Small-Scale Farming Shouldn't Just Be A Hobby. So Why Is It So Hard To Make A Living?

[Elmira Telegram 285]

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Increasingly, small farm businesses are becoming less profitable, data suggests, and must be run more like hobby farms. Some small farms are even classified as hobby farms by default (10 acres or less in some areas), may lose agricultural tax or property benefits and not be legally considered a farm, despite producing food for their local communities. Per the 2021 Ag Census, data also showed that, from 2011 to 2021, small farmers were increasingly likely to operate as high-risk businesses.

Although long a reality of farming life, more and more small farms are turning into businesses that need side income to survive. Even midsize and large family farms operators tend to have a more lucrative off-farm job or a spouse with side income. While many family farms may say this is just part of the lifestyle, it represents the diminishing value we assign to farm labor and the difficult math of small-scale farming.

Nevertheless, full-time farm life is attractive and paints an idyllic picture. The rewards are great: a connection with nature, eating healthy, an appealing countryside lifestyle. But lurking in the background can be endless worry, stress and financial strife when the farm is the farmer’s sole income stream. Some farmers I’ve spoken to amass debt they couldn’t pay back to stay open. Major repairs were unaffordable. There was no personal time— each step off farm could trigger massive anxiety. Summer vacation? Impossible. Personal lives and relationships? In jeopardy, or nonexistent.

What’s clear though is that some farmers, even when not making ends meet, can’t stop. Growing food for your local community can be an itch that needs scratching. I can attest to this, and so can Jordan Scheibel, who started his small diverse vegetable business Middle Way Farm in central Iowa back in 2013. He, too, announced he was closing in 2023— but not forever.

 

Read more here.

[Chris 1,914]

A lot of the problem started back in the early 2000's when the focus was using corn for fuel instead of feeding animals. This drove the price up.

In the past couple years, even chicken feed aint chicken feed anymore. Last week I paid $20 for a 50# bag. Thirty years ago ( I know, I know ) that same bag was $8.00. 

If you're spending that kind of money on feed, and add to that anything else like vet bills, equipment, etc. and trying to make money, forget it. You'd have to sell a dozen eggs for at least $4.00 to break even, maybe. And who you going to get to buy them at that price when they're way cheaper in the stores or someone else who doesn't know or care they're losing money and selling them for $2.00?

Oh sure, everyone wanted to but from the guy down the road when eggs were scarce or super expensive. Where are they now? Back at the grocery store. 

Why would anyone want to try and make a living doing something like that? Especially if, as this article says, you'd have to have a side income as well. 

Grow or raise food for you and yours. You'll still lose money, but you won't go poor. 

[Hal 318]

10 minutes ago, Chris said:

Grow or raise food for you and yours. You'll still lose money, but you won't go poor. 

I used to enjoy having over 100 chickens here on the compound but with the feed prices … nope . Even raising freezer birds for that short time you have them isn’t cost effective any longer . 
Remember the days of feeding a family from under an acre ( micro farming ) hardly possible anymore . We are now even more dependent on corporate farms who for the most part in bed with one political faction or another …shame that !!