By nature I am either totally optimistic or wholly pessimistic. That can be a lethal combination in that sometimes I find myself running headlong into something because I'm just really excited about it and then crashing and burning because it doesn't initially go as I had hoped. One of those pessimistic question that pops into my head from time to time on the farm is, "Should I quit the farm?" On the surface this is just one of those questions of doubt that are part of my flawed nature, but I do think there is value in sometimes pulling back and taking time to honestly examine the question. On today's episode I'm going to talk about some of the very practical reasons that I think I should quit farming, and then a few emotionally romantic reasons why I'm probably going to continue this farming journey. Some of my very practical reasons for quitting the farm and chalking it up to a stressful life lessons include money, time, stress, and skill. These are all very important things to think about in any business, but that doesn't make them deal breakers ... I mean for the past five years we have made the farm go and it is definitely more than a hobby! So, instead of asking the question, "Should I quit farming?" ... I try to force myself to answer the question, "Why should we keep the farm going and growing?" The answers to those questions are often less about finances, but sometimes are equally as convincing. How do you keep your work going through the doubts?

I would love to hear your questions, show ideas, or comments about the show. Feel free to shoot me an e-mail! As always you can follow along with "The Beginning Farmer" and Crooked Gap Farm by checking out these links ...