Ready To Sprout A Microfarm?

BACK TO BASICS | by SHERRY STRIPLING

“Contrasted with all these and other city existence characteristics are the permanence and productivity of land; the self-reliance of the man himself … ”

— From “Five Acres and Independence,” M.G. Kains, © 1935

WHEN WE ADDED TWO ACRES to our existing acre recently we officially became a “micro-farm.” With that, we expanded both pleasure and rain-or-shine commitment to our alpacas and garden, and became part of a national trend.

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Though mid-sized farms diminished, there was a gain of 53,503 new farms under 9 acres from 2002 to 2007, according to the 2007 U.S. Agriculture census. As Taylor Reid writes in “Trends in the Growth of Small Farms ­— And Hope for the Future,” former Ag secretary Earl Butz may have told farmers to “get big, or get out,” but the new trend is “be small, but be smart.”

If you are thinking about moving to a small farm or plowing a large suburban tract, don’t give a lot of thought to getting rich or even to spontaneous vacations. But do consider this:

• There is immense pleasure in being responsible for the care of animals and being a daily part of the outdoors — good weather and bad.
• The self-reliance for women comes in several flavors:
  • Yes, I can build that fence, tote that bale, soothe that worried cria (alpaca baby).
  • Yes, I do know what’s in the soil that nurtured those potatoes and I know it’s all natural because I shoveled it into the compost pile myself!
  • No, I don’t need to go to the store today to buy lettuce that traveled 1,500 miles.

Find out more at Beginning Farmers or the Tiny Farm Blog. And if you want to know more about the fun of our alpacas, please visit Barnstorm Farm.