The Dream of Running a Small Farm

Photo credit: Jim Lukash, CC BY 2.0.

Today in “what if Stardew Valley were real life,” we go to the Washington Post:

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.

The WaPo sounds a little too astonished at the idea of liberal arts students becoming farmers—which, let’s be honest, of course we would—but it’s interesting to learn that more and more Millennials are taking up farming and figuring out how to make it work economically.

Young farmers are also creating their own “food hubs,” allowing them to store, process and market food collectively, and supply grocery and restaurant chains at a price competitive with national suppliers.

The whole piece is worth a read, especially if you’ve ever dreamed of starting a small farm of your own. I’ve only gotten as far as the “window box vegetable garden” dream, but I get the appeal. As with freelancing, you can run your own business, grow your earnings—literally—and feel like you have more control over your life and career (even though your career is also controlled by the people who buy your goods and the overall uncertainties of the industry).

Are any Billfolders small farmers? Do you agree with the Washington Post’s assessment of why Millennials are turning to farming?

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