Joined: Apr 03, 2004 Posts: 6501 Location: My Grandkids' Farm
Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 12:38 pm Post subject: In Defense of the “Lone Farmer”
For those that haven’t read the Assessments and plans threads, I’m one of those that have recently moved to the “country”. Just to recap: though I’ve been worried about PO, population explosion, etc, for a while, my immediate reasons for leaving Ca were the looming economic “bubbles” - including the real estate bubble which actually enabled the move – it’s only the last few months or so that I began thinking the timing of the decision may have been very fortunate from the PO perspective.
There are lots of threads lately about the benefits of small communities as opposed to the “Lone Farmer” route. Most seem to lean to the “intentional” – handpicked-member variety of community. While from an idea-world outlook that does seem like a good idea, I wanted to point out some of the benefits of the “moving to an established, rural community of generalists” scenario, and ask for comments.
We had the “luxury” of a small amount of cash, no real limits geographically as long as we were within a day’s drive of Austin and Oklahoma City (kids) and the hope of making a small amount of money via the Internet. We chose SW MO for several reasons; first, my wife loves the old 2-story house; 2nd, the land is the best we could afford, 3rd; we are quite a way from large populations.
Now before you write me off as a Lone Wolf, gun-toting, survivalist nut; realize that there is a fairly intact small town 5 or 6 miles down the road, I don’t own a tin-foil hat or any “military” style weapons (at least none designed after WWI), nor do I wear camo underwear or wish to belong to a militia or much of any other group. I enjoy doing things myself and hope to be more independent by doing so, but I also understand the obvious need to belong to an extended community for the following reason.
The biggest benefit of becoming part of an established community is it’s local knowledge and experience. Let me explain; my wife and I try to behave as the tenderfeet we are, but with common sense, some knowledge of “country life” and practical skills we can trade (carpentry for example). As a result, we have benefited not only from the location-specific knowledge of folks that have lived here their entire lives, but within weeks have established relationships I doubt would have developed had we moved in with several other families, bought one big or several smaller farms and been seen by the local folks as “commune”ists.
I don’t pretend we are seen as “locals” – I’m sure we are the talk of the coffee shop, and will be for years. But, and this is a big “but”; we have developed fiscal as well as social ties quicker than I had imagined. For example, we made a deal with the neighbor down the road to sharecrop 7 or so of our acres in alfalfa. That is a 3-4 year commitment on his part! The benefit to me is huge; a cash crop with no investment in special equipment that pays dividends over several years, not only in dollars, but improved soil health as well. At the same time we are contributing to his income – win-win. But the biggest benefit is his 20 years of LOCAL experience.
Now if we were part of a planned community fortunate enough to have a graduate agronomist as a member, I wonder if that neighbor would have made the offer in the first place or the agronomist even accepted it? Or, if the agronomist had decided to plant alfalfa, and convinced the group to purchase the equipment, known where to find a good deal on that equip? Would they know the correct variety and time to plant for the locality and particular weather that year, the right nurse crop to use, how big an insect infestation is too big for this area, when is the correct time to cut locally, and most important of all; had a ready-made market for the crop?
I make no bones to my neighbor about the fact that I have never raised alfalfa while at the same time made clear that I understand it’s benefits. I told him as well, that I have every intention of gaining all the knowledge I could from him – he was flattered.
Many times it seems to me that it is very tempting to play “Risk” with the various scenarios bandied about in relation to “Where/How is best”. I suppose the fact I am not a “joiner” influences my perspective - just as it does anyone’s. But the bottom line to me is that it seems better to make myself a valued part of a group of generalists with knowledge, experience and contacts that span years and miles rather than to shoehorn myself into an isolated group of specialists with little, if any, local knlowedge.
Any thoughts?
(BTW, for those of you concerned about the marauding hordes, the particular fellow I mentioned above has a scoped rifle of unknown caliber and a 12ga something stored discreetly behind the seat of his pick-up. He also has 6 Angus steers grazing my back hayfield right now. He certainly has several acquaintances similarly outfitted and an obvious incentive to keep those t-bones on the hoof. So you see, I’m not a Lone Farmer and we’ve only been here 6 weeks.) _________________ Make a plan and work it:
Most people see farming as a very easy profession. It's like gardening on a larger scale, right?
