A Growing Number of Young Americans are Leaving Desk Jobs to Farm

The Washington Post ^ | November 23, 2017 | Caitlin Dewey

[Cecily]

Liz Whitehurst dabbled in several careers before she ended up here, crating fistfuls of fresh-cut arugula in the early-November chill.

The hours were better at her nonprofit jobs. So were the benefits. But two years ago, the 32-year-old Whitehurst — who graduated from a liberal arts college and grew up in the Chicago suburbs — abandoned Washington for this three-acre farm in Upper Marlboro, Md.

She joined a growing movement of highly educated, ex-urban, first-time farmers who are capitalizing on booming consumer demand for local and sustainable foods and who, experts say, could have a broad impact on the food system.

[SJackson]

when a culture returns to farming...independence follows.

Was tempted to employ sarcasm, where did you get that quote. But why bother, I presume it's yours. In this century, I'd go with entrepreneurism. Which farming is. Working each day knowing what you accomplish impacts your future. Versus dependence on the collective.

[EBH]

Thank you for considering it in context.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Thanks for the Ping. This stuff is right up my alley. Gotta go do chores, now...but I’ll be back. ;)

[Georgia Girl 2]

Here 3 acres is $30,000 max.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

This quote (in cross-stitch, not with his grumpy face) hangs in my kitchen.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

In Wisconsin you can get three acres for about $10,500. And it’s tillable, rich, dark soil - not that sandy, peanut-growing sh#t you have to put up with, LOL!

(Just razzin’ ya...) ;)

I live in SW Wisconsin, but once you get to the middle of our state, where the Glaciers ground everything to a PULP, you have great, sandy soil for growing taters and carrots and onions. Wisconsin alternates with Idaho for First Place in potato production each year!

My soil down in the SW (we’re two counties away from The Mighty Mississippi) is more clay, and we have to amend it with as much cow manure as we can. I still don’t have good luck with root crops, and since they’re so cheap to buy here, that’s what I do. I DO grow potatoes for the fun of it and we usually get plenty for just the two of us.

[Georgia Girl 2]

HA! We are moving to Wisconsin. N GA property is very expensive. Everybody and their brother wants to move there. The red clay is great for growing crops. It’s a pain to try to till up though. That’s why a lot of people do raised beds including me. I get an incredible yield of potatoes out of 5 gallon buckets.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

When my boys were little we’d grow potatoes in stacks of old tires. (’Farmer Grandpa’ always had old tires!) One tire, fill with dirt and 6 potatoes - let it grow, add another tire and more dirt, throw in a few more potatoes, and let it grow.

We’d get 6-8 tires stacked up, and when they were ready to harvest, we’d push the stack over and have at it. Nice, clean potatoes...though you probably don’t want the stack-o-tires right on your front lawn, LOL!

(We kept ours behind the barn in a sunny spot, near the compost pile.)

[Georgia Girl 2]

Yeh I think the stack of tires is a great idea if you are out in the country. When we move permanently I want to try it. Right now I usually do five 5 gallon buckets with baby reds and some Yukon gold. Here you canto a spring and a fall crop. So far this year we have not even had a hard freeze. 2 of our chickens molted again about 6 weeks ago. Crazy weather this year.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

It’s warmer than usual by us, too! It’s been in the high 40’s and low-to-mid 50’s all week - with no end in sight! I’ll take it! It makes the Winter shorter, but I DO like snow for Christmas. :)