Hokey Homesteaders 🐐

One of the things that annoys me the most about the whole topic of homesteading and farming more generally is the hokeness that is promoted around it. That somehow “back-to-the-land” is old fashioned, that it’s cute and beautiful, some kind of romantic vision rather then a reality of mud and manure, pests and chemicals, scientific knowledge about how ecological systems work.

Certain products and technologies make sense in rural areas for rural uses. Like tractors and plows, manure spreaders, all kinds of farm implements and tools. But that doesn’t make it hokey or old fashioned. Some very old technologies have a role on a modern farm, sometimes old equipment is paid for and works well. Sometimes old practices are worth taking a second look at because they worked well in the past and are still relevant. And others should be left in the past. Certain clothing just makes sense while working in the barn, especially during cold weather. Certain products are durable and can withstand the harsh farm conditions.

But that doesn’t explain the whole story of the hokeness. Some of it is branding, indeed many farmers see a lot of benefit as selling their products as natural and bucoloic. People want to envision land as green with happy farm animals and nature, it cna sell a lot of products. Still, I think it can get a bit silly, and make it seem like homesteaders and farmers are backwards, anti-modern, and not up on the latest of technology, even if in many cases they have long adopted many technologies that make sense on a modern homestead or farm. And this kind of market discounts homesteading and farming as being boutique. I really don’t  necessary embrace it.