Well, I'm going to stick my two cents worth in here as one of the younger generation. I don't come from a farm family and I wasn't raised in the country, however I would like to farm.
Now for my take on things. I don't expect to get rich, I hope to get by, and if I'm lucky - comfortably. To my mind I need to fit my lifestyle to what I can earn - I reckon I'm better off saving a buck than earning one (even better, they don't tax you on it). In my mind my farm would have a (relatively) wide variety of produce both to aid in disease resistance and help secure against particular losses. It would feature both livestock and arable. I will use exclusively older (40's-70's) gear that I can repair. I also aim to offer mechanical services/restoration services during the quieter/winter month for some extra income.
How do I intend to do this? At the moment I'm doing an apprenticeship as a heavy duty mechanic. I see this as an insurance policy on which I can fall back if all else fails as well as a useful sideline. I take every opportunity to talk to farmers and learn what I can as well as working on my own projects. I've had a garden the last couple of years from which I've learned a lot and I'm now renting several acres which will take some work to clean up but should provide a useful area with which to experiment and practice. I hope that after this coming year I will try keeping livestock. Hopefully I will have saved enough that in ten years or so I'll be able to buy a place of my own and by that time I'll have learnt enough to make a serious go of it.
Why do I want to do this? Partly because I enjoy working for myself, partly because I really enjoy growing things, partly because I want to know where my food comes from and what's been done from it, partly because I want a different quality of life, and I love the variety.
I'm sure it'll be more difficult than I can imagine and more than once I'll want to pack it in, but all I can do is try.
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Today's Featured Article - Show Coverage: Journey to Ankeny - by Cindy Ladage. We left Illinois on the first day of July and headed north and west for Ankeny, Iowa. Minus two kids, we traveled light with only the youngest in tow. As long as a pool was at the end of our destination she was easy to please unlike the other two who have a multitude of requirements to travel with mom and dad. Amana Colonies served as a respite where we ate a family style lunch that sustained us with more food than could reasonably fit into our ample physiques. The show at Ankeny
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