Why do farmers farm ?

[David48]

"Why do farmers farm?"

"Love. They must do it for love."

“Why do farmers farm, given their economic adversities on top of the many frustrations and difficulties normal to farming? And always the answer is: "Love. They must do it for love."

Farmers farm for the love of farming.

They love to watch and nurture the growth of plants.

They love to live in the presence of animals.

They love to work outdoors.

They love the weather, maybe even when it is making them miserable.

They love to live where they work and to work where they live.

If the scale of their farming is small enough, they like to work in the company of their children and with the help of their children.

They love the measure of independence that farm life can still provide. I have an idea that a lot of farmers have gone to a lot of trouble merely to be self-employed to live at least a part of their lives without a boss.”

on farming and food

Just for when you kick back in the afternoon and have cracked that first beer ... something to think about.

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[tingtong]

be a little realistic...

most farm 'cos they dont know anything else to do, lack of other opportunities.

In Thailand if those farming "jobs" taken away, unemployment would be huge.

In Thailand a 35+ yrs old often considered old, and out of the bracket they hire from. Over 40, without "special skills " and a good sure job, many has no option but return to their village on their little if any inherited land from parents to take care of that.

farmers farm for the same thing, here as elsewhere, making ends meet, putting food on the table.

love? maybe sometimes.

if any indication, most of the young wont want to be farmers, and most parents wont want to have their kids as farmers.

all said, we have a small farm, needs 7 days a week work, and my wife doesnt make the minimum salary limit for the effort...but yes, in general not bleeding cash much, neither, better than many can say.

[IsaanAussie]

I agree with TT and his summation on this I'm afraid Dave. Your poetic essay is not realistic here of a Thai farmer's life. There are many of us drawn to these altruistic ideas of farming and given funds to support it, a good lifestyle can be generated. Try to make it a successful business is a 24/7 hard slog. Why do we do it? God knows!

[farmerjo]

To wake up in the morning,no dogs barking,no chooks crowing and no neighbours howling.

Certainly not to make a retirement package,but its nice to hop on the tractor and get some diesel fumes and the smell of freshly turned dirt.

With a couple of coldys at the end of the day to get the dust out of the throat.

[Phronesis]

To get to the other side.

Oh..sorry...that is chickens...

[RedBullHorn]

Love !?!!

I'm in purely for the money. Cross my heart~

Yes I've passion for the work I put in during the hands-on years, after the expansion, i leave the manual labour to the 2 farmhands and i delegate... because the efforts i put in during those hands-on years thus delivered excellent ROI, i respected my own efforts and the "passion to make it work". The only love is achievement and result and the profits to continue providing the kind of lifestyle me and my family are having.

Edited October 9, 2013 by RedBullHorn

[Maybole]

Hunger?

[Traxster]

"why do farmers ,farm ? "

Waal...it seemed like a good idea at the time

and anyway me Dad did it and his Dad before him so.....

[cdmtdm]

the challenge !!

[David48]

I stayed away from posting on the topic, because I really wanted to know the motivation.

Because that urge to Farm must be strong (the force be strong and all that) because it's sometimes, nearly always, it's such damm hard work.

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[soidog2]

Definitely the challenge; love of the outdoors; drive to self-sufficiency.

Few other places will allow simple innovations to let you get ahead; mostly common sense, big shortage around here.

[slapout]

The old die hard farmer may do a little work outside farming to supplement his income but is not real happy until he is back on the farm. He is independent, inovative, can work around inconsistencies (weather, seed quality, soil composition, etc) and really does not like to be told what/how to do something, until he asks. He likes to visit with those of differing views, but may chose to ignore them or try their idea, depending on how satisfied he is with his own efforts.

Many farmer could not nor would not even consider working in a factory atmosphere, etc for a paycheck that would surpass, their farm iprofit. They will work.and experment for weeks to go the biggest, best quality product of their chosing then give it to someone who admires it and may even have a need for it. The neighbor farmers may refer to him as prone to expressing a opinion on most things, being kind of grouchy, but being a "good old boy" whose not afraid of getting dirty.

Some farmers may even admit to being a little crazy if asked the OP's question while they are grinning like the cat who got in the cream can.

[NBD]

Not sure why they do it really. I like the idea of ceasing industrialised farming and allowing reforestation with small holidings and lots more hunting.

But that's just me