City Slickers?

I grew up in Southern California, city living at its worst, moved to Virginia at age 18 (8 years ago) to begin farming (practicing "new ideas" like rotational grazing and manure management instead of chemicals).

Have I been accepted? Yes and no.

By the older respectable class, yes I've become accepted and even loved. Why? Because I'm the ONLY farmer in this area under 40 years of age. 80% are age 70 up. I'm doing what they hoped their children would have chosen to do with their lives. Instead their own children fled country life for big city living and the high incomes and materialism that it brings. The older generation here respects me because I have chosen lower income and standard of living because I love the lifestyle. Farming is a loving, not a living!!

I have not been accepted by the younger generation, who look down on me as someone who "can't get a job" or acts different, or has different standards as they do. Because I DON'T use hunting dogs or have a dogbox in the back of my truck (don't have a truck either), don't have a new car in the 3 car garage, choose to live without TV, cell phone, or air conditioning, they don't have any respect for me and show that daily.

I came into this community and did my share to earn the respect of those around me by helping them out when they need it, caring for them when sick, and otherwise taking an interest in their lives, which the other young folks here don't do. In a community where most can say "my grandaddy built this house" or other such things, I can say that I've been accepted about as well as I could hope to be. Will I be like them? No: don't hope to be.



My 2 cents on newbies in this area: We sell alot of hay to "city slickers" who buy 4 or 5 acres, and set up a "ranch" while commuting to the city to work. Something in common among all of them: they always have horses, their pastures are always overgrazed and undermanaged, the land is eroded and barren, they put up vinyl fences while neglecting the proper care of the soil and water resources, and always lose money, not make money, on their "ranch."

I respect a person on the basis of how he manages and cares for what he has, not on where he comes from or what his "bloodlines" are. As the older farming generation passes on, we are seeing a new sort of "farming," either city landowners who rape the land, cutting timber and ruining soil while caring nothing for soil replenishment or timber management, or we are seeing city escapees who want their 5 acres, double wide trailer, and 2 horses. Both spell disaster for a farming community, and both in the long run will destroy the land they are on. Some buy the land, others inherit it, but neither cares for it.

......So if you want the respect of those around you, do your part in the community and show others that you care for the land you are on. Some will accept you, others won't. Usually those who accept you will become great friends and neighbors. Those who don't accept you aren't worth the trouble anyway.

I think what agmantoo said, "However, this is the same county I was born in." is interesting....

I think it boils down to that there are ornery folks in the city and the country. Just because there are more people in the city doesn't mean that a large portion of them won't try to exclude you from their group.

I grew up ina small town with NO wealthy folks (that I knew of...) and there was STILL a crazy hierarchy made up of folks who made their own clique. You see it at schools, you see it in every social situation.

The key is to ignore it because it does exist and must be part of human nature. Don't make it part of your human nature.

Well BM,

I think most of the problem with is the folks that move out into the country and want to bring a lot of their former lifestyle with them and expect the locals to conform to their ways, wishes and wants.

The ones that have no respect for long time residents traditions or property, the ones that feel free to trespass and let their dogs roam. The same newbies that complain about tractor lights and machinery noise, nevermind the fact their own yard is lit up like the landing strip at a large airport and the weekend parties they throw that keep everyone within a mile awake, the same ones that are forever moaning about farm odors. Those types will not be thought well of.

Yep, some country folks do move to the city. But they don't take their cattle, hogs and poultry to town with them, let the stock run at large, graze on the neighbors yards. And I suspect most don't help themselves to whatever they want because, "it was just laying around", and expect the neighbors to "get used to it".

I have found how a person is treated, is, in large part, a direct response to how they act. If they act like arrogant disrespectful jerks, sure enough, they will be treated like arrogant disrespectful jerks.

Very well said.

CamM, as long as you respect your neighbors and don't try to turn the country into the city, you'll be okay. It sounds like you have a good dose of common sense and will do just fine.

When I'm in town, some people might think I'm not being friendly by not waving, but nothing could be further from the truth...Those times I've been guilty of "not waving" are because (mostly) I have "iffy" vision, and especially if a car has dark tinted windows, or they're driving fast, I can't see them waving first. Sometimes I wave, but they've already passed me. Heck I try (and sometimes succeed) waving, even when I've got a load in the wheel barrow.

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"Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow the fields of those who don't."-Thomas Jefferson

You just have to accept things for what they are and always have been. My Grandfather moved from one county to the next county when he married my grandmother in 1918. He became a pillar of the community, served as constable in town when the younger men were away fighting the big war, was a carpenter by trade and very skilled, built most the houses in the area, served on the local chapter of the masons and I swear he knew everyone, I was always accepted when people found out who my grandparents were... When he died in the late 70's, my mother overheard two good friends of his say, "He wasn't from here, he was from Roane County" (20 miles away)... Figure it for what you want, these men respected and trusted my grandfather, he was a member of the community, but in the end wasn't from there... This is just an old fashioned way of living life, don't make too much of it.

Growing up in a small town sure had its draw backs as a kid. Everyone knew everyone but if you got into trouble the whole town knew and so did your parents before you even got home!

My DH was in the Navy 20+ years, we moved all over,, seen so much. He decided he wanted to retire in Oregon but we could not afford any farm land near his parents Farm.
Ended up here, about 2 hours north of his families farm. We have had our issues but after 4 years pretty well accepted by most of the locals. Some of the Elder ladys love looking at our mini horses, they like it a lot that we drive slowly by their places as not to kick up road dust. The Elder men with tractors were impressed with my husband because our tractor was even older than theirs and my DH knows how to use it.
We hire a local to hay our fields and instead of running a few cattle of our own...we buy sides of beef from a long timer who has a "multi Generation" grass fed cattle farm. Helps keep the others farmers going and breaks the ice so to speak.
If someone needs help we do what we can, same as other neighbors.

We keep a small kitchen garden, though next year we are going to expand it a bit to help out with some cancer survivors that would like to garden but can't do it on their own any more.

We don't have dogs run loose, we don't play any music were others can hear, wave and just stay polite. There is a knack to living in the country which takes time to learn... my DH and I had a leg up because we spent a lot of time on family farms as kids.
In time things will come together.

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Shari

Where are you finding land that cheap? What website are you using? It sounds like we are looking for land in the same area but I can hardly find anything for less than $1,500 an acre. I'm looking for 10-20 acres mostly for a market garden, chickens and a few dairy goats. I'm looking for a little elbow room where people aren't packed in like sardines. We do have large hog and poultry operations around here so I'm not going to buy a piece of land and then complain about the smells. I did computer support work at the states largest egg farm. They have at least 22 buildings, each one over 100 yds. long. I definitely know what chicken poo smells like.

You really aren't going make everybody happy. If you put up good sturdy fences so that your dogs and livestock aren't roaming all over the countryside, others will complain because they don't free and easy access to your land. Even worse, some people will cut your fences to get on your property and shoot your dogs and livestock when they get out. Some people are likely to complain because your house or barn spoils their view.

I have found that if you join a organization like 4H or FFA you will soon have all the good friends you want (and need). Some towns have volunteer fire, ambulance or similar groups that help the community. I did work on a volunteer ambulance. Those were some of the best people you ever want to meet.

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“When I think of what tremendous consequences come from little things, I am tempted to think, there are no little things.” -Bruce Barton

Hey, Rick. The land I've been looking at is in North Dakota (I've been obsessed with the state ever since going there to look at NDSU three years ago). If you're interested in that state, the best sites I've found for cheap land are www.pifers.com and www.prairieroserealty.com. I haven't seen any ten or twenty acre property listings yet, but sometimes areas closer to towns have acreage that size.