The story you are telling yourself about who and where you want to be often answer the what to do question. I like both the "farming is a fine future" and the

The story you are telling yourself about who and where you want to be often answer the what to do question. I like both the "farming is a fine future" and the "hang around people with ideas" advice already mentioned here, but I think they are at odds. Farming is definitely a good and important profession, but it is very hard work. People may not look at you as unemployable at 40, but your body will ache with the required labor. Also, rural areas tend to be self-normalizing, and there is little ability to dream. Ask your friend how he feels in his community. Does he like going to breakfast with the other farmers at 5 am and gossiping about crop yields, seeds, and prices? Or does he miss the buzz of a city? If he doesn't know, invite him to come visit for a weekend to see how he feels. Sometimes you can figure out what to do based on where you want to be.