Monday, April 2, 2012

a kind of farm life




Sometimes we like to dream of bigger things. Of having some land. There are a few cows, a big flock of chickens and some pigs in this daydream. Of course one of the cows is a milking cow, while some of the other animals would eventually provide us with food. There would be a huge vegie garden, a big greenhouse and a fruit orchard. In the midst of all this would be a rustic farmhouse with nothing too precious. For it would need to withstand muddy gumboots and lively children.






We talk about this often. There is the rising cost of food these days. Perhaps we could somehow supplement our income which would enable us to spend more time together. But most of all is the desire for more space, to attain a higher degree of self sufficiency and to get back to the way of living that our ancestors may have lived. I suspect that desire is something that is in each one of us (even if we have to dig deep to find it).
  
Don't get me wrong. We know we are very lucky to live where we are. To have enough land to plant a small orchard and have a sizeable vegie garden is a wonderful thing. It is a huge contrast from a small townhouse in the outer suburbs of Canberra. But it does have its limitations.

Of course time and money are a huge factor in why this only remains a dream for the time being. But we do like to dream about it. And talk about it. I like to read about it.






We're aware that it's not all sunshine. Small farms are hard work, and the lifestyle comes with it's fair share of heartbreak. There will be droughts. There may be insect plagues, failed plantings or floods. The list could go on and on.





Perhaps it will remain a dream. But it is something we would like to do someday. Whether that is next year or in twenty years. Only time will tell.




Do you have big dreams of (a kind of) farm life? Or do you live it already?

26 comments:

  1. Tania this has been something we have dreamed of for many years now...the funny thing is, we each have land back in NZ that would enable us to start living the dream but I don't know that it's on the cards to go back.

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  2. It is something that I too dream of doing one day, having that space and being more self reliant and out of the city. I think if we keep dreaming it will become a reality and I believe good things come to those who wait, it will come for you. For now we live on our 1/4 of an acre with a healthy amount of veggie gardens it's not the farm we want but it's a start. xx

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  3. Dream Ivey and keep dreaming, that is what makes a great life. I am living that dream, finally and I know you can do it too.
    xx

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  4. I live it - 200 acres near the coast of NSW - farming beef cattle. We have ducks, chooks, horses, dogs and cats and a goose who makes more noise than the dogs when visitors arrive! We also have half a dozen dairy cows that raise our beef for the freezer as well as supply milk. Ideally you need 2 dairy cows and have them in calf at opposing times of the year so you always have milk as they really need a minimum of 6 weeks complete rest from milking between feeding one calf and the next one being born. Nature plays a big part too in whether a cow goes in calf, particularly drought. We have many fruit trees but need more and more variety within them and I'm starting a vege garden again as everything went downhill during/after the long drought and I didn't have the heart or drive to restart it until now.
    Thanks for reminding me how good I have it :D.
    Cheers,
    Robyn

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  5. Absolutely do....often...many times a day and our dream is of Tasmania..off course! Isn't everyone moving to Tassie??? A great blog to read about an amazing off-grid family is Living Off - Grid at Mapple Valley Farm. This is infact their second farm but this time they are completely self sufficient....amazing story to read :)

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  6. You are always making me order books from the library! That's another one I'd like to read...

    We dream of starting a CSA, like The Dirty Life (by Kristin Kimball). With produce & eggs & honey & meat... and providing recipes, home preserves etc. Even the kids get in on our fantasy, with how we'll set up our selling shed! But yes, reality is it would be bloody hard work, pressure and more hard work. We know the life we live now is a blessing, so enjoy it while we can... and all the things we are learning in our backyard might one day help us start turning our dream into our life!

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  7. It always starts with a dream! We dream of owning a stone fruit / lavender farm stay / bed and breakfast out at Stanthorpe (QLD), but our jobs don't really allow for it right now. But it might be possible in 20 years or so!

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  8. Hmmm, not quite the day to ask...I'm sitting here trying to calm down having spent two hours getting an obstinate cow back in the paddock and off the road. Now, I'm doing the figures to see if we can the get the fencer in as I've been baulking at the cost. But most days, I love it!

