uk I have managed to deal with this easily.


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## CowboyRam

swmnhay said:


> There is one about 20 miles from here that was in SF magazine.Sure is purdy with leather furniture and a pool table.Floor is spotless too.The employes are not alowed to work on stuff in the shop,even change oil because the floor might get dirty.Tractors are taken to town for everything even a oil change.
> 
> So Marc you don't need mechanical ability to own a shop that gets featured in SF.


Sounds like they got more money than brains to me.

Our shop is not real big, and I am actually thankful that dad took the front of the shop out last year. We were able to put a taller door in, now I can get our 7130 in the shop. It's amazing what an additional 6" in height can do.


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## danwi

There were 2 farms around here that had shops featured a few years ago. Both places the minute you drive in the yard everything is immaculate. Semi's and farm machinery is clean and shining. They must spend some money on soap and shop rags. They both work on equipment, the one does tractor restorations. They must do the dirty work in the shop outback.


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