Farmers vs The Walking Dead

Farmer zombie via Courtney Denard aka @CowSpotComm

I get asked a lot of interesting questions by all kinds of people about farming, but last week I may have gotten the best one yet.  Tammy Luck of Grown Up, Now What? hit me with a zombie question on twitter.  As we all know zombies can be a huge problem, but if nothing else farmers are innovative and can make due with what supplies they have on hand in a pinch.  So when the zombie hoards start you can be sure farmers will be locked up in the shop with scrap metal, torches, and welders preparing to take on the undead.  We’ve already got vehicles on hand that are tank-like, and I’ve found other farmers have already considered what they would do if the worst happens.

@thefarmerslife My boyfriend has watched too much Walking Dead. His ?: What piece of farming equipment is best for mowing down zombies?

— Tammy L. (@TammyLuck) November 8, 2012

Since I was in the field already I thought the tractor I was driving would be a pretty good tool for surviving the zombie apocalypse.

@TammyLuck I'm in this today. I say add cow catchers all around? Not too big or slow. pic.twitter.com/uu9GV1wE

— Brian Scott 🌾 (@thefarmerslife) November 8, 2012

Modifications

I think our 8420 would make a great post apocalyptic vehicle because of its ground clearance, power, and lines of sight in all directions.  It can also power all eight tires when needed and turn around in a relatively small space.  I wouldn’t have any type of trailered implement attached.  In a pinch you don’t want to take the extra time to back up an articulated rig.  From the tweet you can see that I think some kind of metal cage/plow around the tractor would offer both offensive and defensive capabilities.  Since tractors are already equipped with hydraulics I’m sure I could think of all kinds of zombie slaying weapons to be built and controlled from the comfort of the tractor cab.

Other Ideas

I shared Tammy’s tweet on facebook and twitter to see what kind of responses I’d get.  A lot of people are going with harvest equipment.  I think that’s a good idea on the surface due to zombie shredding potential, but I’m a bit concerned.  On many harvesters you only have windows that see forward, left, and right.  Not behind.  And they are often large.  Too many places for zombies to latch on in my opinion.  I’d also be worried about the equipment getting jammed up if one were to try to harvest the zombies.

Your Plans

One person suggested outfitting his pickup truck.  I think this may actually be the best option.  My tractor would be great for rolling over zombies and shoving them out of the way, but it wouldn’t be the best for long distance travel.  Plus I could only take one other adult comfortably.  A four door, long bed, 4×4 truck might just be your best bet.  You can carry people and plenty of gear while moving quickly.

What will you do to survive the zombies!?  I’m preparing by watching The Walking Dead on Netflix because I’ve never seen the show.  Leave a comment and let me know.