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Oklahoma | +1 Use to be that the spouse stayed at home, gardened, helped with some farming, cooked, and raised a family, no need for big vacations or new wheels. Now the spouse has a job to supplement income, they have to deal with the "henhouse" as I call it (coworkers/friends) as well, thus may want the vacations/vehicles, etc that you are willing to do without. Spouse has to be on board with farming as well or your fighting trends in society. As prices go up, I often wonder if these manufacterers (cars, tractors, etc) look at setting their price based on average household income as now there likely is two incomes regardless of one being a full time farmer. Don't know that any of that makes sense.
While it is all about choices, I only know two guys that have built a farm from scratch on their own, neither was married. Know several that took small operations and took them to full time in less than 10 years by really taking some risks and doubling down on things, and two of them commented that their spouse support made that feasible along with a little luck. I seem to know more however that have had to choose between family or farming. Lot of guys end up divorced or others that I believe have the work ethic and the desire but choose the family. It is all choices. | |
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John Phipps blog-starting in farming
