4 Things to Know About Living on a Farm

Farming is an essential activity that contributes in many ways to the world’s livelihood. Farms produce a host of different items that humans need to live healthy and secure lives. Farms provide us with a variety of food items, which now are in even higher demand. Due to the food shortages which Americans are experiencing, the need for farm production of foodstuffs is higher now more than ever.

In the United States, in 2019 alone, there were over 2,023,400 farms in the country. The average size for farms at this point was 444 acres. These farms are used to grow such common items as corn, fruit (apples, oranges, etc.), tree nuts, rice, soybean, oil crops, vegetables (lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.), and sugar. Farming can be an economically successful venture for new entrepreneurs, but it requires a lot of advanced research. It’s best even to find out what it takes to live on a farm. Here are a few things to follow for those people who would like to live on a farm.

1. Figure out what tools you’ll need.

When you live on a farm, you’ll want to figure out what tools of the trade you’ll need to complete your daily activities. This isn’t a situation where “once size fits all.” Living on a farm brings with it a variety of different tasks that you’ll come across. When this happens, you want to make sure that you have the correct tools on hand.

Let’s say you have blackbirds that are eating your corn seed. It would help if you had protection for the seed so that it can grow unscathed. In this case, it would do well to invest in crow repellent for corn seed. By selecting the right tool for the job, you can ensure you’ll have some peace of mind that you will grow a successful sweet corn crop.

There are numerous tools that you should have on hand when running a farm. You might think that the size and the type of farm will determine which tools you’ll need, but that’s not the case. Items like a pick-up truck, utility vehicle, a lawn tractor, spare blades, and post hole diggers are all required tools that you should have on hand when living on a farm.

2. Find the best insurance for your home.

Though your farm is a business, and you probably have separate insurance for it, you want to have your own insurance for your home. Home insurance provides coverage for the place where you live, and it helps to find the best home insurance company out there. Begin the process by doing a home insurance compare between home insurance companies you might come across.

Check to see what coverages are provided by the company. Do they provide personal property coverage, earthquake coverage, replacement costs on damaged items, or even additional living expenses if you are forced to live somewhere else temporarily in the case of a catastrophe? As mentioned before, the insurance policy you get for your home on-site with your farm won’t be the same as what you’d have for your farm.

Work with an insurance agent to find the best insurance policy for your home. Once you receive a home insurance quote, make sure you’re happy with the coverage provided. Then make sure that you are receiving all of the protection you want, and stay secure in the feeling that you are protected.

3. There’s no such thing as 9-5 on a farm.

When you work on a farm, you have to be prepared because you aren’t going to work a “normal” work schedule. Though it’s an “early to rise” type of job, it’s not one that has a defined end time. You often work until the work is done. In other cases, since you set your own schedule, you work until a designated time that you yourself set. The main thing, though, is if you want to make money, and there’s work that needs to be done, you have to do it.

If there are crops that need to be tilled, then you do that for as long as it takes. If your barn where your livestock resides has experienced water damage, you need to fix it, no matter if that repair time falls outside the regular 9-5 schedule. How about the seed treatment which needs to be sown for the new vegetable crops? As long as you have time to do it, then do it. Definitely pace yourself when it comes to completing any farm activities. You don’t want to wear yourself out. Remember, you don’t have the same limitations that most jobs have when it comes to working a 9-5 job.

4. Find those moments to relax.

Though life on a farm doesn’t have a set 9-5 schedule, and work needs to be done, you don’t want to overtax yourself. Set a schedule that can give you the freedom to the required work and enjoy your labor’s fruits. You want to be able to head to that dwelling you call home sweet home and enjoy time with your family. It’s a good idea to set aside family time to eat dinner regularly with your loved ones. For example, break out a tasty pitcher of lemonade, along with some BBQ as a reward for a long day worth of work.

Find an effective way to relax with your family members and friends. Have some peace of mind that the work you’re doing is providing some comfort for your loved ones. As with any profession, it’s not a good idea to get so lost in the work you miss out on enjoying life. Find a way to take a break from worrying about those crows who are eating your corn seed or worrying about ways to prepare for the next time disaster strikes in the form of a flood or tornado. If you don’t find ways to relax, your farm work will suffer as a result.