Gardener vs farmer, where's that magical tipping point?

That's a good point to make!

I work my regular job and don't think of myself as a farmer. However, I do profit from what I grow to an extent... the rest is self satisfaction. Maybe I'm just a 'hobby farmer' with a passion for a regular income on the side?! LOL
 
Around here a Gardener is one that has a garden and uses that garden to produce food for there family.
Now a Farmer is one that Produce Crops, Livestock, and Dairy Products that is both consumed by there family and is sold.

Also you don't here the term "Hobby" Farm/Farmer they just get called a "Want To Be" Farmer.

Chris
 
Maybe having to fill out "Form F" .

. . as an attachment to your 1040 .

. . would make you a farmer?

Steve
 
Marshallsmyth, I thought one of the core arguments for being a vegetarian is that it takes much less space to grow plants to eat than to grow cattle to eat. Is that just one of those "generally accepted as true" statements that become fact? Like eating fat makes you fat?
 
I checked what I wrote. That is indeed what I said, and it is true, regardless of begetarianism or carnivorariasm, or omnivoracity. (I love inventing new words).

Yes, it definitely takes more land to produce meat. At least in large quantities. Ya grow the food for the meat animals, unless they are entirely free ranged, and the animals take space, more space for bigger animals obviously. Certainly at a large scale.

That said, (again), I will remind that I saw nothing in what I wrote about eating meat making people fat. But as far as the question about that just generally being accepted as true, I sure did not know that it was accepted as true or not.

Entirely aside, and because you made me think of it, all of the complete pure vegans I know, come to think of it, sure do appear quite thin to me.

I have hyperthyroid. Yep. This winter I definitely did lose weight. I have to do everything I can to keep it at a high percentage of muscle, (wiry ole guy muscle), and consume extra calories and good fats to keep my weight up.

Thinking some more, North Korea does have a problem with their farms producing enough food for it's people. That country's MacroEconomic management of their farm system is definitely not working.
 
No, I didn't mean to imply that eating meat makes you fat. I think vegetarians may be thin because they are starving to death! Lots of folks seem to believe that eating fat makes you fat, which is far from the truth, I am convinced. Fat is needed for energy, supple skin, hair growth, etc. (Of course, if a person's dietary fat comes with lots of breading, whipped non-dairy white stuff, ketchup, mayo and Coke, then that combo could definitely make them fat!)
 
I found this informative and witty article about farming as defined by the IRS. Although I was not thinking in terms of the IRS, this article is intriguing. I'm already an independent contractor for a dozen or more companies, so I might as well keep the receipts and records to see if my little flower/veggie/eggs business earns me a deduction or two. (And thanks, Steve, for bringing up the IRS. I hadn't thought of that.)

http://ruraltax.org/files/uploads/Farmer Definition Final.pdf
 
For a long time, I received W-2's from farmers but now, I think I am in the same group with Suzy and Daisy Brown-Eyes, 'digger! Ha! Fortunately (or otherwise), I don't fill out any W-2's myself. But, it is a schedule F for me.

I once used a schedule E because I foolishly owned rental property for a time. Then, I had a schedule SE because of a small business I had . . . on the side while working as an employee. I thought I could continue that when there was income from produce sales but was told that no, Uncle Sam takes a special interest in my agricultural activities ;).

You should have listened in on a phone conversation I once had with a USDA official who wanted to know about carrot and onion acreage :P! With square foot measurements - I don't get any benefit from filling out schedule F, just a special relationship with Suzy & Daisy :cool:.

Steve
 
Interesting question and comments. We have acerage and a decent size garden. We have 4 cattle in our herd. We have chickens and pigs with meat birds and turkeys on their way. We have a barn and have had tractors and other farm equipment. We save, sell and give away much of what we grow; both animal and vegtable.

But...we both have to work outside jobs to pay the bills. And I have a tough time calling our place a farm even though we have a farm name. Most of the time, I reffer to it as a homestead. Yet I have one friend that calls her home a farm. They have 1 horse, 1 chicken and one cow. When she says they live on a farm, it stirs me up inside as if it is a lie.

So to me...I think it depends on where you live. Where we live, most would consider us a farm. If our land was out west, where there is real acerage and hundreds of cattle, we perhaps would not be considered a farm. I think it's all relative.

To me I appreciate any and all of you that grow your own food. Spend time with the land. Spend time with animals. Basically spend your spare time working hard to grow things that will help sustain your family. In my mind, that is the true heart of a farmer.
 
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