DMH, you know what you're talkin' about. Farmers don't get the respect they deserve here in Australia either. Many have sold, many have died trying to maintain their earnings and sadly many have committed suicide in recent times due to depression and financial pressures. I think farming was once a hard but rewarding life, today it's just hard with little reward. Hard nosed bankers and Supermarkets have squashed out the profits and Fracking for gas is becoming the way of certain death for lots of farmers left on old family farms. Indonesians and Chinese buyers are moving in on big holdings ( the million acre plus ) and will no doubt become our gardeners, graziers and farmers in the future. Too bad. Hope your new career is as satisfying for you as your dads was for him, in his day. 'Koala in my garden', pic below. He wasn't the only one grunting !

I'm fortunate to live on a 365-acre farm in Tennessee, where I rent a cottage that was built by the original farm-owners in the 1930s. The only drawback of the tiny house, which is built of concrete block (with no insulation or central heat), is that it is truly cold in the winter. Of course, the addition of small heaters makes it more bearable -- and Tennessee winters are mercifully short! For this small sacrifice, I get rolling pastures, galloping horses, wabi-sabi barns and a breathtaking view at every turn!

my boss maintains a small farm, very small now because govt squeezing him w/regulations but fracking / royalties has allowed him to keep his farm as it pays his taxes.

I'm lucky enough to live in Bucks County, PA where we still have many local farms still in business as well as many historic farms from the 1700's and earlier.
At least 2 of them were involved during the revolutionary war and it's known that George Washington had stayed or held a meeting there.

Here are a few.
http://www.houzz.com/projects/342748/Farms-and-Barns-of-Bucks-County--PA

I live on a 60 acre property that has a barn and a chicken coop that we have turned into a wood shed. Although we have 2 horses we do not farm though. We let a local farmer use our property for hay and another digs small cedar trees for sale. We do not make a living by farming. Maybe ironically but since we have a perfect, idyllic setting, country style seems unnecessary. The house style is, I think, classic and I love modern, clean lines even when staying within the original framework. We were all born and raised in the city but love this country lifestyle and wouldn't give it up. Here is our house, horses, dog and barn and woodshed.

We live in Queensland AU. We have two cows and many wild animals on our 10 acres. Here are the cows and a Koala picture.

I don't but wish I did. I'm an Aussie, too! Our farmers do work their botties off and get bugger all back. Not too sure I want to work the long hours though. Maybe a hobby farm would be better for me. I love to grow vegies so need more land!

We bought a small farm as an escape from raising two kids in downtown Chicago. Six years later and 2,000 miles away from the place, our love affair with the place continues. The kids, now in high school, can't wait to head east come summer to the place "that just feels like home." Much time, effort and care has gone into renovating the property. The interior was the first remodel, followed by barns and outbuildings. We succumbed last year to a concrete drive for ease of snow removal and to alleviate the dust generated from the gravel/dirt drive. The landscape is an ongoing project. This week we embarked on a much needed and exciting project. New siding, windows and metal roof on the farmhouse. Our real farmer neighbors are wonderful and look out for the place when we are gone. Kids are gone to college in soon enough and then it will be more of a full time residence...at least for growing season. It is a Chicago style winter afterall!

The farm where my I live and build my fans has been in my family since 1850. I returned to live here in 1979 after earning my sculpture/printmaking degree at Carnegie Mellon. Pittsburg had taught me to realize the value I find in "open space" along with my connection to the farms history. My early childhood memories are filled with the ancient machinery used by my grandfather, pulleys, belts along with the loud noises, dust filled air and smell of diesel, its these memories along with the aesthetic values learned at CMU that inspired me to create the space where I live and work. The old farm buildings have been repurposed as studios to build my fans and I have restored a number of old farm windmills and machines that continue to inspire my work. My connections with my many Amish friends and helpers have allowed me to build a number of interesting but appropriate structures to house and display such early equipment. I so much love this place and its lifestyle that the physical work required to maintain it is enjoyable.

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I grew up on a farm in Iowa, we raised corn, soybeans and hogs. Also we had horses, cows and on occasion, sheep. I loved being so immersed in nature/land/animals but hated the puritanical midwest attitudes that viewed women as second class citizens only fit to serve their men. So ASAP I got an education and fled the state. Its still hard to go back there as things haven't changed much at least not in the rural areas. But the pull of the land led my husband and me to purchase a small acreage, so while we don't "farm" we have animals, gardens, orchard and lots of space to breathe again. The place is too big to photograph well, but I've attached a photo of my very special horse...a Paso Fino of Colombian bloodlines.

