1Beehive fences
Farmers in Kenya are using elephants' natural fears of bees and building "beehive fences" that keep wild elephants from trampling the crops. It keeps the farms safe and prevents farmers from having to kill elephants to defend their livelihood.
2Chicken farmer
A farmer sued the US government in 1946 after military planes flew too low over his farm, startling and causing his chickens to kill themselves by flying into the walls. He claimed the government should compensate him because he owned the air above his farm.
3Pepsi and Coca Cola
In 2004, farmers in India used Pepsi and Coca Cola instead of pesticides because they were cheaper and got the job done just as well.
4Prince Leonard of Hutt
An Australian farmer named Prince Leonard of Hutt protested government-imposed wheat quotas by ceding from Australia and creating his own country. The country, the Principality of Hutt River still exists and he is the king.
5Gao XianZhang
A Chinese farmer named Gao XianZhang developed a way to make pears grow in the shape of little baby Buddhas by using plastic molds.
6Pigs
Belgian farmers are required by law to "care for the emotional well-being of their pigs" which often includes giving them toys to play with.
7Watermelon gender differentiation
Farmers differentiate watermelon by gender. "Boy" watermelons are longer and more watery, while "girl" watermelons are rounder and sweeter.
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8Xiaogang Farm
In 1978, the farmers in a small Chinese village called Xiaogang gathered in a mud hut to sign a secret contract, which split the village's collective farm into individual farms for each family. This gave them incentive to work harder as it was their personal property. They thought this decision might get them executed, but the plan was a massive success and became a future model for the rest of China.
9Fred Tuttle
A farmer named Fred Tuttle won the 1998 Republican primary for Vermont senator. He would ask his opponent, a millionaire "carpetbagger" from Massachusetts, questions at debates that only Vermonters would know. Tuttle would endorse his Democratic opponent of whom Tuttle said, "He knows how many tits on a cow."
10Aníbal Milhais
A Portuguese farmer named Aníbal Milhais turned soldier, held off two attacking German divisions with a Lewis Machine Gun solo, forcing them to bypass and eventually surround him. After not eating or drinking for 3 days, he rescued a trapped Scottish major and returned to Entente lines.
