How do people afford this?

[lcwmt]

Does anyone else think that "homesteading" and making small businesses out of farming has become main stream and may explode too much to the point of becoming unpopular again? What if I was to invest in something like that and then the public lose interest?

From where I sit in time and space, small business farms are not mainstream, wish they were!
I think that the awareness of the real cost of our commercial food is very new to a lot of people. The ecological costs of big ag are skyrocketing.

We know what battery hens go through, similar atrocities happen to commercially produced hogs, once beef leaves the grass to corn fatten in feed lots, it's pretty horrid.

You say you'd like to be a chicken farmer. You can do that! Start small, where you are right now, with a plan. Make your choices with integrity, educate your future customers about what they are getting...(remember that natural food stores and CSAs will gladly buy the eggs too!)
You'll do well if you love getting up in the morning and know you are making the world a better place.
As for people looking down on you - the folks you are describing are probably dependent on government ag subsidies. Not a good place to be IMO. We all go through places in life where we'd love the approval of others. Sometimes we have to pink slip that voice in our heads.

 

[HeidiEmbrey]

Is there some sort of financial secret I am not seeing that lets people stay at home and play with their animals all day and still afford huge houses and cars? Do I need to win the lottery? I am all the time seeing people with the best of everything but plenty of time to spend with their animals. (Of course there is a bit of sarcasm in this, but any hints would be appreciated)

I have no idea. The few people I do know like that are from inherited wealth, like they inherited their home and some money, or wealthy from investing in the stock market and way better at being short sighted and selfish than me.. I don't have a car. Our mortgage on our little house is $400 a month and our utilitites as low as I can get them..I stay home but make money from home selling plants and other little things like that. My husband works outside the home for $12 an hour. We aren't those people you mean but I wonder the same thing..Where does this kind of money come from? Like these people with yachts all the time going by on the river, how did they afford that boat? I wonder too

 

[lazy gardener]

Does anyone else think that "homesteading" and making small businesses out of farming has become main stream and may explode too much to the point of becoming unpopular again? What if I was to invest in something like that and then the public lose interest?

I'm kind of sitting in a difficult situation now. Last year at this time, I couldn't keep my egg customers supplied. People were begging for eggs, I had no difficulty selling extra birds. So, I expanded my flock. Here I sit with a flock that maxes out my coop space, several birds that I still want to sell, and 17 dozen eggs in my fridge!

But, this is a bump that I will get through. I have my flock for my own use, and if I have to eat some birds, I will.

 

[JudysMuscovy]

My secret: Give to God first. He will take care of the rest. We lived on one income and banked the rest when we got married. Had one car, one or the other of us walked to work. Bought land, built our own modest house. I stayed home till kids were weaned, then only worked part time. There were years at a time when I'd sit down and write all of our expenses on one side of a sheet of paper, and our income on the other side. We lived frugally, no extra money for hobbies or extras. Every single month, the expense side was greater than the income side. Every single month, we gave to God first. Every single month, all bills were paid when due. Now, if we were without medical insurance, just my hubby's medications alone would equal more than his income. He drives 100 miles/day to work. We live close to the bottom of the median income level for our state. I work per diem, and often do not have any work hours for 3 weeks at a time, then only 3 - 4 hours at a time. Hubby only works 4 days/week in the winter. Bills still get paid, we are mortgage free, no car payments. Have enough money in savings to cover short term loss of income. Hubby is 3 years from retirement, and I am cautiously optimistic that our retirement investments will see us through, as long as the economy does not tank. Still, God comes first. I write a check to give to HIS kingdom at the first of every month. He has seen us through incredible hardships.

I suggest that you look into Financial Peace University. This program has helped thousands of people achieve debt free living.

I outline our situation above, cautiously. Always risky to post such personal details on a public forum. But, I do so, to give praise where it is due. It is possible to live within your means. It's not necessary to have a fancy house, new cars. We have become a society who want it all and want it now. Many people do not know how to "defer gratification".

Amen!

 

[JudysMuscovy]

So glad y'all are liking the thread, I thought I would be called a whiny millennial.

They are all correct with living frugal you don't need stuff

 

[aart]

It seems as though most of y'all commenting started out later in life being self-sufficient had a spouse to help them out. Is it realistic for a young single person to do this?

Many folks who 'stay at home all day playing with our animals' have worked for 20-30-40 years and are now retired. Doesn't mean we are self-sufficient....just means we are not working a full time job anymore and can play with the animals all day. And hard to get the whole picture of person life from reading online, you are only hearing part of it so beware thinking 'they have it made'.

