SuttaCentral
I’m looking for a specific sutta where someone asks the Buddha why he takes care the most of the spiritually advanced followers.
And his answer is something like: If there are four types of crops (strongest to the weakest) which type would a farmer take care of the most?.. something like that, probably my wording is off, but it goes in that direction…
Would be great if someone could point me to this sutta!
I played around with different search terms, and when entering “farmer” in SC-Voice (I like the search there) I got the following:
https://voice.suttacentral.net/scv/index.html?r=0.3560211570607026#/?search=farmer
If you click on the titles of the suttas your search returns you will find the phrase where your search term occurs, for example when clicking on “SN42.7 The simile of the field” it says: “What do you think? Suppose a farmer has three fields: one’s good, one’s average, and one’s poor—bad ground of sand and salt.”
Then go to that sutta and read it; or listen to it if you prefer voice. Have fun! 
“Well then, chief, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like. What do you think? Suppose a farmer has three fields: one’s good, one’s average, and one’s poor—bad ground of sand and salt. What do you think? When that farmer wants to plant seeds, where would he plant them first: the good field, the average one, or the poor one?” “Sir, he’d plant them first in the good field, then the average, then he may or may not plant seed in the poor field. Why is that? Because at least it can be fodder for the cattle.”
“To me, the monks and nuns are like the good field. I teach them the Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And I reveal a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure. Why is that? Because they live with me as their island, protection, shelter, and refuge. To me, the laymen and laywomen are like the average field. I also teach them the Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And I reveal a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure. Why is that? Because they live with me as their island, protection, shelter, and refuge. To me, the ascetics, brahmins, and wanderers who follow other paths are like the poor field, the bad ground of sand and salt. I also teach them the Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And I reveal a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure. Why is that? Hopefully they might understand even a single sentence, which would be for their lasting welfare and happiness.
Suppose a person had three water jars: one that’s uncracked and nonporous; one that’s uncracked but porous; and one that’s cracked and porous. What do you think? When that person wants to store water, where would they store it first: in the jar that’s uncracked and nonporous, the one that’s uncracked but porous, or the one that’s cracked and porous?” “Sir, they’d store water first in the jar that’s uncracked and nonporous, then the one that’s uncracked but porous, then they may or may not store water in the one that’s cracked and porous. Why is that? Because at least it can be used for washing the dishes.”
SuttaCentral
I searched ‘field’ as I recalled it had different ones…
Another contrasting sutta (or statement) came to my mind, namely that the Buddha is teaching with ‘open hand’, or ‘open hands’. It must be something else because I didn’t find it, but with the meaning of not holding back but teaching freely… Any ideas?
Thank you Ang. Sabbamitta. I am apparently and unexpectedly, also learning how to garden better from the suttas. 
Yesterday I tore up a sick plant to make room for the healthy plants. I wondered if I was doing the right thing. Apparently so. 
Yes. I know. I am killing the sick plant. But I have no cows for the fodder. 
Yes, great! Thanks
It appears in SN 47.9, taken over into DN 16 as well
