I'm a programmer, my dad's a dairy farmer. We're both happy with our choices. Anyone thinking of the farm life, just be careful of romanticizing it as this arti

I'm a programmer, my dad's a dairy farmer. We're both happy with our choices. Anyone thinking of the farm life, just be careful of romanticizing it as this article does. You have to be very efficient and manage risk extremely well - a lot is out of your control (the weather, crop/livestock diseases, the prices of livestock feed/fertilizer/seed, the price of the final commodity you sell which is determined by global markets). Farmers often have razor thin margins and it can be very stressful when it doesn't rain and your crops/livestock start dying, or when input prices in your local area are above global sales prices for your commodity. These things happen from time to time and must be planned for properly (insure/self-insure and don't freak out), or you risk emotional and financial bankruptcy. This takes some doing. My dad can handle this risk and he is a very happy and successful farmer. I can't. I'm a very happy programmer.