Starting Your Hobby Farm: Tips for Farming as a Side Gig

Maybe you’ve been eyeballing that empty acre of your backyard, or maybe you’ve been thinking about pulling up stakes and moving out into the country. Either way, farming is on your mind. But what should you know before you get started on your backyard farm or hobby farm — especially if you’re still planning on keeping your day job?

Luckily for you, American Family Insurance has plenty of experts when it comes to balancing farming with full-time work! We’ve been insuring farmers for over 90 years and know a thing or two about what it takes to be a successful farmer. And we love having farmers on our team, too! Four of our agents and employees were happy to share their best tips, insights and advice for balancing life on the farm while keeping up with their work — and managing everything in between.

Why Start a Hobby Farm?

The benefits of farming are numerous. There is something deeply satisfying about bringing things to life and knowing your hard work is what helped them grow. Plus, farming can instill great life skills like hard work, discipline, patience and perseverance. Sometimes you can even earn a little extra cash on the side, too!

However, when we asked our experts why they chose life on the farm, they all had a similar answer — it’s all about family. Farming can be a priceless legacy that passes down from parent to child, strengthening family bonds and creating invaluable memories.

If starting a farm or hobby farm is truly something you aspire to do, go out and make it happen! Like our employees and agents, if you have the drive to do it, you can make it happen. Remember, with the right support, any dream is possible. We’ve got a number of articles for supporting you dream that’ll help you along the way. And if you still have questions about hobby farming or questions for your unique needs, make sure to connect with your local agent for specialized assistance.