"How" Now...

So I've touched a little on the who, what, when, where and why...

But not the how of rebuilding our small farms.

Anyone who decided to read more than a little of my blogification already knew most of the reasons why a diversity of small farms is important for our future but most all of us have a hard time figuring out how to get from here to there.

Jay Leno said about immigration, it's not impossible moving ten(s) of millions of people over a border:
Mexico did it.

Hopefully there is a migration to small towns and small farms well before stoop labor is an attractive career choice.

I've posted some links already about what seems a growing number of people and organizations making a move to farming - from micro to mini to little. Most show smiling laterday hippies growing vegies to eat, sell or trade.

Digging up a flower bed or even an entire lawn is daunting but a far cry from actually moving to a little farm and trying to make it pay at least it's own way, if not immediately paying yours.

There are probably several ways we could classify the "Hows", I'm going with individual action for a start and try to divide by age groups just to figure out some of the ways singles, couples or close family could make a move.

The first of the "How Groups" I'm gonna call Empty Nesters just because I know some about this one.

We're 52, late in '03 we started talking seriously about the RE market in Central California going POP and various other things that worried us to one extent or another, so we bailed out.
Our kids were in the service and so not a limiter of where we could move. I'd always wanted a little farm and Susan had always wanted an old 2-story house, we found both (luckily in the same place) here in SW Missouri. We arrived here labor day '04.

So the main features of this group would probably be:

1. 45-54 years with a fair amount of capital.
2. A transferable/telecomuting/web-based/self-employed or otherwise "location neutral" income.
3. Aptitude and experience in whatever type of ag you see for yourself.
4. Manual skills and tools - the more the better for this age I think.
5. And perhaps most of all, an understanding of the fact it will be you who are the stranger in a strange land.

There are probably lots of individuals who could make a change at 50, perhaps not so many couples but still this is a prime age group I think for pioneering a movement. This group is probably well able to make a transition. Capital could allow either a low mortgage, or outright purchase along with necessary repairs /improvements, real world experience would augment the somewhat reduced physical ability of middle age and a few more years also clears some of the stars from the eyes.

These may in fact be some of the folks identified a Exurbanites elsewhere but who make a transition from simply long distance commuters to people more readily identified as farmers. As well, this age group has a large influence on their family. Parents, children, all sorts of relatives become interested or at least curious when one makes a big jump.

A nephew (40's) has already relocated here, our daughter (30's) bought a corner of our farm for after hubby retires from the service and a sister (60's) is looking.

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Today's Farm News
by Pops
Here is a cool place to sell your farm made stuff online, www.Etsy.com
An article about etsy.

Farm o'the Day:
Flat Creek Farm
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