Hobby Farming

Hobby farming is one of those activities that varies from person to person and farm to farm. At the basic root of hobby farming, the definition is its name. Hobby farming is when you start to farm in your free time, dedicating time and effort towards agriculture simply because of your passion, not for the money.

Hobby farming is a small-scale farm that is more for pleasure than business. It doesn’t have to be a full-time venture. People who hobby farm can have day jobs and other focuses in their lives rather than dedicating all their time to the farming lifestyle.

Hobby farmers can range from having chickens to produce and sell eggs to growing vegetables for their meals and dinner preparation to selling crops to the local community. The idea of hobby farming is not only to follow a passion but also reap some of the benefits that it might produce.

To decide if you want to start hobby farming, it’s important to look at the pros and cons. There are many benefits to starting a hobby farm, like:

It’s healthful – Depending on what you’re farming, you and your family might have fresh and organic products available right from your property.

It can be therapeutic – Farming can be a stress reliever and a nice break from your daily life, especially if you have another job or aspect of your life that makes you stressed.

It’s practical – No matter what you’re choosing to do with your farm, you’re going to become self-sustaining in some way.

However, it’s not always going to be beneficial. There are a few downsides to deciding to hobby farm like:

Hobby farms aren’t going to provide money – Although you might be able to get some extra cash, there is no way for it to be sustainable on its own. Plus, the IRS doesn’t provide tax breaks for hobby farmers.

They require a lot of work – Again, depending on what you want to do with your farm, no matter what, you’re going to be dedicating time and money. These farms can quickly grow, and hobby farmers can find themselves in over their heads.

You will have more responsibility – Think about how much downtime you’re going to be giving up for this project, and how you might be taking care of animals and crops. Year-round farms require maintenance in every season.

Keep in mind is that it takes a while to adjust to being a farmer. Discovering what works best for you might take extra time. Be patient and start slowly. When it comes to hobby farming, it’s going to be what you make it.