Farm life isn’t what it used to be. However, if you still have dreams of milking cows, plowing fields and making the most out of the earth, here are just five tips for building or buying farms or pastures.

1. Use Your Own Money

Don’t take out loans or mortgages to pay for your farm. It might seem like a quick solution to get the land that you want, but financial debt is one of the most common reasons that farms go under. It’s much better to simply start small. Buy a few acres, tend to them carefully and purchase more land as you become more profitable.

2. Choose Your Niche

In the same vein as the above, you don’t want to overextend yourself when it comes to raising crops or tending animals. Not only will you stretch yourself too thin, but you’ll also have multiple markets to juggle when it’s time to sell your goods. Do yourself a favor and stick to one type of animal, vegetable or mineral. Build yourself a reputation as a specialist before you expand.

3. Insure Everything

This is especially important if you plan on breeding horses or any other high-value animal. Things like horse medical insurance might cost you a few dollars upfront, but in the case of an accident or emergency, you’ll be glad that you had the coverage when you needed it. You should look into insuring your farm as a whole if you live somewhere like Tornado Valley.

4. Know Your Land

Certain crops might require more sun or water than your location can give them. Consider various aspects such as that there might be fertilizers like liquid fertilizers for pastures which might suit your land. Another thing to  keep in mind is that some animals might destroy the land to create a more natural environment for themselves. Instead of trying to force a square peg into a round hole, work with what you have. Raise the plants and animals that will flourish in your area for both a profitable farm and a less-stressful life.

5. Say Goodbye to Clean Clothes

You can’t live and work on a farm without rolling up your sleeves every once in awhile. Even if you hire workers to handle the “big stuff,” you should still expect to get dirty every once in awhile. That’s farm life.

These are just a few things to keep in mind if you’re thinking about buying your own farm. It will take a lot of hard work and dedication, but if you’re serious about living off the land, this is the way to do it.