Is Rural Living a Hobby?

[Steppenwolfe]

Ok. Then it was your fault for not using due diligence to discover his knowledge of what "level" is before he started the project. In this business, one is only as good as one's last job; no need to disparage the competition, word gets around.

Amen to that !!!

 

[oosik]

Strange - reading the posts here - first time I've heard the term "hobby farm". I don't consider my 80 acres to be a hobby farm. I live here and choose this life style over any other. I do for myself and depend upon few others. If I can't do it - most likely it will not get done. Life out here sure keeps me busy.

 

[lman]

Strange - reading the posts here - first time I've heard the term "hobby farm". I don't consider my 80 acres to be a hobby farm. I live here and choose this life style over any other. I do for myself and depend upon few others. If I can't do it - most likely it will not get done. Life out here sure keeps me busy.

Around here they used to call a hobby farmer, somebody that worked off the farm but lived on a farm. That was back when you could make it on 500 acres of good crops and livestock.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Tough to find good tradespeople in rural America, lots of hacks who own a paintbrush and know where they can borrow a ladder who call themselves painters. Feel free to substitute the equivalent for a different trade.
.

Satellite TV installers. What a hack I had.

 

[Frankenkubota]

Satellite TV installers. What a hack I had.

And the guy who ran my dsl cable made $125,000.00 last year, with unlimited overtime.

 

[California]

Around here they used to call a hobby farmer, somebody that worked off the farm but lived on a farm. That was back when you could make it on 500 acres of good crops and livestock.

I have to say my place fits the definition of hobby farm. 8 acre apple orchard plus 3 acres of impassible ravine, which has become the neighborhood wildlife reserve as neighbors fenced their new vineyards. Typical year is 80 tons of apples produced.

Most of the orchard operation is run by a neighbor who makes a living operating several parcels for others along with his own vineyard. Mine is the smallest of his operations. I backhoe out stumps and run the my watering trailer to new trees, he takes over responsibility for the new trees after they reach bearing age.

That neighbor operates 200 acres overall and is simply making a living, not getting wealthy. I jokingly claim I am an 'aspiring gentleman farmer', that is, some farmer image just for fun because I enjoy what I do. But I'm not pretending to make a living at it.

 

[Herness]

It kinda is, in my opinion. If you like it - you call it a hobby. I am lucky enough to be flexible and work from everywhere in the world and it gives me a lot of energy to spend time on my uncle's farm or somewhere in a tiny house next to the lake. Nature and tranquility are the best medicine for me when i feel down. And everything i had to do for it - built a successful project management system which started to work for me after a certain period of time.

 

[Solitary Man]

I have to say my place fits the definition of hobby farm. 8 acre apple orchard plus 3 acres of impassible ravine, which has become the neighborhood wildlife reserve as neighbors fenced their new vineyards. Typical year is 80 tons of apples produced.

Most of the orchard operation is run by a neighbor who makes a living operating several parcels for others along with his own vineyard. Mine is the smallest of his operations. I backhoe out stumps and run the my watering trailer to new trees, he takes over responsibility for the new trees after they reach bearing age.

That neighbor operates 200 acres overall and is simply making a living, not getting wealthy. I jokingly claim I am an 'aspiring gentleman farmer', that is, some farmer image just for fun because I enjoy what I do. But I'm not pretending to make a living at it.

I don't know how anyone makes money off of the land anymore. I say if you have an outside income, and enjoy your land as it suits you... You are a Hobby Farmer.

 

[oosik]

Those who think of a farm as a hobby probably don't enjoy real rural living - as it should be.

 

[California]

Those who think of a farm as a hobby probably don't enjoy real rural living - as it should be.

... or else can't afford it.

 

[beowulf]

Starting with the definition of a hobby as "an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure." (i.e., not to earn a living)

It seems to me that there is farming to earn a living - not a hobby. And hobby farming - perhaps not the sole source of income, or any income, and it may or may not be a hobby. And there is rural living where you maintain a rural property with all that that involves with no intent to or need to earn a living from it. We have 90 acres and there is a whole lot to do with a never ending list of tasks - and some very challenging. But we attend to what we want to and when we want to, and that may qualify as a hobby as defined above as we do it in our liesure time and enjoy doing it and get a lot of satisfaction out of it. And we can afford to be here (35 years and counting) without earning an income from the property - so, for us, it is either a hobby or a life style. Either category works for me.

My many uncles who farmed back in the midwest would never call what they do a hobby - they worked the farms to make a living.

 

[oosik]

I retired in 1982. I was 40 years young that year. We could have lived anywhere we wanted. We chose to live here on the 80 acres.

Sooo ..... since I DO NOT make a living off this land. I'm here because I enjoy the life style. It's a busy life style - never a dull moment. Seems like there is always something requiring my attention.

Right now it's snowing. A VERY light, dry snow. It could go on for a week like this and we probably wouldn't have six inches on the ground. There is about 1 1/2" on the ground. I bet grsthegreat - up in N ID - has a whole lot more.

 

[grsthegreat]

have about 9-10 in here standing on ground. have moved snow 3 times so far. still coming down. love it.

 

[ponytug]

snow line is several hundred feet above us at the moment. So close, and yet so far.

Here's to a white Christmas!

All the best, Peter

 

[oosik]

We will have a white Christmas here. Albeit only about two inches. Right now I'm more concerned about the unseasonal cold weather coming next week. I check the predictions each day - so far, it shows slightly warmer for what's coming.

 

[Ledgemere Farm]

It can be. Lots of people “play farm” to break up the monotony of a 40-hour day job.

 

[grsthegreat]

I have 12-14” standing snow on ground in area i dont plow. Been snowing steadily since last night. Now there predicting 10-20” new snow thru monday.

looks like it may be sleigh time soon…..

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[Herness]

I would consider it as a way of living, meanwhile on the farm you can have tons of different hobbies.
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[check]

I detest that word “hobby“. It implies that you have no life, that you’re bored, and that you have nothing to do. I cannot possibly imagine, ever, looking for something to do. Until the day I die I will be busy busy busy, and have a long bucket list.

Wouldn’t have it any other way!

 

[Gem99ultra]

I detest that word “hobby“. It implies that you have no life, that you’re bored, and that you have nothing to do. I cannot possibly imagine, ever, looking for something to do. Until the day I die I will be busy busy busy, and have a long bucket list.

Wouldn’t have it any other way!

Sorry you feel that way Check. I've had a number of 'income producing hobbies' over the years. Rural living is just another way of enjoying life, call it a hobby or whatever. Calling it 'work' isn't in my vocabulary.