Do you have to live on a farm & be a farmer?

Over the years I've had a lot of folks have asked me if to live a self sufficent life you must be a farmer. I've answered, no, I don't think so. I do, but that has more to do with wanting to garden. I don't think it's necessary. Let's face it, not every one is cut out to be a farmer... or poet or doctor or carpenter ...etc.

They then ask, how can someone live a sustainable self-sufficient life and not be a farmer? I've answered, that to start with they should think of "living a sustainable self-sufficient life" is not just a goal, but a way of living. That it'll probably be a long, hard effort that they'll have to keep working at. I point out that this is my third farm because the first two didn't work out. Then I point out that a farmer is just the person who lives on and operates a farm. And that my definition of a farm is - an industrial complex of cottage industries. Not everything produced here at my farm comes from the gardens. I have several things I do to supply my needs. The things I do, my cottage industries, are a combination of my skills, things I like to do and what I can use, sell or trade. All these cottage industries share location, facilities, equipment, utilities etc. That's the industrial complex part of the definition. And yes, sell - my needs are very small, but I have not been able to eliminate cash as part of my needs. Anyhow, if instead of enjoying and having a knack for working with plants, I had a knack for writting, or photography, or pottery. If I was doing those things here to help meet my needs, they would be no less valid of farm income too. And if they were doing it, the same would be true. And if they were doing where they are instead of here, still true. So doing what they do, where they are, they can live a sustainable self-sufficent life.
I think important parts of the whole picture are to be doing what you enjoy, following your bliss. And that living a simple life reduces your needs and therefore your impact on planet Earth and the amount of time spent filling your needs. And that lots of thing like doing and promoting recycling, conservation, helping others, and all ... these are things that can be done anywhere, by anyone.
So, no, I don't think you must be a farmer to live a sustainable self-sufficient life. But that's just this old hippie's opinion. What do ya'll think?

Peace,
poor_old_dad

 

nah theres more than one way to skin a cat...

 

Dad you went to church today didnt ya?

Cats have nothing to do with it.

 

No, in fact I'm an atheist and Buddist.

Peace,
poor_old_dad

 

an atheist and a buddist??

am i missing something here??

 

Hey HHB, I don't know, he asked if I went to church today....you having any luck with that 200 acres?

Peace,
poor_old_dad

 

man not at all..

but often times, its dreams that stir the will to accomplish reality aint it??

luvin you old man..

 

Yep. That's the truth. What's that song, something like, "If you don't have a dream, how you going to have a dream come true"?

Peace, and don't let the kudzu get you,
poor_old_dad

 

by turning that dream into a goal, just a thought

BTW love the new pic of the cabin, so proud of you guys...

 

you don't have to be a farmer as such, but it sure does help to have some sort of access to the land. someplace where whatever you do with it, someone or some government isn't going to come allong and tear it down or tell you that you have to. without that, you're, or i at least feel, and i've almost never had that either, really crippled. maybe that's just my psychosis to feel that way. i don't know. but i do.

and by being a farmer, i'm supposing you mean spending most of your time and getting most of your means of survival and gratification from activities that can be classified as agricultural. really you can get a lot of both sustenance and satisfaction from the earth, without having to farm commercialy. just being able to do things that you need legitimate access to the land to do can and does help. like building and exparimenting with all kinds of alternatives and having someplace to collect materials recyclable into doing so with. like parts of old appliances and so one. where they won't become an eyesore and cause problems for your neighbors and yourself.

(yah i grew up reading thoreau, and living in a world where most of the time i haven't been able to do anything about it. my dad read me from thoreau before i even started kindergarten. everyone does many things wrong and many things right. reading me thoreau as an infant is one of the things i feel he did right).

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