Why the Name?

A few years ago, in my old hometown, a recent transplant with no real farming experience decided to get 20 head of Angus cattle. On the day they were delivered to the new farm they all escaped, because the “farmer” never checked his fence line. The cows wandered all over the area, popping up in people’s yards, obstructing traffic, and generally making a nuisance of themselves. And the reason they didn’t return home was that they had just been delivered, so they weren’t used to returning to the barn at a certain period of time to be fed. A local resident proclaimed this irresponsible famer to be a “cocktail farmer” – someone with an office job who didn’t live and die by the weather like real farmers.

cock-tail (noun): any of various short mixed drinks, consisting typically of gin, whisky, rum, vodka or brandy, with different added mixtures such as vermouth, fruit juices or flavorings, usually chilled and frequently sweetened.
far-mer (noun): a person who farms; a person who operates a farm or cultivates land.
cock-tail far-mer: an epithet hurled at suburban gardeners with office jobs by real farmers who live and die by the weather. Usage: “He bought 20 head of Angus cattle but didn’t check the fence line before he put them to pasture and they got loose and disappeared? He’s nothing but a cocktail farmer!”

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Adventures in aggressive suburban gardening