Have you always dreamed about living off the land ? Do you want to care for more than just a cat or a dog ? If you’re one of those people, you may want to consider using your garden or land for a small hobby farm. Here’s a quick look at some fundamentals before starting your new project.
The closeness to animals.
A hobby farm is by definition a small farm without the expectation of being a primary source of income. Those farmers typically continue their jobs and only farm on weekends or it may just be a retirement project for them. They might farm vegetables or keep animals, it all depends on your budget and needs. Animal farming tends to be quite popular because animals can bring a lot of happiness to people.
Sheep are definitely a great asset to hobby farms, they are a gentle animal and respond really well to human contact. Lambs are amazing for children, to teach them responsibility and respect for animals. However, before starting anything, you need to remember to take care of their protection and shelter as they are vulnerable prey animals. You can find sheep housing on a professional website such as Premier Polytunnels. You could also get a goat, playful and social, they love human contact but be aware that they will eat anything so you need to make sure your garden is very secure.
Chickens are great to have around as well, they can help by eating your kitchen scraps and will give you eggs periodically. You also need to make sure to give them shelter and care. And if you want to increase your chicken population you can use egg incubator and raise little baby chicks.
Caring for animals is rewarding and could also help to create a more sustainable agriculture.
The health benefits are incredible.
There is a lot more to farming than just saving money. Hobby farming gives you access to fresh, organic vegetables, you know exactly what goes into your food and you can ensure that it is as healthy as possible.
Hobby farming is also a great way to get your steps for the day, you’d be surprised how many you do when you start farming. It’s also a great source of stress relief and can help with people suffering from mental health issues, getting back in touch with nature is definitely a great way to keep stress under control.
If these benefits inspire you to start your own small farm, you’ll definitely need to research how to take proper care of any animals you’d like to raise and also build some sort of business plan to help you. Starting your own farm can be difficult but the environmental and health benefits will make it worthwhile.
