Act New Zealand leader Don Brash probably summed it up best at Federated Farmers national conference in Rotorua when he said those attending would be "enduring a procession of politicians".
"I'm sure we'll all be telling you what a great contribution farming makes to the New Zealand economy."
And they were - even Labour leader Phil Goff, whose party's proposal to create a 12.5% tax credit for research and development, paid for by charging farmers for agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, outraged the farming community.
Mr Goff emphasised that Labour was committed to working with the agricultural sector. That farmers played a vital role in the country's economy and their commitment and dedication was "appreciated".
But the country was in trouble, facing a mountain of debt, and it was time for some "tough talking and for some tough decisions".
Justifying the creation of the tax credit but probably not endearing himself to his rural audience, he said other industries were already paying their fair share under the Emissions Trading Scheme and agriculture would have to do the same.
Outgoing Federation national president Don Nicolson - who told the Otago Daily Times recently he was "grumpy" about attacks on farming by Labour MPs - was fairly diplomatic in his farewell speech, saying "today's Opposition is tomorrow's Government and we must play with a straight bat".
However, he did condemn Mr Goff for his comments that the rural lobby organisation was "Nats in blue gumboots".
At that time, Federated Farmers' earthquake spokesman, John Hartnell, was meeting the Christchurch City Council for a combined Farmy Army and Student Volunteer Army effort - which has done a mighty job in the stricken city - and the comments were "ill-timed, insensitive and frankly rude".
"I know Phil Goff, and I like him, but sir, you are a much better person than those comments," Mr Nicolson said.
Last month, the Sunday Star-Times reported Mr Nicolson as being widely tipped to become a candidate for the Act party.
The Southland sheep and beef farmer, who has been impressive in his leadership of Federated Farmers, has stayed mum on his future. His next move will be watched with interest.
Certainly, Dr Brash was effusive in his praise for agriculture, saying if the whole economy had performed as well as farming over the last 25 years, New Zealand would have living standards on a par with Australia, not well below.
Successive governments had tended to see farming as a sunset industry and politicians had talked about riding a knowledge wave, about the importance of the creative industries, of movies, and of fashion, high tech start-ups, and the opportunity to build a back office for the world's financial industry, he said.
Dr Brash was right when he commented that all those things were good and to be welcomed, but the foreign exchange earned from exporting movies and fashion garments was tiny, compared with the exports from the farming industry. While I am loathe to use an old cliche, the point is that agriculture is still the backbone of this country and will continue to be.
You could almost hear the murmurs of assent from the crowd as Dr Brash said: "Yet farming is pilloried by people who should know better.
"All farmers get blamed for the environmental sins of the minority. All farmers are assumed to be incredibly rich and to pay no tax. All farmers are assumed to treat their animals with total indifference to their wellbeing."
Farming is a sunrise industry. Politicians need to remember that - and not just in election year.