At first I was all ready to laugh and point at the city slickers, but I think this is a wonderful development. Sure, some of them will not take well to having to kill their dinner and shovel poop, but those who adopt and develop the kind of independence and git-r-dun-itude required of farm life will be us in a way that your average urban RINO isn't.
If they moved from Yuppieton to Hicksville and bought a .22 rifle to defend the chicken coop and a .38 special to defend the home - then it starts, good for them.
It interests me to see how urban newcomers to this area treat the phenomenon of deer in their midst.
There seem to be three approximate stages:
1) (On moving to the area...) "Oh, they're beautiful! They're why we moved here!
2) (After the rose bushes disappear...) "We really like them, but we wish there weren't so many of them. We called Animal Control, but they just laughed at us.
3) (After the first time they bounce one off their bumper...)
RATS! F'ING RATS WITH ANTLERS!! KILL THEM ALL!!
Round about then, discussions of hunting and firearms take on a new dimension.
At 37 I was laid off of my manufacturing job of 15 years this past Feb. Fortunately for me I had the prescience to save for the future, and even had a (gag) 'five year plan' in the works to buy land and 'get out'.
The lay-off hit about two years early, but with the the economic downturn, and coresponding rise in my physical silver investments, I was able to purchase my dream 20 acres of off-grid timberland in Montana...OUTRIGHT.
I have since 'retired' and will be building my home on said land this spring.
When i first started telling my co-workers about my plans they thought I was nuts and started calling me 'Kazinski'...a reference to my less than conventional (read extremely conservative) personal views.
Almost four years later they're all jealous of my foresight, and wish they could join me.
Aw, hell, I'm participating in a trend? Maybe I ought to move back to the house that I haven't yet sold in the city.
As to deer, my children think they're neat, and I don't mind the bucks are rubbing up all the saplings that the previous owners put in last year, but if they bother the fruit trees I'm putting in.... Well, growing boys need protein.
Brian J, What'll happen is one day you'll look at your fruit crop and think "those will be ready to pick in a couple of days", then you'll get up the next morning and every bit of fruit will be GONE!
That sort of invisible harvest happens in urban neighborhoods, too.
When I was ten, my mother would send me over the fence into the large yard around the old farmhouse across the street from the housing projects to dodge the sheepdog and retrieve sacks of pears for canning.
Honestly? I started skimming at the words "hobby farmers" and quit reading when the wife "didn't want anything to do with" killing a chicken.
Once, in college, I rode through a rural area with a (then) friend and a girl I hadn't met. We passed a farm, and the new girl looked out the window and said, in pure innocence, "I think it would be fun to live on a farm." She was at least 20 years old, which is old enough to know better. I love rural areas; I love farms. But I wouldn't live on one unless I had no other choice.
Country kids have pretty much always had some exposure to city life. The converse is in no way true. The learning curve for city folks moving to the country is much steeper than they ever expected.
Sure is fun to watch, though.
I sorta wonder what these folks will do when gas and diesel go on up to the $5/gallon range.
Well, off to hunt camp, and--of all things--driving through the snow! In the SW Texas desert? Whee!
That's a big part of the reason I bought my 2 1/2 acres (the fact that I can't stand being wedged in between six other houses is another). I know very well that it's a steep learning curve--that's why I need to start learning *now*. I'm fortunate to have friends who did grow up on a farm who are willing to help me.
The fact that I'm outside city limits and can put up a backstop and shoot didn't hurt either. And I do think deer are beautiful creatures--so much so that I like looking at them through magnifying optics. ;-)
Like Andrew, I fear the big city values crap. Thank God there's no reason for them to come to Iowa! No jobs, no culture, nothing to do, weather sucks, the rural roads are (gasp) unpaved and will chip the paint on any SUV and ruiin those sissy tires in 30,000 miles; I strongly recommend staying away from Iowa.
At first I was all ready to laugh and point at the city slickers, but I think this is a wonderful development. Sure, some of them will not take well to having to kill their dinner and shovel poop, but those who adopt and develop the kind of independence and git-r-dun-itude required of farm life will be us in a way that your average urban RINO isn't.
