Why Would Any Sane Person Want to Farm or Homestead? That was the question that I was asked!!!

I had a coworker from my old life as an office worker ask me that question. Why would any sane person want to give up:

-A good paying job
-Work security
-Five week’s paid vacation a year
-Half way to being eligible for full retirement
-40 hour work week

To become a full time farmer/homesteader? Those where the questions I got asked a lot when what seemed like out of the blue five years ago I gave up “the American Dream” job to become a full time farmer.

To be perfectly honest, when I quit I really didn’t fully understand all that I was getting my family into. I just knew that the suburban office working 9 to 5 job was not for us. I knew that I wanted more for my kids than to grow up in a big house with computer games and tv being the majority of what they spent their time doing. I wanted to work the land and earn a living from doing something I loved. I wanted to wake up and not dread going to the office and feeling like I was in jail for 8 hours a day with no escape. I am not sure you can relate to this or not but looking back, now I feel like I can finally give a good answer as to why I gave up all those things that came with my office job to become a farmer/homesteader.

-While it is not a very high paying job, it might be for some of you out there, but for my family we are making enough money to get by but not much extra. And that is what I love. We live such a simpler life now. No longer are we concerned with having a nice SUV or the latest style in clothing. No, we are not rich in material things but we are so much richer now in time together and relationships with those around us that we were too busy before to even notice. I get to spend time with my children and my wife that no amount of money could ever replace.

-Work security takes on a whole new meaning now that the land provides our income. A wild fire, storm, tornado, or drought could wipe us out. However, is that really any different from any job? There is always a list of “what ifs” no matter where you work that could cause life altering problems.

-There is no such thing as a paid vacation on the farm/homestead. As a matter of fact we actually have to pay someone to come watch over the livestock if we want to take a vacation. Even though I am no longer paid to not work, I love what I do. I wake up every morning excited to get outside and see the animals and take on whatever the day has in store. I no longer need those vacation days like I did when I sat in my cubicle jail cell.

-Quitting my secure job halfway to retirement eligibility was the best decision of my life. I am sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that I would not have lived as long had I stayed at a job I did not love. Like I said before, farming is relaxing and enjoyable and I never want to retire from it.

-I no longer know what a 40 hour work week is. All the homesteaders and farmers out there know what I am talking about. I do not even know how many hours a week I work anymore. I just work until the job is done. Might be up half the night with a sick calf or out from sun up to sun down bush hogging or might have nothing special to do at all and just spend the day with the family going fishing or playing in the creek. What is amazing is the time is mine, there are things that have to be done, but my time is mine.

So there you have it. There’s the “why” I gave up my former office working life to pursue a dream of farming/homesteading and the benefits I believe I have gained and not given up.

My hope is that as you are reading this post it would encourage you to take whatever steps are holding you back from doing what you love. It might not be that you want to become a farmer like me, but no matter what it is, life is too short to be stuck doing a job you hate or being someone that you are not proud of. Take that leap of faith and just pursue your dreams. The best advice I got when I quit my office job was from my dad. He told me that “I was the hardest worker he knew and that no matter if I was a total failure at farming/homesteading, there would always be an opportunity for me because I was not afraid to take chances and work hard.” I believe that is true. If you are willing to work hard even if you fail at something, something else will come up and you will succeed as long as you keep working. It will not always be easy but nothing good in life ever comes easy.