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  9. the desire to stay near the coast, to live in suburbia, close to good schools for our children and have them near there friends, also to have higher education and employment opportunities local to us is a big factor in why we stay where we are. the thought of being totally self sufficient on a block of land out of town is a wonderful idea, but the reality is we will never have that. what we are working towards in suburbia which is very achievable is solar panels, rain water tanks, a bigger vegetable patch, more chickens for eggs and providing our own electricity. the bonus is peter can do this all himself so it will not cost us the earth. on the list is having an electric car to travel to and from work. this suburban lifestyle we have will be far cheaper all around and better for the environment. i also like the idea of teaching and showing our children how you can still live a simple and somewhat self sufficient life in suburbia. xo

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  10. Definitely dreaming :-) 5 acres, goats, cows, more chickens, more bees, lots of veggies. Someday it will happen for both of us :-)

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  11. We half live it- 9 acres. But as we're both botanists apart from our two dogs I think it will always be plants for us. So we extend our orchard each year, and are just about to put in the vegie garden. I'm doing a flower picking garden too. I don't know if we'd ever be productive enough for it to be profitable, but I can dream that eventually we could go at least part time to spend some more time there, as it's so hard to drag yourself away every work morning.

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  12. Would so love to make this very same daydream come to life in our world too! When, where...how? Hopefully the answers will come soon. Wishing you a wonderful week of daydreams :) x

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  13. It's a beautiful dream, but one that I have alone in my relationship. My husband is happy to cut the lawn, whipper snip and build me garden edges, if I want to do the rest! I'd be happy to have a lot more land and he'd be just as happy living in an apartment with a few pots on the balcony. :)

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  14. Yes, yes, yes. I'd love the works but would settle for apple trees and chickens. And perhaps a goat. And an alpaca. And some pigs...

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  15. Well the dreaming is the start! I hope you do do it one day. We have a 2 acre field that horses graze on, so we have the land. The amount of work is the scary part! x

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  16. Such a beautiful dream. . .

    I'm finding 1 acre more than enough to manage at the moment! (I think I recall you guys have the same?) For the time being we have no neighbours on the adjoining blocks so it actually feels like a whole lot more.

    rachel xo

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  17. We share a similar dream ~ it's a good dream!

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  18. I have had this deam my whole adult life and if I can offer any advice it would be, don't wait until your kids are grown and you're too old to cope with all the work this lifestyle involves. Don't get to 60 and say "what if?" If it really is your dream, passion and personal truth to live this way then, Just Do It!!
    Even though I am only in my early 50's and still fairly fit and healthy I feel I have left it too late. Our kids have flown the nest and our bodies are slowing down.
    Carpe Diem :)
    Michelle

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  19. Oh yes, for sure. For as long as I can remember it's been my dream to be as self-sufficient at home as I can be. I'd really love to work less, spend more time with my husband where our home can be as self-sufficient as we can. To be able to have chickens, enough veggies patches to feed us and room for fruit trees. I'd love the Adelaide Hills, but that is too cold for my husband, he's a ocean boy, so I'd be happy to settle for a good size block close to everything we need. I love to dream. It keeps me going.

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  20. Well said, yes it's my dream too...hausfrau on the land. It's not a bad thing either, it's wonderful - both the dream and the act of doing it.

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  21. My thoughts exactly Tania... Working towards our dream every day x

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  22. Yes! Its something i think about often. Living a simple life, getting back to basics.Oneday, maybe!

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  23. A beautiful dream! I most especially adore the bit about, "nothing too precious." Some days, I wish we had more land and a charming old farmhouse as you describe, but there's still so much that can be done on just 2 acres (or one, or even 1/4!) So we've firmly planted ourselves here, and declared that our dream can be realized in the here and now. :)
    -Jaime

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  24. We share this dream! But with your one acre you're a lot closer to it than us. Right now we rent a tiny place with a itzy, bitzy garden in a courtyard... But we know we'll get there one day. Keep dreaming :)

    Katie x

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  25. Dreams...where would we be without them!?!

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  26. Ah! We are actually embarking on the dream at the moment - but not the best of starts - our first three lovely runner ducks have turned out to be drakes... no lovely duck eggs then! Not to mention the billy goat who will be here soon, my other half fears we are turning into a retirement home for male farm creatures :)

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