Buying the Farm

Right now, my two-year-old is chanting "Old McDonald Had a Farm" just as I'm contemplating becoming Old McDonald myself. It's a tough question: do I want to become a farmer?

My husband and I have been exploring the possibility in the last few weeks, ever since we returned from Sweden. There are a lot of pros and cons.

PROS:

1. I grew up on a farm. I run a community garden. I have a clue what it takes to successfully raise vegetables.
2. Local CSAs have absurdly long waiting lists, on the order of years. Many won't even advertize their shares anymore. So there is huge demand.
3. The New Entry Sustainable Farming Association has a list of farm properties near Boston available for lease or sale but not enough farmers to work them.
4. It would be highly satisfying in many ways. We'd have the freedom to grow our food (produce, eggs, meat) any way we like.
5. It's a healthier lifestyle and would encourage us to get a lot more exercise.

CONS:

1. I grew up on a farm. I know how much work it is, and that's rather daunting.
2. I grew up on a farm in New Mexico. That's an utterly different climate, and I'd have a lot of learning to do. It was a cattle farm, and I'm unlikely to want to raise cattle here, though I did have a herd of goats growing up and know how to care for them from birth to butchering. We never milked them, though, so that would be an interesting learning experience right there. And I know almost nothing about the use and maintenance of farm machinery.
   
3. My husband did not grow up on a farm. He was utterly astonished the first time a seed I'd planted sprouted. Nor does he have any desire to be a farmer. He doesn't like outside work, he doesn't like the smell of dirt, he doesn't even like houseplants. He says he's willing to take care of the business end of farming: finances, hiring labor, etc., but I'm dubious. I do not want to be stuck with all the work, and I'd miss the family- and community-building aspects I know and love.
   
4. My health is not the best. I have multiple chronic illnesses, almost all of which I control with diet, and I sprain joints at the drop of a hat. While more outside work would undoubtedly be very good for me, our business could outright fail if I sprain an ankle again.
5. We have two small children, one just about to start kindergarden. They're a full-time job in themselves right now, and at the very least, we should wait until they're old enough to contribute to the farm in a meaningful way. (My five-year-old wants goats.)
   
6. We live in a wonderful, supportive community, and we're not sure we want to leave it, although there are good reasons why we might, farm or no farm.

My current inclination is not to buy a commercial farm. It's too risky, and I don't think we have the proper resources. Microfarming, on the other hand, makes some sense to me. Defined as mixed-use farming on two to five acres, this seems like a manageable amount of farm to me. My grandfather's farm was five acres, and on this scrap of land, he grew alfalfa for his cattle, orchards consisting mostly of apples and pears, a large amount of corn, and two good-sized gardens for family and friends. Pumpkins grew up into his macintosh trees, the strangest apples you ever saw.

He couldn't and didn't make his living off of it, but he did make our lives much richer, healthier, and more fulfilling. It's the kind of life I can imagine being extremely satisfying. I could grow my own vegetables, trying different varieties and preserving heirlooms. I could have a greenhouse for fresh produce all winter long. I'd have orchards of fruit and nut trees chosen for easy maintenance and flavor. We could have a small goat herd and some chickens, maybe even ducks if we have a pond. Herb beds. Grape vines. Mushrooms. Corn.

I still have my doubts, which is why our whole family is attending the Northeast Organic Farming Association Summer Conference next weekend. We received the program booklets just a few days ago, and I'm fascinated and frustrated by the workshops listed. Should I attend the Backyard Medicinal Herb Walk, the Easy No-Knead Artisan Bread at Home workshop, the Farm and Garden Native Bee Habitat Creation workshop, or the Simple Gifts Farm tour? ARGH!

Just the fact that I get this excited about these topics tells me I'm on the right track. And perhaps the conference will help me figure out which less-traveled path I should take.