Farming is no child’s play

Often, when business or formal employment fails, many turn to farming. There is nothing wrong with this at face value but when farming becomes a fallback plan, trouble is surely in the offing. By design, farming is a long, winding journey, filled with both natural and unnatural setbacks that prove to bring even the farmer with the strongest of heart to his knees. It is no child’s play.

A journey by destination is a trip through places – even time – to reach a predetermined destination. In the case of ‘accidental farmers’, the destination is often survival, and herein lies the biggest mistake many make. It can never be just about survival when it comes to farming; it has to be more: innovation, modernisation, profit-making, excellence, and triumph – that’s what it ought to be about.

Do not despair, there is always time for the ‘first time’. It’s seldom too late for anything under this sun, but how you start matters a lot. If you are left several paces behind the leader during a marathon, do you simply keep your pace or do you do all you can to pace up and make up for the ground you have lost? Most certainly, the latter, I think.

Let’s be practical for illustrative purposes, say you are sacked at work, retired or simply quit your job and farming beckons. Let me from the onset also lay it bare here – never quit your job to start farming; start farming to quit your job. That is the logical chronology; one that will give you a head start. So, for this example, we assume you either got retrenched, sacked or are retired.

So, you rush to the bank to withdraw your last salary, savings or – as in many cases, your pension payout. Where do you start? The straightforward answer is ‘at the beginning’. Start at ground zero. Don’t compete with established farmers, or with fellow start-up your mates. Mute out possible distractions by remaining focused on your dream. This is the mental battle you have to win first before attempting any physical ones.

My best piece of advice is that you start with choosing a farming type you would want to venture into. Let passion be your guiding principle; it always works best when you choose something you love doing. I, for instance, would never dream of breeding with snakes even if it becomes a million-dollar industry – I fear them like one fears a lion!

Bottom line? Make sure whatever you choose as a venture – horticulture, hydroponics, animal rearing, and aquaculture – is something you will take joy looking at when admiring your progress. It is something you love.

I probably won’t help you much if you detest the sight of a horse but are hell-bent on making horse breeding venture a success. It just doesn’t work that way. You got to make both chicken and egg, not one without the other.

Also, be a doer. Get dirty. Get on the ground and sweat it out – nothing gives greater gratification than kicking off your boots at night and throwing your tired body on the bed in the evening, knowing you have ticked a lot of boxes on your chores to-do list.

As I said, it’s never too late. The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. If you don’t value the drop that falls into your bucket, you probably won’t be able to fill it too. Take the leap of faith. Go on and conquer your farming dreams – they are within reach with the right tools and a helluva attitude!

Until then…