My grandparents are farmers. I spend a few years at their farm (before it was consumed by a suburb). Although they never made it beyond primary school I've got a great respect for them. If you want a reliable weather forecast, turn off your telly and ask a local farmer.
They know, and they are right because they have to be. If they would be wrong while their hay is drying on the fields they would loose their winter supply. If they don't get their potatoes in before the rains they will rot.
Most families have been farming on the same patch of land for generations. They know everything there is to know about the local weather, the soil, their crops etc.
Moving to the country with a few city people is bound to turn into a disaster. No amount of theoretical knowledge can compensate for the lack of experience. Moreover when you move there with a large group of people the local people are less likely to help you.
I think you made a very wise decision to try to integrate into a local community and to tap into their experience.
Joined: Sep 25, 2004 Posts: 4534 Location: Boston, MA
Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 3:51 pm Post subject:
lol, I forgot about the local reaction to a group of crazy doomsday city-folk starting a commune in their town. If a group of crazy people bought a house next to me and started growing corn in the front yard, I might consider moving . I also forgot that farmers don't take to kindly to large groups of survivalist nuts starting a collective next door.
Joined: Oct 04, 2004 Posts: 5395 Location: Oklahoma
Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 3:55 pm Post subject:
Briefly stated, I agree that local knowledge and established communities are both of great value. My own idea is to move to an area similar to what Pops described and try to form ties with the locals. I have some ideas on specific ways to do this, but of course some things will evolve naturally depending on specifics at the time. I have considered the planned "commune" idea and I keep thinking it won't work out so well in a resource-scarce situation. It's hard enough to get a bunch of intellectual city people to agree on something when everything is abundant! Plus I like a bit more control over my home environment than that mode of living allows. Neighbors are great, but roommates aren't so great now that my college years are past.
Joined: May 15, 2004 Posts: 253 Location: Southeast USA
Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 6:08 pm Post subject:
Wow, that sounds like the place I live. I currently live on a few acres of land with only a few neighbors, and the nearest town is about 5-7 miles away. I think I've been rather fortunate to know people and have lived here for the past 4 years, especially if things get bad in the big city of Charleston(where I will hopefully go to college someday soon) and I have to move somewhere somewhat secluded. _________________ In the long run, men hit only what they aim at. Therefore, though they should fail immediately, they had better aim at something high.-Thoreau
Peak Oil
Joined: Aug 18, 2004 Posts: 694 Location: SF Bay Area, Calif
Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 12:58 am Post subject:
I liked reading about your experiences on the new farm, Pops. Are you thinking of collecting your thoughts into a book or online document? It might be helpful for people who are thinking of doing the same thing.
It sounds as if you have the common sense and the openness to other people that will make it easy to fit into the community.
Perhaps it helps that you're not in a group. I know that when one is traveling, it's much easier to meet other people while traveling alone or with a spouse, than while traveling in a group.
I was prejudiced against eco-villages, etc. until I spent two weeks at one in Oregon, while I was taking a permaculture course. There are some big pluses about eco-villages -- people to talk to, people with different skills, people who probably share some of your values. Of course, moving into an eco-village is much more affordable than buying your own place.
I saw that an eco-village could be especially good for single people. Can you imagine living alone, miles away from anybody else? And it is good when you become sick or old. I liked the sense of living in a community with a history. Right now, though, I don't think an eco-community is for me. But if I didn't have my wife, I might consider it. Just as with any other type of commitment, one has to do research and choose one that's a good fit.
I was interested that you established relationships in your area so quickly. My sense is that rural America has been hit hard by economic trends, and is much more open to sympathetic outsiders than in the past. I had dinner in one little Oregon town that was as depressed as any inner city ghetto -- liquor stores, boarded up buildings, cut-rate cigarettes. Then, on a bicycle trip through small towns in Southern Oregon (CycleOregon), I saw how valiantly the small towns are struggling to stay alive and how grateful they seemed to be for outsiders who could help them out.
Perhaps people moving to rural America, as you have done, is a win-win for you and the people in the places you move to.
Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 1:30 am Post subject: Great post!
Maybe it's a function of age, and capital.
