I grew up in the fast food generation. Meals and snacks were pre-packaged, made enticing with bright colored dyes and promises that the food wouldn’t expire for months. Pumpkin shaped cookies in plastic wrap were a favorite during the fall months, and they never came with a side thought for fresh pumpkin or baking from scratch.
When I first realized I want to be an organic farmer, it was all over an apple. As I sat at my work desk eating apple slices, a frown began to tug at the corners of my mouth when I realized the apple had brown spots from sitting too long. The first thought that flashed into my mind was: “Why can’t we just create apples that last longer?” The second thought was: “How disconnected have I become with where my food comes from, and what is real food?”
I’ll save you the details, but these little thoughts jump-started the past year of research: learning about our food system, learning American’s outlook on the food system, learning various ways of growing food, finding out what real, true food is, and working as hard as possible to become a positive part of the food system.
I could go on for days about my love for organic growing, small farms, and living off the land. But, I wanted a deeper look and understanding to farming and homesteading. I wanted to know straight from farmers and homesteaders what joys and barriers line their days. So, that’s exactly what I did.
A big thank you to the wonderful farmers and homesteaders that took time to share their thoughts for this post during one of their busiest seasons! Thank you to Nicole of Double N Urban Farm, Megan of Linn Acres Farm, Jesse + Hannah of Rough Draft Farmstead, Kate U. of Fox’s Lane, Kate of Farmhouse38, and Mel of Faulk Farmstead.
What’s one thing you wish everyone knew about farming / homesteading?
“…how rewarding the hard work is. All the blood, sweat, and tears at the end of the day make the rewards so much sweeter. The feeling of being self sufficient swells up inside of me and makes my heart explode with joy. There is truly no feeling like it!” - Nicole, urban farmer
“When most people think of farming and homesteading, their minds jump to images of misty mornings in a lush green pasture, baskets full of colorful fruits and vegetables, fluffy chickens sitting upon a nest of chirping baby chicks, hay lofts piled full of crisp smelling hay, and the sun setting over a beautiful expansive garden. Don’t get me wrong, the beautiful moments are wonderful and there are more good moments than bad! But many people never see past those beautiful images and realize how much work really goes on and how many failures you have before you get it right. And in the end, it’s so rewarding that it makes all the hard work worth it.” – Megan, farmer
“We believe people underestimate how much of a positive impact they can have on the world by simply supporting small, organically-minded farmers. Small farmers take care of their woods and soil. They provide habitat for birds and pollinators. They improve their pastures and increase the farm’s overall diversity and fertility. Buying a tomato from a local farmer then, is to not only support a small farmer, but to make an investment in those types of positive and necessary activities.” - Jesse + Hannah, off-grid farmers
“It would be wonderful if people understood that [farming] is seasonal, which means the jobs we need to do change all the time, but it also means that the same produce is not available all year round. In Australia, apples are picked from January to June and best eaten then too. The apples you can buy from the supermarket in Springtime have either flown in from somewhere on the other side of the world or been in cold store for months and months.” - Kate U., organic farmer
“There’s a lot of poop. And I only have chickens. You gotta be down with the poop. And when you are homesteading or farming in a suburban or urban setting like I am, you have to be super diligent about cleaning up said poop. Fortunately, part of the homesteading process is composting that and other waste products and re-using them in your garden. It’s a happy little cycle, if you can deal.” - Kate, homesteader
“Homesteading is hard work – but it is FULFILLING work. This is a life choice for us, so while we may be tired all of the time and have limited ability to leave town, we love it! It is amazing to have the ability to completely provide for your family – and to be able to teach your children how to provide food for themselves as well. There is a certain amount of strength that comes from waking up every morning to care for the creatures that provide for your family!” - Mel, homesteader/farmer
Hearing about farmers’ and homesteaders’ lives was eye-opening and enriching, but it left me wanting more information. Next week there will be a follow-up ‘From the Farmers’ post, sharing ideas from these farmers and homesteaders on how to best support your local agriculturalists!
Do you buy local or farm fresh goods?
Have you ever visited a farm in your region?