Is the Farm Life Over-Romanticized?

Is the farm life over-romanticized?

We hear it regularly from folks everywhere when we tell them what we do:

"Oh, I would love to be a farmer!"

"My dream is to have a farm out in the country!"

“We’re going to buy land one day to start a farm!”

Or my personal favorite – “I really want to have a farm, but my husband isn’t convinced yet”

On the one hand, it's very encouraging to be in a profession that a lot of people dream of being in.

And on the other hand, we always try to gently paint a realistic picture of what farming is like without killing any dreams or bursting any bubbles.

Because the reality is there are a lot of aspects of farming that are "romantic".

Waking up every morning to be a visceral part of caring for creation in a restorative way is a privilege and an honor.

Breathing in fresh morning air.

Watching magnificent sunrises.

Being connected to the very earth we were made from.

Learning to work with animals.

Knowing exactly where our food comes from.

Being our own boss (a blessing and a curse!)

Personally, I'd take this any day over most other jobs.

The catch here, however, is in the words "Every. Morning." Farming doesn't quit. As the saying goes "a farmer's job is never done." Of course, in farming dreams, the weather is always a perfect 70 degrees and sunny (in our own farming dreams too!) But animals need food and water whether it's 70 out, 100 out, or -10 out. In hurricanes, droughts, snow storms, and heat waves.

Once those plants are in the ground or you purchase that first dairy cow or pair of hogs, you now have a responsibility to care for them every single day. And I have yet to find a boarding facility that will care for 1000 chickens or 250 sheep so we can get away more often!

Another draw to the farm life is the ability to grow all or most of your food. A lot of people are simply done with our industrialized, mechanized, centralized food system and want out. The solution is to either buy from local farmers or start your own farm.

Both options have their benefits and downsides. Buying local almost always costs more than subsidized grocery store food, but it means paying someone else in your community to do all the hard work.

Growing your own food brings satisfaction, pride, and gratitude. It also "tends" to cost less money than buying from a farmer, although many would argue that after you've factored in all your time, sweat, blood, and yes, tears, the money you saved may not have been worth it after all!

All jokes aside, growing your own food to at least some degree is something I think everyone should try their hand at. And I do believe the money saving can come into play when you do it for a few seasons, find your groove, and find ways to cut costs in raising the animals and limiting the time you spend pulling weeds in the garden.

And as for the “Every. Single. Day.” issue: where there's a will, there's a way. And where there's community, there's a way. With a good farming community around you, having animals and plants that rely on you daily is a bit less daunting because you have other people nearby who can help when you do need to take some time off.

So yes, farming doesn't quit but that also doesn't mean it's hopeless. The best answer to this problem, I believe, is to find community, which we have been so blessed to have where we are now!

So back to the original question: is the farm life over romanticized? I do believe it is by many, but that’s ok! To be honest, even Matt and I over romanticized it in our early years of dreaming. But the aspects of farming that are romanticized are indeed real and romantic. There are just aspects to it that are not considered or understood by many who dream about farm life. And maybe that’s for the best!

To the folks who tell me they want to farm, this is always my hopefully encouraging advice: Decide if you want to farm or homestead. Either one is going to take a lot of work and have a steep learning curve. And either one has the potential to bring deep satisfaction. I don't think it's just happenstance that so many are drawn to the farm life. It's built into us to want to be connected to nature. If you want to be a full-time farmer, realize that there is so much more than just working the land. It's a full-on business venture and a lot of your time will not be spent in the dirt where you want to be.

But if you want the connection to the land and the ability to grow your own food without the weight of doing it as a business weighing on your shoulders, find another source of income and go build your dream homestead! Don't expect any significant income from this option, but it can definitely fulfill the desire for farming and give you the lifestyle you are looking for.

A draw to be more connected to the earth is in all of us, to varying degrees, and for those who are longing to farm or homestead, I highly encourage you to go for it! We did. And as hard as some days, weeks, and years can be, the beauty and romance in the farm life is always right in front of us – if we can just choose to look past the challenges and see it.

People also often say to us “Farming is so hard, I don’t know how you do it!”

My response as of late has been this: “Yes, it is hard. But a lot of things in life are hard. A lot of careers are hard. But I’d rather have THIS hard than any other hard!”