So glad y'all are liking the thread, I thought I would be called a whiny millennial.

Nah, but I do think you are young and have much to learn in what you see and how you look at things. You need to do your 10k hours(outliers reference)or rather your 20-30-40 years for the experience and frame of references it will give you, depending on what you pay attention too and what you value. It will amaze you how your perceptions change as you gain years of experience. You've got a good start asking these questions. Hopefully you don't think I am just a ...haha!

In high school my class read a book called the Outliers. It was about successful people and how they accomplished what they did. In every case, the person had some way along the line either a person or opportunity that set them apart from the rest. One was a successful baseball player. He started kindergarten a year later, making him bigger and stronger than other kids trying out for the team. All those years of being favored lead to him becoming successful. I think a lot has to do with who you know and where you came from.

That's a great book, and the older/bigger/stronger team member thing was fascinating. Yes, indeed, circumstance can give a leg up. But the 10k hours is what really stuck with me. It still takes hours and years of effort to get really good at something.

Does anyone else think that "homesteading" and making small businesses out of farming has become main stream and may explode too much to the point of becoming unpopular again? What if I was to invest in something like that and then the public lose interest?

It's a big fad right now. That and other words are thrown around often with nothing substantial behind them..a bit of a marketing tool and well as a utopian vehicle of hope during dark times as we reflect on the consequences of our industrial nation. Folks think going back to the 'simple way of life' will save their and the world. Happened 40 years ago too when I was 20...didn't quite pan out, don't think it will now either but that's not to say making your life simpler is not worth striving for. A lot of the 'mainstream' 'homesteaders' are selling their lifestyle to pay the bills...hits on blogs-videos(pays advertising money), giving workshops, etc. Farming as a business is no easy task and rarely the only income generator, hasn't been for years and years. Gotta read between the lines and beyond the glam 'headline' facade. Balance your Romance with Reality and learn to be happy with what you have instead of waiting to get what you think will make you happy.

 

[DIGGIN CHICKEN]

Does anyone else think that "homesteading" and making small businesses out of farming has become main stream and may explode too much to the point of becoming unpopular again? What if I was to invest in something like that and then the public lose interest?

you kidding right ???!!! do you think people may not want to eat food in the future ??? I think that farming is the most important profession there is ... consider countries like Ethiopia ... you recon those starving kids are looking forward to dad bring home a new top of the line BMW or chicken for dinner ???

Its only city dwellers that believe that food magically appears on the super market shelves ...so if you predicting that eating food is going out of fashion soon ... id say don't bother investing ... 7 billion people on this planet ... that's at least 7 billion chickens needed a week ..... 7 billion steaks ... 7 billion carrots ...7 billion green beans ...7 billion onions ...7 billion potatoes ... getting the picture ???

 

[moomoodiddy]

you kidding right ???!!! do you think people may not want to eat food in the future ??? I think that farming is the most important profession there is ... consider countries like Ethiopia ... you recon those starving kids are looking forward to dad bring home a new top of the line BMW or chicken for dinner ???

Its only city dwellers that believe that food magically appears on the super market shelves ...so if you predicting that eating food is going out of fashion soon ... id say don't bother investing ... 7 billion people on this planet ... that's at least 7 billion chickens needed a week ..... 7 billion steaks ... 7 billion carrots ...7 billion green beans ...7 billion onions ...7 billion potatoes ... getting the picture ???

No I was talking about how now people are interested in getting their products from small farming businesses, but it may go out of style and go back to getting crappy meat and produce from Walmart.

 

[aart]

No I was talking about how now people are interested in getting their products from small farming businesses, but it may go out of style and go back to getting crappy meat and produce from Walmart.

Those who are 'interested' and those who actually do can be a big gap.
People vote with their wallets.
Many folks talk the talk, but don't put out when it comes to paying the higher prices.
Some folks genuinely cannot afford to pay those higher prices, this is nothing new.
Whether or not small farms can sustain their business remains to be seen.
Some will, many will not.

 

[igorsMistress]

Those who are 'interested' and those who actually do can be a big gap.
People vote with their wallets.
Many folks talk the talk, but don't put out when it comes to paying the higher prices.
Some folks genuinely cannot afford to pay those higher prices, this is nothing new.
Whether or not small farms can sustain their business remains to be seen.
Some will, many will not.

So true! I couldn't afford to buy organic eggs or free range chicken. That's why I have chickens. Is it cheaper in the long run? Eggs are for sure, but haven't done the math on meat yet.