There's nothing like being raised on a farm. We learned hard work and also how to enjoy creation around us. Lessons that have served me well my whole life. We had cows, chickens, pigs and boarded horses. I learned how to ride and jump horses (with saddle and bareback). I had sheep that I sheared myself for the wool. My parents took it to a mill and had it made into wool yarn. My mother made a sweater for me from it. When I grew up and got married, I still had some of it so when I got pregnant I made a blanket for our first child with it. My father taught me how to knit when I was 6. We had a grass fed bull slaughtered every year for meat. Our whole family was involved in cutting and putting up the meat for the winter including chickens. We also had a garden and our whole family was involved in gardening, harvesting and putting up food for the winter. I sold my own squash to a local grocer when I was 12. We had fresh eggs and milk every day. At times we made our own butter. My mother made fresh bread every week. She also canned crab apples and made pickles. We picked blueberries together and put them up for the winter also. I started learning to cook when I was 9. I started learning to wash dishes when I was 5. Work was not considered a danger to children but valuable training. We had 128 acres of land which included about 25 acres of wood lot and a watering hole. We hayed the fields for the animals. Haying season was always so much fun. I learned to drive a tractor when I was about 13 or 14. My father, brother and I cut the hay, raked it and a neighbor bailed it for us, then we and friends moved and stacked the bails into the barn. We always had loose hay for bedding for the animals. We kids always had fun jumping into the pile from two and three stories up in the barn. We had two barns. We also had cherry trees and apple trees. My mother made jams and jellies. We had two very old, large maple trees which we tapped and from which we made our own maple syrup. We always had more than enough. We had a lot of gatherings with friends. Sometimes there were up to 50. We made hand churned ice cream and pressed apple cider in a mill my father bought. He also made his own beer, wine and apple jack. The farm house my parents bought was over 200 years old. When the hay was tall in the fields, I used to go out and lay in it and watch the big blue sky and clouds. That was my hide-a-way. I could take walks and be gone most of the day right on our own property.

My father also grew up on a farm. His father cut wood off his farm with his work horses and brought the wood out with a (huge) sled. The wood was still in log lengths so that tells you the size of the sled. He made many of his own tools. He had his own blacksmith shop and ran it regularly. I remember as a child, watching him harness up the work horses. He also used them to plow the family garden. The harnesses hung from beams in the barn. He would lower them onto the horses with a pulley.

Another picture of me on my grandfathers tractor. Right foot stretched to the pedal but just playing, not driving. Copywrite picture.

We built our home from plans in the Mother Earth News mag... 8 years ago...it is for sale now!!! 165K on 17ac ... http://hobbithousefarm.blogspot.com/

My husband grew up on a 200 acre farm and while his father was a businessman, the farm served as home to cattle, horses, chickens, buffalo, guinea fowl, turkeys, goats, and pigs over the years. Twenty years ago we were lucky enough to buy 24 acres of that land and build a home for our family. We have had horses, cattle, chickens and our beloved Golden Retrievers, but are now down to three horses and assorted rescued feral cats. My daughters had a wonderful opportunity to grow up in a rural setting with animals and nature yet be close to friends and good schools. We have so many great stories of life on our farm; many funny, others inspiring, and some sad. I feel truly fortunate to be living here.

We bought the last 8.5 acres of an old farm in Saratoga Springs, NY. The farmhouse has now been restored and is operating as a very successful B&B. The out-buildings are still in need but we haven't yet decided their next purpose. The name is The Saratoga Farmstead B&B and it is amazing how many folks just love the idea of staying on an old farm!

We live on a farm. Our first farm was near Fresno, CA now we live farther north. My husband and I completely remodeled a 1930's house on his parent's farm that had been formed by putting two cotton sharecropper cabins together and adding some windows. The result was basic, classic and old. The floors were redwood on dirt. There was no foundation on the back part and the original had no bathroom. We cut off the back of the house and poured a slab foundation and then built back on 2 bathrooms and the second bedroom. We did all this while farming 75 acres and starting a business. While my husband says he will never do it again, it was a special time in our lives and I don't regret it. We only got to live there for 2 years. Looking back on these pictures brings back all the optimism and enthusiasm of starting a marriage, a business and an organic farm, as well as the heartbreak when we had to leave. I now have a new project: a 1949 one bedroom white farmhouse with a classic porch, huge sycamore and tree swing. We are adding a bed and bath and will be refinishing the floors. One thing about being a farmer's wife is that your husband can do any kind of construction and it will eventually be beautiful, but it takes backseat to any and all farm work - our cows come first. We will be sleeping in our living room with our 2 year old in the single bedroom until our pasture and barns get set up.

