i quit my software job and bought 20 acres of undeveloped farmland. then i got a job on a framing crew so i could learn to build my own house. built a polebarn on the land so far. and getting ready to dig a foundation probably next year.
its been the most exciting fulfilling adventure of my life so far. just got first harvest last month.
I live on >100 acres and maintain a software job. Spend all day in front of a computer and all night in the dirt. Only thing we grow is a 1/2 acre garden. We stick to live stock. I much prefer watching pigs, chickens and cows grow. Feels so much more real.
right on. im actually trying to start a small boutique web development business as well. there arent many people doing that here. i moved from the bay area to idaho.
id like to write software in the winter and farm in the summer.
My friends and I always joke about quitting our software jobs to go work on a farm when things get rough. We're obviously just joking (things are never that bad).
But you actually did it and living the meme. Kudos!
Wait, you guys are joking? Over in my corner everyone is completely serious about it. My girlfriend wants to buy our first cow in the next two years. I work fully remote so all I need to do is find some land.
things may or may not get worse. but if they do get worse it will be too late to switch. lots of skills are needed to succeed, skills that you just dont get exposure to if you arent living the lifestyle. for example ive learned some blacksmithing and carpentry skills, and ive built and fixed cars throughout my life. always had a garden when i lived in the city etc. ive wanted to do this for the last 5 years or so.
I'm in a software job now, have some land, and I'm considering doing the same. Would you be willing to talk about your journey? I'd happily come help sometime too!
right now the payoff isnt very good. we got 4000$ for the harvest. but the overhead is small and once i get greehouses in i think i will do well. still have more market research to do, and see what grows best in the spring and fall. i have some special sauce planned to grow in the winter. i think it will be hard to not make good money if i can produce in the winter. but i dont know yet. i just bought it at the beginning of the year.
i think crop selection and distribution/marketing are going to be key areas for me to get right in order to have a good return.
Thank you for the comment and I wish you luck. Yeah, I remember organic carrots were hip among past engineers a few years ago. I’d imagine it’s pretty hard to figure out profit projections without lots of years of data. I think apprenticeship is the only way to get going, and you seemed to have done that.
Do you feel like you are “working” in a traditional sense? I myself think I will have some sustenance-level farming as a hobby but I don’t think I would commit to doing it as job; I’d probably do a bakery before then ;)
no it isnt like work at all. its very much like founding a startup (i did that and failed, because of poor personal life decisions). i have a vision and i am executing on it.
what i have going for me are the next to zero operating cost and the fact i am hardworking and i learn fast.
however this is not my only iron in the fire, i am starting a small web development consultancy and seeing if that takes. and im also framing houses right now. its all about acquiring the skills i need to make this work. even if that means im not making very much yet.
its an entire shift in lifestyle. different problems and challenges than you get in the city. throwing money at the problem isnt always the optimal solution here (for me), its much better to be able to do stuff yourself. then you dont have to make as much because you dont have to pay anyone to do anything for you. i can fix or build just about anything. eventually.
That's pretty awesome. What's going to be your first harvest? How industrial are you going with the farming or are you doing a greener eco way of farming (no till, no fertilizer, etc)?
its been the most exciting fulfilling adventure of my life so far. just got first harvest last month.