I want to live on a farm.

[bertha katzenengel]

I want to own a farm with a few chickens (for eggs, not to kill them for food), a couple of milk cows, and rescued dogs, cats, horses, bunnies, etc.

I want to run a rescue ranch.

Can anyone give me a million dollars for this good cause? Do we have any philanthropists here on DU?

Sigh. Just tho't I'd ask.

My dream last night fueled this desire, and I'm sure the desire gave birth to the dream.

[pandabear]

1. I wish I could help!

I'm sure it wouldn't be that hard to start up!

[Eric J in MN]

2. Maybe you can volunteer at Farm Sanctuary, for some of the experience.

====================================================================
http://www.farmsanctuary.org/visit/index.htm

ave you ever given a pig a belly rub…talked to a turkey…or kissed a cow? The critters at Farm Sanctuary love visitors as much as you will love our unique shelters.

Currently, Farm Sanctuary operates two shelters — a 175-acre farm in upstate New York and a 300-acre farm in northern California. Our shelters rescue, rehabilitate and provide lifelong care for hundreds of animals who have been rescued from stockyards, factory farms, and slaughterhouses. Here, the animals are given all the care and love needed to recover from a lifetime of abuse and neglect. All of the animals have nourishing food, spacious, clean barns, and acres of green, sunny pastures in which to roam.

==================================================================

(They don't give cows' milk or chicken eggs to people, though.)

[bertha katzenengel]

3. How freaking cool.

It's only a day's drive to upstate NY. And we want to go to Cooperstown, anyway. Maybe next spring we'll hit the road. Thank you for the GREAT link, Eric J!
:bounce:

[Eric J in MN]

4. You could also look into Poplar Spring in Maryland.

I'm not familar with Poplar Spring. I just did a google search and found it, and so I'm not endorsing it, but perhaps you can check them out:

http://www.animalsanctuary.org/volunteer/index.html

Here are directions:
http://www.animalsanctuary.org/events/directions.html

[bertha katzenengel]

7. We're going to their open house in September! It's settled and already

being planned.

Thanks, Eric! You rock.

[Eric J in MN]

8. You're welcome (nt)

nt

[Nikia]

5. Come to WI

I don't know how big of a farm you need. A couple of years ago, we looked at a house with ten acres and several farm buildings for $150,000. I think that they were selling it for less than it was worth, but still you probably could find something for much less than you imagined.
You probably can substain the cost of taking care of the animals if you also board pets and/or sell stuff from the farm.
I don't know your financial situation right now, but I don't think that it would be too hard to get a loan if you have a little bit of savings and income.

[RebelOne]

6. If some nice philantropist does donate $1 million,

please let me know. I would love to join you and save the animals. I do what I can for animal rescue, like dog or cat transports to forever homes and right now I am fostering a little doggie until he gets a forever home. I would take in a lot more doggies, but I live in a mobile home and I also have a Rottweiler who is quite large, so there is just not enough room.

[friesianrider]

18. Aww, good for you!

That's awesome that you foster rescue dogs. Fosters truly are the biggest part of rescue that makes it possible!

:yourock:

[roguevalley]

20. a friend of mine goes to our shelter everyday and photos the

aimals. then she loads them into petfinder.com. she has saved sooooooooo
many animals.

[Ksec]

9. I love farms.

the smells and sounds. The barns are the best. When you walk into one you get the smell of the hay , the creaking wood floor, the shade . Great stuff, but in reality the work farmers do is unrelenting. But I still would love to own one. No sheep or pigs though. They stink.

[fleabert]

10. you could also get some farm time at 'the farm' in TN...

http://www.thefarm.org/index.html
http://www.thefarm.org/etc/

[ThomWV]

11. Have You Ever Lived On A Working Farm?

You might take a somewhat different view of the good farm-life if you spent a bit of time living and working on one.

I'm not going to comment beyond that other than to say it might not be the life you expect.

[bertha katzenengel]

12. Nope.

If I don't have to work off the farm to make a living, I'm prepared to do the work. But that's why I need a philanthropist, or a lottery win. I wouldn't have the energy such a place needs and couldn't give my animals the care they deserve if I had to work.

[Ivan Sputnik]

13. Buy or rent "Green Acres" on DVD

It might cure you.

[bertha katzenengel]

14. That's a puzzling reply. :)

I grew up watching that show. Even as a child I knew it wasn't reality. The most absurd thing about it was that every character was a gross caricature.

[progmom]

15. that sounds like a blast.

i need to buy a lottery ticket.

[kwassa]

16. Farms are very hard never-ending work for very little money

and all my grandparents were quite happy to leave them, and not look back. The outlook gets worse, not better.

I grew up in Ohio, and most farmers had second jobs to survive, and sometimes could be seen farming at night by the headlights on their tractors.

[bertha katzenengel]

19. It won't be a money-making venture. n/t

[friesianrider]

17. I live on a horse farm :)

It is AWESOME having your own "part" of the Earth...and we only have 12 acres!

All of our animals (horses, kitties, bunnies, and froggies) are rescues except for one horse. Our other gelding was rescued from an abusive and neglectful situation which caused him to lose his left eye (owner saw fit to hit him over the head with a crowbar - asshole. It's been very rewarding to have the land available to rescue more critters than just cats and dogs. All of our bunnies don't take up much room, but they are all rescues as well - Easter bunnies that stupid parents buy for their kids and always, always, ALWAYS get to be "too much" after about a month (or the little brat inevitably loses interest after a few weeks, as they always do). :eyes:

Having a farm is a lot of work, but absolute heaven on Earth! :)

[JI7]

21. that was a long time dream of mine as a child

not so much anymore. but i do still think about it at times.

it was probably because of books i read about the kids playing and having fun on the farm.

you might be able to do it if you start small such as just the chickens and then increase with time.

[bertha katzenengel]

22. it's a nice dream to have

unless I ever win a lottery or come into money that will allow me to build the farm and not work, it'll remain a dream.

[MissMillie]

23. Can I live there too?

I figure living around animals can't be all that different than living with teenagers.... :shrug:

[bertha katzenengel]

24. Well, you get dirty with teenagers, don't you?

So it shouldn't be too different.

[Shell Beau]

25. I would absolutely love to do that too!

It would be wonderful!

[bridgit]

26. friends of ours want us to move outside of philly...

they have a place all picked out = older farm house w/out-structures enough for hubby's art facility & production antics already sitting on 80acres for $48,000 we are seriously taking a look @ the prospect :thumbsup:

[MissB]

27. First,

go check out the book "Keep Chickens! Tending Small Flocks in Cities, Suburbs, and Other Small Spaces" by Barbara Kilarski. Most cities allow you to keep about 3 hens within city limits. They're fairly easy and cheap, plus they eat bugs and weeds. And they pop out about one egg a day.

You can have kitties and chickens in the city. Hey, it's a start.

[ornotna]

28. So, what do you think of Canada?

You could move here.
And it wouldn't cost a million.

[chaska]

29. Visit Twin Oaks Community near Charlotteville VA....

http://www.twinoaks.org/

You can do a formal 3 week visit for I think it was $60. You eat fantastic meals and get to learn lots of stuff. You work in the garden, the dairy, the hammock shop, make cheese, work in the kitchen, make tofu. It's a great, and very cheap, vacation.

They are lefties of course.