How Small is To Small

[Bill Buron]

I got into a conversation with another member of this forum the other day about what makes a Farmer.  I say that anyone that sells crops or animals for profit on any size plot of land could call  themselfs a farmer.  Its my contentions that the Devers Family in Calif that feed themselfs and sell $20,000 worth of produce  on 1/3 of an acre are Farmers for sure.  My friend says no you need many acers of land and part time raising of crops or animals for sale would not make you a farmer. He says all farmers have large capitol outlays on machinery and on property. Having talked with many people selling at farmers markets I know that many of them are growing on very small lots of land. What do you think makes a farmer Vs gardner.  Having said all this I will say I am a gardener for sure, feeding my family is what its all about.

[pee freely]

were they talking in terms of some "income tax" requirement?

[Aubree Taylor]

At this point I would say I am a gardener.  So far I have grown food for my family on a small scale and I manage a community garden.  My grandparents ran a 200 acre farm out by Halltown for the 50 years they lived on the land.  They had a huge garden, chicken house, hogs, cattle and horses.  They were very self-sufficient and were able to produce most of their own food.  We also had deer, turkey, quail, berries, nuts, morels, and watercress on the land. They really didn't use much equipment except a brushhog and whatever you need to cut hay, a pick-up and a tractor.  My grandpa also had a sawmill on his land.  My grandparents were hobby farmers just producing enough to take care of themselves.