I retired from corporate life rather early, to spend more time on our small farm dealing with the demands of raising chickens, dairy goats, honey bees, and produce – with the hope that we could also provide a small supply of natural food and products back into our local community. But, I grew up in an era when staying at home and “not working” had a bad stigma associated with it.
So, as I try to adjust to “staying home” on the farm, I find myself questioning the value of this new role. Women of my generation were supposed to grow up, get a career, be working mom’s, and retire in their 60’s to suburbia. The last place one should want to end up was on a farm or homestead – what would be the value of that?
I actually have plenty of things to “work” on, but perhaps feel a bit guilty. I no longer work at the frantic pace it seems that corporate life required, and have time to ponder questions like the value of being a homebody. And, I’ve been taking time for creative pursuits; like writing, drawing, and painting, things I haven’t done since graduating high school.
While considering the “value” question, it occurred to me that the views of society in the United States shifted drastically over the last several generations. And, maybe not in a positive way. My grandmother or great-grandmother wouldn’t have questioned their value on the homestead. You see, they produced or helped produce almost everything they needed and were quite self-sufficient.
There’s the story of how a rooster did a sneak attack on my great-grandmother, and how she didn’t tell anyone until after they finished the roasted chicken dinner that night (she killed and prepared him all by herself). The stories go on and on, but the constant theme is that they were “producers”, not consumers. They produced their eggs, dairy, meat, produce, sweetener, clothing, heat, water, light, and most everything else it took to live. No question about value there.
Today, we seem to be a society that values consuming rather than producing our own goods for living. Many commute to a job daily, place their kids in day care if they’re not in school, shuttle kids back and forth to extracurricular activities, eat out often, watch television, and play computer games. The idea that’s constantly enforced (via television, radio, internet, etc.) is to make lots of money at the day job, so it can be used to consume lots when not working.
As I think about that shift in our society over that last several generations, it makes me think that there is value in being a “homestead homebody”. We still consume lots of things that we don’t produce ourselves, but we generally know what we’re eating, how it was raised, how it was prepared, what we’re putting on our skin, and we try to help teach like-minded folks.
I came to the conclusion that what’s “valuable” about “not working” is helping to produce rather than just consume by: 1) raising, collecting, and selling natural eggs, 2) raising and selling Nigerian Dwarf goats, 3) milking Nigerian Dwarf goats (the milk is awesome, better than cow milk), 4) writing and selling homestead themed magazine articles and books, 4) making yogurt, cheese, or butter, 5) raising honey bees and selling honey, 6) teaching others how to raise dairy goats, chickens, or honey bees, 7) growing fruits and vegetables, 8) preserving fruits and vegetables, 9) preparing home cooked meals, 10) doing lawn care and landscaping, 11) cleaning livestock pens and stalls, 12) making natural skin-care products, 13) writing a blog, 14) packaging and marketing products, and 15) figuring out how to do all of the above (wish I’d been smart enough to ask the Grandma’s how way back when).
Whew, glad that’s out of my system and I can continue to happily “not work” knowing I’m adding value. I was even toying with getting some help this summer. What do you think about the push to consume versus produce in today’s society? Is it changing back to a producer oriented society or not?
When I was growing up my mom stayed home, and my father wen out and worked a “normal” job. She tended the chickens, garden, horse, and the house, all while doing book keeping on the side. Because of that I learned how to grow and preserve my own produce. When I lost my job a few years ago things got tight, but because I had a “stockpile” of preserves and the like, we never went a day without a fabulous meal even though I was unemployed for almost two years. I now work outside the home, as I need the income. However I would trade it all for a small farm where I could live completely self sustainable. I guess for now, I will just settle for my little backyard urban homestead.
Yeah, I can tell you are a real slacker by not ” working” lol People do not really realize what it entails to run a farm. So much work. It’s a lot of work just staying home, cleaning and cooking and raising kids. Add to that the ungodly amount of work that has to be done outside. Kudos to a job well done.
Hi Lesa,
I am currently working in corporate America and anxiously waiting to leave it all behind. My husband & I bought a farm and are in the process of selling our current home that we built and rebuilding the farm. I am looking forward to being home with my son and also raising/growing our own food and all things homestead. Currently we have 4 Angus cows and am super excited!
