Reply #26: Hmmmmm [View All]

[Coyote_Bandit]

I would LIKE to write persuasive social and political commentary. Not novels or poetry or how to succeed in business books or children's books or whatever else. I realize that the odds are against me doing so and consistently earning enough money to be self-sustaining from my efforts. I do have several ideas and am actively shopping them to reputable literary agents. No takers thus far.

Most farmers take on several hundred thousand of dollars in debt just to begin their operations. Before they even start they need a sizable chunk of land that has water and offers some shelter and the ability to graze, a bunch of livestock, fences, barns with some feed and hay stocked, fuel, tools, tractors, mowers, rakes, balers, trailers, trucks, etc. Given the corporate nature of competition within the agriculture industry, the situation with global warming and climate change and developing diseases such as mad cow that is not a risk I wish to take. There are farmers on both sides of my family for several generations back. At the age of 35 my brother who had farmed all his life decided to sell the farm which had been in the family for three generations. He liked the work and was experienced and good at it. I wouldn't mind some free range chickens, a pond stocked with fish and a large garden. It is the difference between being a "gentleman farmer" and having a business.

I would consider a metropolitan area of 50,000 to 100,000 provided it was not in a location where it frequently had pollution from other larger metropolitan areas blow through. Depending on wind currents even the Grand Canyon can sometimes be blanketed by smog from Los Angeles. I have been actively seeking work in several areas about this size for quite some time. Positions that utilize my skills and background do not open up frequently. Most employers do not want to hire someone who is overqualified. And overqualified candidates are often thought to be easily employable - elsewhere.