Welcome Farmanons,
Today we’ll talk about my day to day as a humble farmer. Keep in mind, I’m not an agricultural farmer or rancher. I’m a small farmer/homesteader.
What is a homestead?
Homestead is an old term used to describe a small farm house. It was popularized back in 1862 with the Federal Homestead Act. Which granted any US citizen approximately 160 acres of public land out west. They were required to live and work the land for at least five years.
Today, homesteading is becoming popular. People are growing tired of the hustle and bustle of the city. Today the the word homestead can best be described by doing more with less and following a simpler life. (Sounds Familiar!)
For me, my goal is to try to limit my reliance on big corporations, my intake of pesticides and other harsh chemicals, and promote small local community and businesses.
The life of a homesteader is not easy but can be very rewarding. The goal of every homesteader is to become self sufficient as much as possible. Generating income from your labor is the cherry on top so to speak.
There are thousands of possiblities for self suffieciency and side income on a small farm or homestead.
Typically most small farms and homesteads are centered around a few common characteristics and most of these can be sources of extra income.
Chickens - Chickens are an easy way to get fresh protien daily from eggs. They’re really a no-brainer for someone trying to start a homestead. You can read more about them here.
We have around 40 laying hens, and fetch a dozen or so eggs per day. We sell the extras to neighbors.
Garden - Gardens are a huge staple for most homesteads. Growing your own vegetables, herbs, and fruit is what homesteading is all about. You can read more about gardening here.
We have a 150’ x 150’ garden with about 30 various young fruit trees. We sale or give away any excess to neighbors and can or freeze as much as possible.
Goats/Sheep - Goats can provide a source of dairy and meat with little need for supplemental nutrition. There are many benefitial characteristics for both sheep and goats that make them a smart addition to any homestead. You can read more about them here.
We have two dairy goats that gypsy milks twice daily about 6 months out of the year. This brings about a gallon of milk per day, we make cheese out of excess or sale/give away to friends and family.
Cows - Cows are a great source of meat and dairy. Their size and nutritional needs can make them hard to manage on a small farm. However a single dairy cow is not uncommon for many small homesteads across the globe. You can read more about them here.
I keep 1 steer in a pasture to butcher for our own beef source.
Pigs - Pigs are another good source of meat. The do not require much space which makes them another good addition to most homesteads.
We do not have any experience with pigs.
Many other possibilities for food/income on a homestead.
So what does my day to day look like?
Well, to be honest, I’m a “fake farmer”😂. I have a day job, which is a blessing and a curse. Until I get my side businesses generating enough income, my day job will be required to cover the costs of a small family.
My weekdays are filled with 40 hours at a small plant near my house. The real work starts when I get home in the early afternoon.
As far as daily chores during the week, I have an animal whisperer gypsy who handles the day to day job of feeding/maintaining/treating all of our animals every morning.
Most of our animals are set up with automatic waterers and feeders, so it’s more of a routine check to make sure everyone is happy. You can read about setting up automatic waterers and feeders here.
Gypsy also takes care of the kids and does homeschooling which is a full time job in itself. She also handles all of the Farmer’s Market items. I help with all shipments.
Cleaning of shelters and animal areas, grass mowing around the yard, and laundry is handled by oldest daughter.
My job is to make sure all facilities are in working order. Watering stations, shelters, fences, tractor work, maintenance, etc. are handled by me. I also handle all of the procurement and business duties on the farm. The garden is managed by me, I usually prep and plant on weekends and water/maintain in the afternoons.
I like to make a list of all projects and keep it updated when they are complete. This week, I’m replacing a tire on my old cattle trailer, changing the oil in Gypsy’s car, and finishing up some work on an old camper.
Over the next couple of weeks I plan to build a shed for more storage. I’ll do this using some old telephone poles I got from a buddy of mine, (for free).
Beekeeping is usually a twice per month job. We’ll go and check on all of our hives every two weeks to make sure they are happy. When the honey flow starts, we take a day to rob and harvest the honey. We typically have 2-3 harvests per year.
Bottling takes a day and is stored in jars for sale later. You can read about honeybees here. I have a beekeeping book for sale here.
I handle the procurement of honeybee equipment and assembly. We have 8 hives and I’m in the process of building 8 more hives for the spring. We get about 150 gallons with 8 hives, hopefully, we’ll double that in the coming years.
On top of all this, there are various engagement requirements with friends, family, and kids. Our kids are active in sports which takes time away from the farm. We also like to go on trips as much as possible.
Workouts are at a gym usually in the afternoon when time permits, but I try to do 3 per week. A heavy afternoon of work on the farm will sometimes replace a workout at the gym.
Takeaways
At the end of the day, your small farm or homestead is not going to be “perfect”. You’re never “finished”. Its all about making small “wins”. Making a list and knocking it out when you can.
My list could have 100 items on it if I wanted, easily. I always joke that if I’m ever bored, all I have to do is go outside.
It’s funny, everything just seems to get worked out, one way or another. I just try not to get too stressed or worked up about it all.
If you’re thinking about getting some land and starting something like this, I highly recommend it. It’s a great life for you, and especially for your kids if you have them.
Ya’ll have a good week.
WAGMI
Farmer