Hobby Farms

Horses and goats and chickens and sheep and pigs and donkeys... Who’s counting anyway? Wait. Is that my duck? 

Everyone needs a place to call their own. A secure hen house, a shelter for the goats with tree stumps or even a trampoline to play on, stalls or run-ins for the horses, and a few well-placed pens can create a small barnyard community of its own.  

Maybe it’s a vegetable garden, a few fruit trees, or an established orchard. Herbs, berries and flowers might find their way in too, along with an apple tree or two that your horses will undoubtedly sample. 

Maybe there’s a big shade tree, a duck pond, a greenhouse tucked into a sunny corner, or your little farm stand outside the gate.  

A hobby farm can be as simple or as busy as you want it to be. Gathering eggs, tending the garden, caring for different animals, keeping up with projects, and making trips to the feed store can all become part of everyday life. 

A hobby farm has a lot of pieces to bring together. Think about how easily you can get from the barnyard to the garden, whether gates and paths make everyday chores convenient instead of navigating a maze, and where the animals are in relation to the house. Just how close do you want that rooster crowing by your bedroom window?