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<blockquote data-quote="CowCop" data-source="post: 77703" data-attributes="member: 1049"><p>~~</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Good definition~! </p><p></p><p>Having livestock costs money, regardless of how many you have and how much acerage you own/lease/borrow. It's common for most farmers, in this area, to work at least a part time "off the farm" job to make ends meet. Driving school bus or delivering the early morning papers are some of the ones my old farmer friends do to pay their medical insurance etc. The younger farmers try to keep diversifying their operations--such as starting a firewood business, tapping sugar trees for maple sap, raising chickens for an egg route--anything to help cover the growing expenses of their farms--regardless of size.</p><p></p><p>I have also seen lots of well landscaped farms that were bought with family wealth and they didn't have any urgency to make a profit or have to work any other jobs to survive. So defining a hobby farmer as someone who farms WITH money instead of FOR money seems very accurate.</p><p></p><p>However, labeling someone a "hobby " farmer just because they have a few cows, is similar to calling someone a hobby parent, just because they have only 1 or 2 kids.</p><p></p><p>Having livestock is a lifestyle choice for most of us, and we pay dearly for it in many ways, and without complaint.</p><p></p><p>Glad to see the board returning to normal conversations.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="CowCop, post: 77703, member: 1049"] ~~ Good definition~! Having livestock costs money, regardless of how many you have and how much acerage you own/lease/borrow. It's common for most farmers, in this area, to work at least a part time "off the farm" job to make ends meet. Driving school bus or delivering the early morning papers are some of the ones my old farmer friends do to pay their medical insurance etc. The younger farmers try to keep diversifying their operations--such as starting a firewood business, tapping sugar trees for maple sap, raising chickens for an egg route--anything to help cover the growing expenses of their farms--regardless of size. I have also seen lots of well landscaped farms that were bought with family wealth and they didn't have any urgency to make a profit or have to work any other jobs to survive. So defining a hobby farmer as someone who farms WITH money instead of FOR money seems very accurate. However, labeling someone a "hobby " farmer just because they have a few cows, is similar to calling someone a hobby parent, just because they have only 1 or 2 kids. Having livestock is a lifestyle choice for most of us, and we pay dearly for it in many ways, and without complaint. Glad to see the board returning to normal conversations. [/QUOTE]
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