I grew up on a dairy farm in Kentucky and I agree with Linda. All the money went to the farm, the cows, barn and equipment, nothing left for the house. While I treasure those memories, I wouldn't trade central heat and air to go back.

This was my Barred Rock rooster Rollie who got gang green in his leg. My husband and I did an amputation and cauterization and fitted him with this nifty red prosthesis, actually the bottom of a big funnel. Rollie got around quite well and lived another nine months before he died of natural causes. Ahhh, the things you do on a farm!

We live in Melbourne Victoria on ten acres just past the last official urban fringe. Dexter cattle, a goat, chooks and dogs give our property a soul and we get to play 'farmers'. Dexters are an ancient Irish breed, small in stature, gentle and light on the land. They are excellent mothers and can be used for milk and meat. Our 3 cows are pets, but we have had over 8 calves over the ten years we've had them. We've had chooks ever since we moved to our property over 11 years ago and at the moment have 6 girls of various breeds. Our goat looks like Bob Marley at the moment with dreadlocks whilst his winter coat is shedding. Two dogs round off our menagerie and they are very spoilt. Hope you enjoy the photos. Sue

I live in Hartford, WI in a Victorian home built in 1890. For the past 5 years my husband and I have been remodeling the inside as the outside was done prior to purchase. We have 3 acres and have started a little hobby farm with Chickens, Ducks and a Peacock. Several cats are also here as part of our family. I love animals and have made our home open to injured animals or animals that have been neglected on other farms. I work closely with our local Humaine Society to give these animals a home. We now have 6 ducks, over 30 chickens and the 2 peacocks. I have a large garden that I use for canning and freezing. We love the country side where we live and are surrounding by nothing but other farms and land.

Here are a few more photos of our home.

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More pics of my 500 acre farm with view from the windmill

I live on a small (about 2 acres) farm in upstate, NY, in the hilltowns of the Helderbergs. Originally, this 210 year old home was built on many acres of land, but it was subdivided over the years. We are looking to purchase parcels butting up to it and place them in trust. We raise Oberhasli dairy goats here, and I make all natural soap with the milk while working my day job at the Etsy office in Hudson, NY.

My husband and I both came to this without any experience with farming, and we've adapted in the ways that we can. We continue to work on the house, which has many interesting quirks and features, having been built in this spot on a shale hill. This year we hope to install a woodstove, which will be a safer, more efficient option than our fireplace, surrounded by the blue stone we have in our own backyard. We have a beautiful view of the Berkshires and sunrise from our Master bedroom balcony, and a gorgeous dry masonry barn that I use as a painting studio and milk house for my goats.

When we first came to see it, we were in love with the view, the perennial gardens and the land surrounding before we even explored the post and beam rooms of the house. The original wide plank floors are worn in and well-loved, and we like it that way. We are so glad that previous owners did not renovate over the historic details of the house and have vowed to keep it that way. It's truly a magical place!

Loved to see ur houses and comments. I am fron Nepal and would love to stay in ur farm - do ant of you take in houseguests?

the view from my office window twice a day .... and my neighbours ... love where I live !

I live on the only hobby farm in Caledon, Ontario, Canada. We've been here about 12 years. When we moved here, there was only an unfinished house. Now we have a Cover-All arena with 5 stalls, 10 paddocks, 5 sheds and oak fencing. We don't have enough acreage to farm, but we enjoy putting the hay in each year from our neighbours 200 acres. My husband maintains the trails and we ride on his property. It's wonderful having good neighbours. Our house was recently on the House Tour to raise money for the local hospital. It's a farm house, nothing fancy, but it's my dream home. Here are some pictures of our 2 Canadian horses and 3 Icelandic horses and two german shepherds.

Should include a picture of the house!

