Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

-JOHN BARRYMOORE

The dream of someday living on your own farm is one shared by many.  The lure of a quieter life away from the bustle of consumer driven living is a strong one.  Being able to grow your own food and know exactly what you are eating is also a big motivator in today’s world of industrial food production. Wanting to be socially responsible by taking care of our planet is also a very powerful motivator to farm.  How to begin to make this dream a reality is often overwhelming.

Buying property, what crops to grow and what animals to raise are just a few of the questions that you need to answer for yourself. Hopefully before you begin the process of spending time, effort, and money.  Are you going to farm organically, traditionally or a combination of the two? Is your goal to be self sufficient or do you want to create an income with your farm?

Often the first discouraging advice you will here is “You can’t farm unless you inherit the operation and even then, you will never make any money at it.”   My response to this kind of helpfulness is to ignore it.  After 25 years of farming I have come to realize the value and truth found in many of the old adages so often spoken by the successful Farmers who mentored me. The above quote exemplifies some of that wisdom and encouragement.