Those were the words I heard from someone the other day. As far as I know this person has never farmed a day in his life and his family really hasn’t been in farming either, other than living in agricultural areas. The interesting this is that they went on to say, “unless you have a lot of land and money to begin with.” If someone said this to me about other areas of work I would probably believe them and just move on. But, I think there is money in farming. Not from a get rich standpoint, but from an enough to be comfortable with standpoint, and I think there is enough enjoyment for a person with my personality to make farming worthwhile.
So, is it true that, “there is no money in farming?” Well, yes and no. There may be no money in conventional Iowa farming, but what if you are unconventional … what if you think differently … what if …
Edit: Bill reminded me, in the comments, of THIS POST from Homesteading Today about different money making opportunities on the farm. It is a great post full of ideas, facts/figures, and so much more. If this topic interests you then you need to read the posts. Thanks Bill!
Interesting topic. I’m not a farmer yet, although I am a gardener. When I’m able to move onto some land, I’ve speculated as to how I might use the farm to supplement or replace my current income.
Here’s an interesting forum thread on the topic:
http://homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=197350
Thanks for reading Bill! That is a great forum thread. I remember reading that one a while ago and writing down a bunch of ideas. I think there is money in farming, but in my neck of the woods “conventional farming” is the only “real” farming.
I guess maybe there isn’t “money” in farming, but I believe there is the possibility of a comfortable fulfilling life in farming, and that is what I’m going for!
Hi Ethan,
I couldn’t agree more. People assume farming = poverty. It doesn’t have to be that way, especially these days. There’s so much room for creative marketing and direct sales. Maybe that whole “there’s no money in farming” idea is a good thing, because it gives freethinkers an edge–they’ll be pioneers in profitable agriculture before everyone else catches on. I’m hoping to be in that freethinking minority…I can’t afford to farm unprofitably!
Best,
Krystle
http://www.SelfmadeFarmer.com