Had a CDL 30 yrs ago, starting process all over so I can drive family farm stuff.

Yes there is a Farm exception as you state but its only good for Ag/farm use and CHP here is citing even farmers who pull trailers rated over 10,000lbs with horses or non Ag cargo even if you are under 26,000 GCW .
I need my CDL because I also sometimes drive a Water Truck and Haul cars on a trailer for hire. I will likely also do some Local Semi/Trailer hauling once I get my CDL. I have been running under the radar so far and need to stay legal.

 

I thought I would update this original post and say I successfully completed a 3 day refresher course with Jiffy Truck Rental/School. I have to say that it was pretty much as I expected but man the pre-trip and air brake stuff is really intense. The Driving ans Skills Tests were just a matter of getting back in the saddle and doing it.
I will say that if you are looking for One on One training and just need to get your CDL quickly Jiffy does a good job preparing you. They do not teach you much of anything about actually working in the trucking industry there goal is to get you to pass the test. I did see several guys try to get by with a One Day rental who did not have much if any other previous experience and fail to pass the DMV test.
My advise would be that you can not learn properly how to drive and pass the DMV tests without some other experience. If you have the opportunity to get some pre training by getting your permit and driving with a seasoned driver who keeps up with the current requirements and will work with you on backing & driving skills then Jiffy can get you ready to pass everything else. I personally would recommend at least 2 days of training to get prepared for the pretrip and skills portion of the DMV test.
IF you have no previous experience and want to get a CDL maybe you would be better of with a traditional 120 hr or more certified training course, especially if you want to go to work for one of the big outfits because they will require you to go through a certified course anyways for the most part. Some may hire you but you will be with trainer for several months at a lower pay grade.
Do what you gotta do but for me it all worked out and I can now move on and not have to worry about not having a CDL when I need it.