Hobby Farm

A “hobby farm” is a small holding (small by actual farm standards) that the owner is not using as the primary source of income (even though for many it does turn into a second full-time job).  It is a common enough thing among retirees (and others) of varied age, for many different reasons.  So there is fortunately plenty of “how-to” information available online for starting and early running of a hobby farm.

While we aren’t exactly looking at a “hobby” situation, it is close enough in scope.  We want room for a garden patch for all the things we want fresh in season: tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and so on.  Plus room for plenty of mulberries (which I hope will thrive in Csb as well as Dfb).  And space from neighbors.  And space for goats, rabbit hutch (or two), chickens (far enough from the house that the rooster doesn’t drive us crazy) and eventually a pig (not for butcher, but not exactly a housepet, either).

The wonderful thing is, the UCRB is already home to many properties owned by those who wanted much the same.  The more I learn about the area, the more it seems like “home” – even though the county tends to be quite Republican, it’s West Coast Republicanism rather than Central (which is only slightly less so than East).  There’s very little extremity of any kind in the area – the weather and culture both are quite temperate and moderate.

I decided the naming convention for the goats (because there will be goats).  Since they are best in small groups, a first batch of three would include Holly, Ivy and either another female (Laurel) or a male (Jack, of course.  Not Billy.  Though I will give the opportunity to people to guess wrong).

And I will learn to sculpt hedges from the thorn-type shrubs and grapevines.  Vines of all kinds on all the things.  It will be awesome.  Right now, our front walk’s rail is testament to the awesomeness of grapevine and shrubbery.

Tourism in the area is big (volcano state parks; fishing) and so is cottage-industry business (after all, some now-big names started that way in the state).