If you've got home equity to play with, get out to the country solo as Pops has described. This is what the locals expect, and are comfortable with. Settle in, and reveal whatever "radical" side you have only gradually, and in appropriate context.
If you're young and only have a fraction of a down payment to offer, or just your own labor and skills, then a communal effort is needed to get some country land.
(You'll have enough to deal with to form the trusting relationships that will make it a more efficient venture, rather than wasteful, for all. However, time is your capital; and you can move on from your mistakes.)
Yes, the locals will be wary; but they'll understand why you're doing it this way, and there will be those who will welcome you in ways Pops has described. If you behave yourselves.
Been there; hell -- may have to do it again! Or just stop spending time on the Internet playground and get my fences fixed.
Either way: don't be an asshole. Watch out for all types of chauvinism. Six years out of the city, I'm now working on overcoming my rural chauvinism. It's all starting to even out...
Joined: Apr 03, 2004 Posts: 6501 Location: My Grandkids' Farm
Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 8:22 am Post subject:
Thanks for the replies.
Actually Bart, there is a journal feature on this board, but I haven’t wanted to make the commitment, I spend too much time here as it is, LOL.
I’m not arguing against a planned community BTW, simply pointing out some of the possibilities for those of a more independent nature.
Mr. Gresham, you are exactly right in that buying land outright – even in one of the cheapest areas of the country isn’t reachable by everyone. Then again, farming isn’t for everyone either. For those that can find work or can telecommute, there are livable houses in the small towns around the Midwest that can be had for 20k – 30k! Granted, work is scarce and not glamorous or high paying, but if you add up your current mortgage, insurance, car payment, blah, blah, you may find that you don’t need much. My overhead has gone from around $3.5k/month to about $1,200! Don’t expect to see a Starbucks on the corner, but there will be a coffee shop.
Neither am I trying to convince anyone to pack up and move to the sticks, each of us must make our own assessment and act accordingly. What I am trying to do is present alternatives for those that see staying in the suburbs, commuting to work and relying on The System to provide, as ultimately untenable and in fact, unappealing, even in the best case.
Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 11:16 pm Post subject: Farm Economics
Farm economics
Maybe farming isn't for me either, not sure. I've gotten my toes dirty before, but I was just the grunt labor to a few experienced tractor-drivin' buddies. Didn't have to think, plan, or worry about a thing!
(Like when you pinch the suckers off 4000 tomato plants all day, and dream about it all night!)
BUT now -- money does talk, and, if I stay in the US, I need its money.
I remember a Mother Earth News article, oh, about 20 yaers ago, describing a backyard garden of about a half acre, 10 vegetables, and the estimated sales value of the crop came to about $9 an hour.
Now, whether that was exactly accurate or not, at least somebody was willing to put a number on that activity, and most of us who were urban/suburbanized would not then have thought of going for that occupation. And in most cases, the price signals to us in other professions were greater than $9 per hour.
My take is that, with at least FIVE oil price inputs into the food that people now buy, local backyard farming is going to become more profitable than most other remaining jobs. (Though probably not creating enough new job spots to take care of most people losing theirs.) Wild guess? How about $25 an hour, while other jobs are dropping to $8, if not already below that?
Whether precisely accurate or not, that's my strategic direction on things now, and it could vary in either direction, couldn't it?
Then the three main questions will be:
(1) Do you have the LAND?
(2) Do you have the business sense to do all the various tasks required? (Picking the right crops? Finding a nearby market city.)
(3) Do you have the learning and staying power (which you would need in any new biz) to take this one on?
And yes, the alliances you form locally will pay off. My next door neighbor is a Midwest-grown farmboy with great skills (I don't have) at equipment of all kinds. Our kids are like sisters together; in summer, it's like one big family household.
Gradually overcoming my shyness in asking for his help, and as I write this, I realize that having one GREAT connection so close by has stunted me from reaching out throughout the town for other connections. If actual farming gets started, then I believe this will develop more rapidly.
I don't think you're off with this line of discussion. Appropriate-scale farming strikes my economic common sense as the number one survival strategy to move toward as oil zooms to da moon.
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. I also forgot that farmers don't take to kindly to large groups of survivalist nuts starting a collective next door.
It's all starting to even out...
