I came across a meme that fits exactly into my train of thoughts. “Gardening isn’t just a hobby – it’s a way of life that will change you forever!” Absolutely agree!
Defining “Hobby”
With a simple Google search of “hobby definition,” the first result is from the Oxford Language stating a hobby is “an activity done regularly in one’s leisure time for pleasure,” with an archaic definition of “a small horse or pony.”
With bachelor’s degree in English Education and one credit away from a Master’s degree, I dove further into what a “hobby” is through the Oxford English Dictionary. This dictionary entry will give definitions of the word through the centuries. In 1375, hobby meant a small horse.
How does this word transition to our modern usage of doing an activity for fun? The fifth definition in the OED of “hobby” describes it as “a favorite occupation or topic, pursued merely for the amusement or interest that it affords.” Example sentences of this use of “hobby” are from the 19’th century. With industrialization in both Great Britain and America, people began having more free time. During this time, the definition still alludes to riding a horse stating, “compared to riding a toy horse.”
Riding a small horse or riding a toy horse refers to doing an activity for fun, for the pleasure of it. If find that hobbies today are directed more to activities that are enjoyable, but not necessary to accomplish a great goal. They are there to make us productive or creative during our free, leisure time.
What is A Hobby Farm?
I cringe when I hear hobby farm or hobby gardening. I don’t believe a farm needs to be set up to be a business in order to be called a farm. Nor do I believe that if the farm is not a business does it defer to being called a hobby farm.
Many people have farms because it gives them a way of life that they long for. A way of life to be stewards of the land; a way of life to enjoy fresh air and movement; a way of life to provide healthy food to their family and neighbors.
It wasn’t until 1960 that the use of the term “hobby farm” began. Suburban expansion has been going on for at least a decade at this point. Country folk moving to cities for different employment has been happening for decades at this point. People are not raising and growing their own food because it is the same price or cheaper at a grocery store. Why would people farm outside of having a business if it meant spending more to grow and raise your own? They would need to be doing it for their own enjoyment, right?
Farming: A Way of Life
Yes, there are hobby farms. People have money to enjoy the land and have a few projects to mess around with. But, what I see in agriculture, whether a family business farm or a homestead, is that people choose to grow a garden, make food from scratch, raise farm animals, or hunt for wild game to invest in their own way of life.
One doesn’t decide to grow their own food because they had extra time too. And not every step in growing and raising food is pleasurable. Some steps of the process just need done. When burnout comes, that doesn’t mean a farmer or homesteader can say, “Nope, not today. I’m going to do something else pleasurable with my time.”
In negative degree weather, I’m out buddled up in layers of hoodies and insulted coats and bibs checking on my chickens’ water supply.
In a season with none stop rain and cold, I am waiting for the soil to dry and warm up to transplant loads of summertime garden plants.
Minutes after arriving from a vacation or trip, I am picking flowers to sell at a local farmer’s market until well past dusk.
After long days of work, I come home to harvest tomatoes and to can them for the coming winter before heading back to bed for the next day of work. Not all homesteaders or farmers stay home fulltime on their land.
After seeing only one small deer the whole early muzzleloader season, I head out with my husband again in rifle season.
Agriculture is from God’s Beautiful Creation
Hobbies are designed to be pleasurable in every step. With gardening, farming, and homesteading, it takes perseverance in overcoming the trials to succeed in growing something beautiful and meaning full.
God provides us with an Earth full of fresh air. He also created us with a body that can walk and move. Life seems most genuine when I am outdoors in the fresh air and giving my body some movement. I love seeing what other people in agriculture are accomplishing on social media, but the love of ag centers on fresh air and movement.
Planting and harvesting a garden provide me with not only that fresh air and movement, but also teaches me how to serve the plants to allow them to grow to their greatest ability. The two greatest commandments from God are loving and serving Him and loving and serving others. It takes a good heart to take a seed, germinate it, plant it outdoors, watch it grow, harvest, and save its seeds. But it builds a great heart doing this season after season.
Homesteading and farming are the same. One with a good heart is going to care for their animals, not because it gives them pleasure, but that it is something worth doing in life to serve those animals. God needs us to do the job and do it well. Whether it be a few animals on a homestead to support one’s family, or whether it be an agribusiness with countless produce or animals that feeds people across multiple counties and states.
Life with Gardening, Homesteading, and Farming
No, gardening, farming, or homesteading is not a hobby to majority of stewards in agriculture. It is a way of life to serve God, serve the Earth He created, serve the other forms of life He created and blessed us with, and serve our neighbors and families with bountiful harvests and beautiful countryside scenery. Farming is a way of life.
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