We have lived on Lone Oak Farm for 40 years, but generations preceded us beginning in 1867 when President Abraham Lincoln deeded it to a pioneer for fighting in the Indian wars. I'm writing this from a portion of the original house constructed of hand-hewn logs. When we acquired this farm, we also acquired its legacy, discovered in a journal written by one of the great grandchildren.
It spoke of "picnics, barn dances and basket socials for the young and old throughout the countryside. Hunting and fishing were sports of the young men, adding game and fish to their bountiful meals. Sleigh rides on crisp winter evenings and hay rides in the fall, added to jolly times for the young folks." She also recounted the amount of work needed to support this large family. "There was plenty of work with the cattle and the fields of grain. Fruits, vineyards and vegetable gardens were grown and harvested for the hearty, hungry appetites. In addition, there was a never-ending need for transporting fire wood for the stoves and water from the wells."

I have always felt that we are caretakers of this beautiful farm and it's history. We raised our family here and have grown old here. People tell us that we are too old to take care of it, but it is a part of us that we won't give up until we can find someone who will love it as much as we do.

Irene, why don't you write a novel based on the lives of those who've lived and worked at Lone Oak Farm. It seems you have a particular passion for the old place, and your knowledge of its history would weave a certain authenticity through the story. You might be surprised how well such a work would be received. Published as an e book and distributed on Amazon @ $9.95 you might be further surprised how much revenue it might generate as well.

What a nice suggestion. I'll definitely give it some thought. Thank you.

We currently live on a small 5 acre "farmette". We used to raise dairy goats, but life has changed making twice daily milking difficult for us. Now we have only a pony, a pony mule and about 40 laying hens right now. My favorite part of our place is our barn. We had the shell built and then did the entire interior ourselves. As a former engineer I put in a lot of things that make animal care and upkeep easy (photos of fold-up hay pallets below....added for easy feed room clean-up).

We're building a new house on 30 acres now. I wish we could bring our "old" barn with us, but I'm sure the new one will have even more improvements.

We live in the suburbs in a small house on a 65 ft x 130 ft property. We are "farming" in our backyard. I have always enjoyed growing food, flowers, and herbs, but I am not interested in the hard work it takes to maintain a large property; gosh, it is hard enough to work full time and maintain a home and yard and a "mini-farm". The best example I have seen of farming in the city is a family in California. You can see their "farm" at www.UrbanHomsteading.org. My little garden is nothing like theirs, but we do have 2 seasonal vegetable gardens each year. My son also has a hot pepper "farm" in my back yard right now because he is currently living in a condo. I have always been one to grow what I can where ever I am living in whatever space is available. :)

P.S.... We also have a storage shed on in our backyard shaped like a barn. I always call it "the barn". I will come back to this another day and add some pictures. I am writing this post from my iPad and don't have any pictures on this device as I recently took them all off.

We gutted and remodeled an Amish farmhouse on 102 acres in Kentucky. It is for sale now, but we loved it there.

We have bought 16 acres with a farmhouse and a vineyard !..it is in East Gippsland in Victoria Aus...we have not moved in yet but I do have pics...it's lovely to see other people's farms and what they have turned them into and hear their stories...great inspiration for me to start our new adventure...we may run a B&B ....or a boutique wine bar...or a wedding venue...there's plenty of potential and a whole lot of work to be done before that...can't wait !

Hey Farmgirl1776, where in Kentucky is the 102 acre. Amish house you renovated? We've been looking for our perfect farm in KY for the last 4 years. Hope to hear from you.

Hi Suesp8, Our farm isn't formally listed with a realtor, but it is for sale. I need to put up more pictures, but here are some to get you started. It is listed for $325k for the house, barn, shop, and 17 acres or $550k for the entire 102 acres with PV solar panels. Let me know if I can answer any questions. Here is the link: http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/5047-Milltown-Rd-Gradyville-KY-42742/2133559211_zpid/

My husband and I lived in a rented farmhouse. we had a place to grow a big garden and lots of place to plant flowers. we had access to the out buildings for a garden tractor and such. the owner had some of the land rented and they put horses out there. It was so much fun to be able to plant and harvest stuff. I froze some and some I canned. I learned to drive the tractor and helped my husband and son gather wood for the fireplace. we had a cart to carry the wood and would take the out in the yard and cut them up for fire wood. I just loved all of it. we were way out in the country and it was so quiet. It was wonderful. When I first got on Facebook I immediately found some farm games to play. I am on Farmville2 and Family Farm. It feels just like being out on a real farm. I live in town now and I sure miss the farm. It was heaven.