ReplyDeleteOh, it's something I'm all in favor of.
ReplyDeleteIf they moved from Yuppieton to Hicksville and bought a .22 rifle to defend the chicken coop and a .38 special to defend the home - then it starts, good for them.
ReplyDeleteIt interests me to see how urban newcomers to this area treat the phenomenon of deer in their midst.
ReplyDeleteThere seem to be three approximate stages:
1) (On moving to the area...) "Oh, they're beautiful! They're why we moved here!
2) (After the rose bushes disappear...) "We really like them, but we wish there weren't so many of them. We called Animal Control, but they just laughed at us.
3) (After the first time they bounce one off their bumper...)
RATS! F'ING RATS WITH ANTLERS!! KILL THEM ALL!!
Round about then, discussions of hunting and firearms take on a new dimension.
Count me among those in the article.
ReplyDeleteAt 37 I was laid off of my manufacturing job of 15 years this past Feb. Fortunately for me I had the prescience to save for the future, and even had a (gag) 'five year plan' in the works to buy land and 'get out'.
The lay-off hit about two years early, but with the the economic downturn, and coresponding rise in my physical silver investments, I was able to purchase my dream 20 acres of off-grid timberland in Montana...OUTRIGHT.
I have since 'retired' and will be building my home on said land this spring.
When i first started telling my co-workers about my plans they thought I was nuts and started calling me 'Kazinski'...a reference to my less than conventional (read extremely conservative) personal views.
Almost four years later they're all jealous of my foresight, and wish they could join me.
Aw, hell, I'm participating in a trend? Maybe I ought to move back to the house that I haven't yet sold in the city.
ReplyDeleteAs to deer, my children think they're neat, and I don't mind the bucks are rubbing up all the saplings that the previous owners put in last year, but if they bother the fruit trees I'm putting in.... Well, growing boys need protein.
Brian J,
ReplyDeleteWhat'll happen is one day you'll look at your fruit crop and think "those will be ready to pick in a couple of days", then you'll get up the next morning and every bit of fruit will be GONE!
wv:bistost - biscuits OR toast, not both
On topic, came across this blog just yesterday.
ReplyDeleteThat sort of invisible harvest happens in urban neighborhoods, too.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was ten, my mother would send me over the fence into the large yard around the old farmhouse across the street from the housing projects to dodge the sheepdog and retrieve sacks of pears for canning.
Honestly? I started skimming at the words "hobby farmers" and quit reading when the wife "didn't want anything to do with" killing a chicken.
ReplyDeleteOnce, in college, I rode through a rural area with a (then) friend and a girl I hadn't met. We passed a farm, and the new girl looked out the window and said, in pure innocence, "I think it would be fun to live on a farm." She was at least 20 years old, which is old enough to know better. I love rural areas; I love farms. But I wouldn't live on one unless I had no other choice.
Country kids have pretty much always had some exposure to city life. The converse is in no way true. The learning curve for city folks moving to the country is much steeper than they ever expected.
ReplyDeleteSure is fun to watch, though.
I sorta wonder what these folks will do when gas and diesel go on up to the $5/gallon range.
Well, off to hunt camp, and--of all things--driving through the snow! In the SW Texas desert? Whee!
Art
That's a big part of the reason I bought my 2 1/2 acres (the fact that I can't stand being wedged in between six other houses is another). I know very well that it's a steep learning curve--that's why I need to start learning *now*. I'm fortunate to have friends who did grow up on a farm who are willing to help me.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that I'm outside city limits and can put up a backstop and shoot didn't hurt either. And I do think deer are beautiful creatures--so much so that I like looking at them through magnifying optics. ;-)
This looks good, but what happens when they start Californicating -- bringing their big-city values with them?
ReplyDeleteLike Andrew, I fear the big city values crap. Thank God there's no reason for them to come to Iowa! No jobs, no culture, nothing to do, weather sucks, the rural roads are (gasp) unpaved and will chip the paint on any SUV and ruiin those sissy tires in 30,000 miles; I strongly recommend staying away from Iowa.
ReplyDelete