You mentioned women of your generation, well I’m 40 something, and the women whom I work with (younger and older than I am) still feel a career is more important than being home with their children or homesteading. I only have a few people at work whom I have shared my farm dreams with because most do not understand and honestly look at me like I’m crazy. Why would you want to leave corporate America to work on a farm??? Some also ask why go through the trouble when you can get it right at the grocery store. Again, they just don’t understand.
I read some of the comments below, and I wish we all lived next to one another so we could learn and help one another. I am so thankful that the internet has allowed us like minded folks to get together and inspire/help one another. Looking forward to reading more of your blogs…and I hope you will stop by the Lewis Family Farm.
Dear Lesa,
I was blessed with the opportunity to stay home and raise my sons back in the mid 70’s. I joked that I was a dinosaur that had been left behind from the previous generation. I had goats, and chickens and my husband and I had a big garden. I learned to can and freeze our food. I made cheese from my goats milk, along with ice cream, and yogurt, but never butchered anything (I’m a vegetarian). With all the information out there today about GMO’s and the contamination of our food, I think it’s even more important to take every opportunity to be self-sufficient. Keep encouraging your blog readers to do so.
It was a pleasure reading your comments today. I too did lots of the things you are doing, canning, growing my own produce, butcher my meat, and so on. I wish I lived next door to you, so I could learn to raise bees and make cheese. I love your goats, I think I would want one as a pet. So dang cute. I agree with you whole heartedly about being a consumer society and not a producing one. I am 73 years young and believe my eating habits when I was younger have kept me healthy. Chickens do not taste like they used to, ham does not taste like it used. Pork can be pink now and before we had to cook the daylights out of it. What changed. Chemicals most likely. Saddens me that we as a society put up with it. I do enjoy your blog and keep up the wonderful work. You are certainly a producer in the best way.
Thank you I needed that. I retired early and if been a struggle to feel productive. Your article has helped me see being Productive at home is being productive ” period” .
I think many people are looking to have some type of homestead, be it small or large, there is the desire. We are one of those families! Small farm, gardening…teaching our children and others where there food comes from and the health and cost benefits of such. What you do is very important and I say Thank you!
Lori
Lori, I think you’re right, there are many people looking to go back to something a little simpler and fulfilling. And so I will try to help and teach as many as I can, Thank You for saying it’s important!
I wish I was able to be home in our Pasture, doing more of what we live to do on the weekends! But we have to pay for said Pasture. 🙂 I wish I had my grandad still to teach me all his canning recipes and tricks and about raising animals. I didn’t start learning to do all this until long after he was gone. (But at least I’m doing it now!) It’s funny to me that people at work are just blown away when I talk about something we built or made over a weekend. Some look down their noses and say “why would you go to all that trouble when you can just buy it at the store?” Most people are just really impressed. They think we’re “amazing”. We think it’s sad that we don’t do more for ourselves like our grandparents and great grandparents, etc. “City” folks can’t imagine doing those kinds of things for yourself. Although they do all love gift occasions, because I give homemade/homegrown stuff, not purchased gifts. I don’t think our society will ever give up the level of consumerism we see now. I’m just glad I’m not totally a part of it and that I’ve found a community of like-minded folks that I can share with (and they get it) and learn from!
Cheryl, we had to pay for the farm too, but eventually I got to retire. I have hope for less consumerism, but maybe that’s because I’m finding a community of like-minded folks – like you said, that I can share with, learn from (and they get it!).
Great post! I too, struggle with this. I am about to turn 31, and after a variety of office jobs, found I am most happy being a homemaker and keeping my urban farm. I dig post holes, produce 90% of our food, cook almost every meal from scratch, butcher chickens, trade and barter, make all my cleaning products, etc. yet feel inferior to my friends who “are something”, like a graphic designer or a real estate agent.
Good for you Melissa! And I can tell you that I had a couple of impressive titles while in the corporate world, and they don’t a thing for me now, so don’t let those titles make you feel inferior 🙂
I love this post. I’m doing a few things on your list, and there are a few more that I want to work on accomplishing! I also did the “career” thing in my younger days and I know I’m a better functioning member of society now! Keep up the good work and keep entertaining me with your blog!
Thank you Debbie, and you hit the nail on the head with “I know I’m a better functioning member of society now!”