They Said We Were Crazy. Maybe We Are.
You know how every good story starts with someone saying, "Hey, wouldn't it be cool if..."? Well, ours started with, "Hey, wouldn't it be cool if we quit our jobs and started a farm?" You know, just a totally reasonable idea. The kind of idea that makes your parents clutch their pearls and some of your friends do a spit-take with their coffee. (To be fair, our other friends asked when they can come join us.)
What could go wrong?
I had a good, stable job—one that came with health insurance and even occasional free bagels. My partner had a small yet growing 3D printing business, one where she could make her own hours and go at her own pace. Yet, there we both were, trading our spreadsheets and meetings for pitchforks and a very questionable understanding of how to raise rabbits for wool. And not just any wool, but the kind you could theoretically spin into the coziest sweaters this side of Pinterest. What could go wrong?
(Spoiler: a lot. A lot could go wrong.)
Our family and friends, bless their hearts, tried to be supportive. They really did. But behind those encouraging words were the unmistakable looks of sheer panic—the kind you get when you tell someone you’re about to jump out of a plane for fun. They asked us questions like, "Are you sure about this?" or "Do you even like waking up early?" and "Didn’t you kill a cactus once?" (Okay, fair point, Aunt Paula, but that cactus was dramatic and my apartment got no sunlight.)
The truth is, we weren’t entirely sure. We didn't know if we could handle all the challenges that come with farming. We didn't know if we'd even be good at it. And as it turns out, farming isn’t all soft sunsets and picturesque barns like the Instagram feeds we’d been scrolling through. It's a lot more “chasing chickens through a neighbor's field in your pajamas" and "finding hay in places hay has no business being."
But something funny happened along the way—somewhere between the chaos of misbehaving chickens, burning our first batch of handmade candles (not intentionally, mind you), and convincing our rabbits that, no, they should not chew on literally everything. We started to love it. We started to find joy in the small, unexpected victories—like the first time our tea blend came out just right, or when we discovered that our rabbit wool actually makes for a pretty darn soft scarf. Or when we managed to grow something in our garden that wasn’t just weeds (take that, skeptical cousin Matthew!).
So yeah, they said we were crazy. And maybe we are a little bit. But there's something amazing about following that wild, ridiculous dream—the kind that makes you laugh out loud when you think about how far you've come. Plus, it turns out fresh eggs and homemade herbal teas make great peace offerings when your friends and family visit and realize you’re not living in a state of complete farm-related chaos (just partial chaos).
And if you’re reading this, maybe you’re considering doing something a little wild yourself. Maybe you want to take a leap into the unknown. Our advice? Do it. But, you know, maybe start with something slightly less intimidating than goats. Goats are escape artists.
Here are 6 tips from two crazy farmers still figuring it out:
Start Small: Trust us, it's better to master one thing before expanding. Begin with a small garden or a few chickens. Scaling up slowly is much less overwhelming than diving in headfirst with goats, rabbits, and crops all at once. Each of these will take time to learn, and nobody needs a larger compost pile that is actually a greenhouse graveyard...
Do your research: If you're going to be full on crazy like us, you better have a business plan. (Maybe don't quit your job until you are sure you have a way to afford health insurance..). Look at all the things you love and want to do, and then make sure you can find customers for those things. Sure, hand-carving custom wooden fence posts can be great fun to learn, but it's pretty tough to sell $200 hand carved fence posts to regular folks in farmers markets.
Be Ready to Fail (A Lot): Things will go wrong. Animals will escape, plants will die, and DIY projects might end in spectacular disaster. Embrace the failures and learn from them. Farming is all about experimenting.
Ask for Help: Don’t be afraid to ask your neighbors, watch YouTube tutorials, or join online farming groups. The community is incredibly supportive, and there's always someone who knows how to fix that weird problem you've encountered. Take a step outside your comfort zone (go to a farm swap or another farm-like meetup, and admit you are the new kids in the block! This is how we fell into community.
Take Breaks: Burnout is real, especially when you're on the land 24/7. Remember to take time for yourself, even if it's just a cup of tea in the shade or a quick walk around the property without a to-do list. Make time for date night to stay connected with your partner. Take the dogs for a walk. It's not all about weeding and feeding chickens.
Celebrate the Little Wins: The first egg, the first sprout, the first candle that doesn’t explode—all of these small victories are what keep you going. Celebrate them, because they mean you're making progress, no matter how small.