![\"E-18-2014](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/madisoncountycourier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/E-18-2014-mccmc-Bishopp-Grass-Whisperer-RGB.jpg\")
<\/a>By Troy Bishopp<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nI wholeheartedly agree; however, when it comes to working on the land, the farm hat is a close second to complete a jean-wearing ensemble for both men and women.<\/p>\n
Today, I\u2019m feeling remorseful because I\u2019ve amassed too many caps to fit in my closet and have to choose which ones will go to the thrift store. These caps just didn\u2019t fit right or looked less than flattering on me. Going down the road is a Denver Broncos fitted cap (forgot to check size) big enough for Frankenstein, a cap from my former workplace and several with funky crowns or misshapen brims.<\/p>\n
I can now relate to ladies getting rid of too many shoes. Can you really have too many hats or shoes?<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve had a love affair with baseball-style caps since I was a small boy. I inherited this from my grandfather and friends, as my father didn\u2019t like wearing them and covering up his James Dean locks. For years, folks have been telling me that hats retard hair growth, but I argue they protect the scalp from the elements and grease fittings.<\/p>\n
Not sure who wins this argument.<\/p>\n
Suffice it to say, philosopher Nikos Kazantzakis was right when he wrote, \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter whether or not you have a head, you must wear the right sort of hat.\u201d<\/p>\n
I tried wearing other styles of caps and even a cowboy hat, but my head shape or ears just couldn\u2019t cut the muster in them. To make matters worse, when I don\u2019t wear a hat, people don\u2019t even recognize me.<\/p>\n
I suggest going with what works.<\/p>\n
Nowadays, my balding scalp is smitten with a white Upper Susquehanna Coalition hat, a classic John Deere Cazenovia Equipment cap and a retro Denver Broncos orange crush vintage cap. When I hit the garden, I\u2019ve also been trying a wide brim straw hat on for size in an attempt to combat the sun\u2019s ultraviolet rays.<\/p>\n Even though I have my BHFs (Best Hats Forever), my nooks, racks and shelves are sufficiently filled with a cornucopia of colors, logos, teams and companies to go with any ensemble.<\/p>\n Back in the day, a farmer could get all the free hats he wanted, as it was the calling card for marketing and patronage of companies. I\u2019m not sure when the tightening budgets and switch to calendars and pens took over in lieu of a hat. It\u2019s kind of a running joke around here in farm country that when you buy a $25,000 piece of equipment or a big seed order, you don\u2019t even get a hat thrown in anymore.<\/p>\n These are trying times, I guess.<\/p>\n<\/a>If you\u2019re a cap connoisseur like me, you can name all your hall-of-fame hats. Those were the ones that fit awesome, made you look good and said something about your personality. My first one was a black cap with an orange and white CASE tractor logo on it. The rack had dual favorite corn seed caps from Dekalb and Golden Harvest. I had a black fence contractor hat signed by artist Gary Hawk and wore a powder blue-and-white Hyline Hatchery cap until it disintegrated in the wash.<\/p>\n