Re: Closing in on us

Posted by Paul (C-IL) on August 22, 2003 at 11:32:22 from (198.70.20.138):

In Reply to: Closing in on us posted by Bring back the country, o on August 21, 2003 at 14:00:03:

I was born in 1965. My father at that time was farming about 150 acres. In 1965 that was marginally enough to make a living. But my father never expanded the farm, instead taking a job in town when a new factory came in and offered
well-paying jobs.

By the time I graduated from high school in 1983, there was no way anyone could make a living on 150 acres. My father had gradually rented out more and more (eventually all) of the land to other larger farmers. We had a few cattle and sheep around for 4-H projects and such but only in small numbers. By the time all the kids left home, the farm land was sold to the person who had rented it for several years before.

I went away to college and earned a degree in agri-business economics (but I also took a lot of computer classes).

The reality was by the time I graduated from college (1988), it was painfully obvious that agriculture would not be a good way to earn a living. I started working in the IT field (first at a small grain elevator, then a food re-distributor, and now an electrical supplies distributor). I started out working in the agriculture field, but gradually moved away from that.

I now have a good job in the computer field in a city with pop. ~100,000. I am recently married (no kids) and we live in a nice 2 bedroom apartment. The apartment meets our needs. But I have become interested in things like owning and maintaing a classic GMC motorhome, possibly building a home-built airplane, and most recently and importantly restoring a Ford 640 tractor my father used. The restoration is largely for sentimental reasons, but it is simply something I want (not need) to do.

All of the above interests would require at the vey least a very large garage, and more likely a small/medium size shed to have a place to work on them. With the homeowners covenant's that exist in all the developments near where I work, a house in the suburbs is simply not going to work. None of them are going to let us put up a Morton building in the backyard.

Living in out-lying small town where I could have the type of building(s) I want, and still have city water & sewer service (growing up with a well & septic system has made me acutely aware of the advantages of city utilities) would be ideal, even if it meant 90 minute commute to/from work. But again with zoning restrictions that can be difficult even in a small town.

So that means the option that seems most reasonable is "a little place in the country" I really don't want to farm, but I would consider buying 40 acres or so, building a small house and shed, and cash renting most of the rest of it to a competent farmer. Cows bawling, dogs barking, and tractor driving are certainly things that do not bother me. Still reading this thread, I feel as though I am being victimized for even considering "a small place in the country" and that I should continue to live in the city in an apartment because that is after all a more effecient use of space than even a house in the suburbs, let alone a few acres outside of town.

Just my thoughts.

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