I grew up on a farm in "true" upstate New York (Burrville) with my family. We milked 65 cows with the old fashioned milking machines. Every day I was expected to do my barn chores. I fed the calves and kept them clean. I drove the tractors at an early age, as it was my job the haul the hay wagons, until I was strong enough to be in the mow to throw hay. I was working on the farm while my friends were shopping and playing sports. Somehow today, I do not regret one bit of this. I was taught about hard work, valued family and life. Today, I have a little hobby farm (Lowville, NY) with an apple orchard, a few sheep and our donkey! Instead of going to "the lake" every weekend, my husband and I are mowing lawn, working in the gardens, and tending to the animals. We wouldn't have it any other way!

We have always lived on our family's heritage farm established in 1692 ~ We love the land and the lifestyle! *(marvelous article and responses).

Don't live on a farm but had the pleasure renovating this 110 year old farm house. When the owners bought the house it needed lots of love. Tearing it down was never an option as they loved the character the old farm house brought.

Beautiful!

We live on 20 acres in Vermont. While we are not farmers, I did learn to make cheese, to take advantage of the wonderful local milk. Rather than fields, the house is surrounded by perennial and formal gardens (not the best of repair right now). Our road is not paved, and it is very very dark at night.

The house was designed by a Canadian architect, and built in 1985. Part of the design is an enormous old stone wall that bisects the house and is visible from either end of an atrium. This winter, we are building a beautiful barn to house cars, tractors and assorted stuff. When that is complete, I am building a new kitchen and rearranging the living space in the house.

We live on a farm and our house was his Grandma's house. It's a small 2 bedroom rambler made in 1960 by my husband's Uncle. I SO wish we could have it updated as I have tried to do some of it myself with paint but it needs SO much more. I want a porch SO badly and new counter tops!!!!!

Late to the party. I own 170 acres in Northern Vermont, a former dairy farm. I work out of state all week and am home to the farm on weekends. This schedule will be changing to an all on the farm schedule gradually over the next 7 years. I plan to hay commercially and board and raise horses. I will also offer tricked out travel trailers, placed in private settings on the farm, to leaf peepers and their dogs and horses, on a nightly basis. As a welfare baby who grew up in the city, this is my dream come true. The old house is a black hole for my money, lol, and I plan to sell it and some of the land and build a new tiny house, one bedroom (plus Murphy bed for me when company comes, they get my room), 2 bath, 850 sq feet, full basement, high on the upper hay field. The view is wicked!

Oh goodness, I could read these posts all night. They are the most personal and beautiful stories. I feel as if I've had a trip around the world. Thank you for sharing them, the triumphs and the hardships, which I think are part of the farm life. I respect farmers and always wanted to be a farmer's wife, when I was young, but instead, fell in love with a farmer's son, who didn't become a farmer. Our families had small farms with crops and animals, mostly raised to feed large families, and knowing even a small farm requires constant work, I can't imagine how much work goes into maintaining a farm with some of the acreage mentioned here. And the weather, a constant worry. There is something special about farming the land and, may we always have our farmers. Please keep the stories coming.

I agree with those of you who say that farming is getting harder and that it won't be long until most of our generational farms are swallowed up by the "mega-farms". I grew up on a 350 acre farm in an 1870s house that was always being worked on. As children we worked hard helping with beef cattle and growing soybeans and cotton. We played just as hard - riding horses, swimming and fishing in the farm ponds. I was driving a tractor by the time I was 11 or 12. The old house is still there but I live in a small cabin that my father and I built in the 1980s. It looks much older since we built it out of old lumber. We now rent out our cropland and as a family grow only trees. I still clip the open pasture land with my John Deere tractor and fondly remember my childhood - working and playing hard.

The farming bug hit me when I was about 12! After spending some summers on my cousins farm, I knew that someday I would own my own. My love for gardening and animals had me busy learning all that I could before we landed our farm three years ago. I am now 55 and happier than I have ever been. My husband and I don't mind hard work, and work hard we did for the last 3 years. This 1967 house was in need of a few repairs, some we knew about and some we found out about by accident. While beginning a wood floor project on the lower level, we found dry rot and mold in the bathroom and living room, which ended up being a bathroom remodel as
well. We spent the first 2 years clearing blackberry patches that reached 30 feet in height at times. We uncovered several fruits trees and improved the view of the snow covered mountains. We went to work building a rustic chicken coop using mostly reclaimed wood and windows so that we could begin our egg business. A hoop house came next so that we could extend our growing season and grow sprouted barley for the animals. Much work is still needed on perimeter fencing but we have managed to make a home for several cows, 45 laying hens, a few goats, a couple barn cats and a dog named Jack. We love the quiet and peacefulness up here on the mountain and farm we call the Pea Patch. We are living the dream!