Home, but not on the range.

There’s a limit to how close to farming one can get living in the city. Growyour own veggies? Yes, I do that. We’ve just about finished year two at the community gardens. It was a terrible growing year, so the plot didn’t produce anywhere near as much as I was hoping, but it was worth it nevertheless. My little bit of farmland.

There is an added complication of living in what is primarily grain – farm land. I’m more interested in the livestock aspect of things. In the end perhaps I’ll have to wait until I’ve retired, and moved. Which will happen when I win the lottery or – far more likely - when I’m too old to look after anything more than a lame lamb.

There are other things I’ve been looking into. For instance, I’ve been waiting to take a honey course. Beekeeping, actually, to be more accurate. The local college offered a course in 2004. They say they’ll do it again but in the meantime I guess I’ll just eat honey and read books like "Beekeeping for Dummies".

Also on the reading agenda these days is anything and everything regarding livestock share programs. Basically, this means you (who live in the city) get in touch with a farmer who has land but not enough capital to make full use of the land she/he has. You buy livestock, they look after said creatures, profits at sale are split. The actual procedure is far more complicated than that, of course, as there are a number of different types of arrangements. So I’ve been talking to everyone I know who is even vaguely related to farming*, going to government and private websites and reading books/articles on the subject. If you have anything you’d care to tell me by all means say something in the comments.

*I got some excellent help, some moderate discouragement and one “ah, just find some farmer to date. Much cheaper than lend lease”.