So I decided to set aside this post for the answers to some of the questions posed by our fellow Farm Fanatics…before I do so, however, I thought I would give you a listen to a recent interview on ME, by James Talmage Stevens. You may recall that Mr. Stevens, the author of “Making The Best of Basics,” was recently on our show. If you are interested in hearing my interview on HIM, CLICK HERE. If you are interested in Mr. Stevens work in general, CLICK HERE.

Anyhow, here’s the interview, below. I’m giving you fair warning that the interview lasts for almost two hours, so I’d grab myself some cookies and milk, or maybe a relaxing tea, and get ready for an interesting discussion:

In the meantime, don’t forget that we are interviewing Storey Publishing author Bob Bennett on “Storey’s Guide to Raising Rabbits.” We’ll be on 6PM EST later today. If you are a member, you should have the link to chat or call into the show as it goes on LIVE. Otherwise, you can hear it after the fact on our little radio show player on the right hand side of the blog.

Alrighty! So now that we’re done with the news, I can now move on to answering some questions we get from YOU, fans and friends, via email and messages we sometimes get through Facebook (you DO know that The Renegade Farmer has a fanpage. No? Well, check it out HERE)!

So here we go:

1. How do I leave comments on your website?

Oddly, I’ve gotten this question more than once. If you are reading this post, or any other, you just simply click the “Read More” section at the end of each post. Each post is purposely shortened so that YOU HAVE to open it to read the whole post, because that is the only way the “leave a comment” box is visible. And, no, I didn’t intend to do it…for some reason, our template just works like that. I don’t make the rules, I just try to follow the loopy workings of computer code.

So, unless for some reason you just like reading HALF posts, you’ll probably find the “leave a comment” box once you open the full post. Unless, of course, you’re just skimming these posts and not really reading…and why would you wanna go and do a thing like that?

2. What do you mean by the term Renegade Farmer?

The Renegade Farmer is sort of a misnomer. We actually talk about real-life, old-world, good-ole farming. The kind of farming most people think of when they think of farming–Farmer Brown with Bessy the cow and his tractor and farmalls. Yeah, that kind of farming. How is this renegade?  It occurred to me some time ago, sadly, that THIS type of farming is actually now NOT the norm. That the small, simple ethical farmer was being marginalized by the big, corporate giants that barely use good farming practices (or aren’t even on a farm!) that seems to have taken over the commercialization of farming.
So Renegade Farmers are bucking the system, continuing on in the tradition that I think farming SHOULD be.

Renegade farmer has also come to be about other things: women in farming, which I am a big advocate of, but  is considered “renegade” because most folks think women can’t handle big livestock and big machines. And city farmers, who are renegade by their very concept. Since I fall into both those categories, I’d like to think of myself as the ultimate “Renegade Farmer.” What about you?

3. How do you find the guest you do for the show?

We bribe them with promises of cookies and New York Cheescake. Perhaps a mixture of stupidity and moxie. Really. I’ve had a career in both radio and performing arts. Contrary to popular belief, this doesn’t lend itself to great connections, but it makes for this crazy personality trait (at least, in my case), where you aren’t afraid to ask people to do things like, say, be on a radio show. And it builds character as you get less afraid of rejection.

And, as mama always said: “You have nothing to lose if you ask someone for something. If you ask, there’s a 50% chance they’ll say yes and a 50% chance they’ll say no. But if you don’t ever ask, you’ll definitely get a 100% chance of a no answer.”

So far we have been very lucky in that the wonderful guests on our show have been very gracious, and we appreciate it!

4. How did you gather your team of writers?

Wow, that question almost implied I had some sort of organized, detailed effort going on! Haha! I have actually been very lucky that the lovely regular writers we have, right now, are such a dedicated, hardworking, great bunch o’ folks.

Penny Peterson and Paul Wald are really too good for me, to be fair. I love their writing, their personalities, their writing style, and their commitment to this crazy thing called the Renegade Farmer. Folks, if you have a chance PLEASE PLEASE check out their own endeavors. They take time out of their very busy lives to write about what they love, FARMING and THE FARMING lifestyle, and that’s what the Renegade Farmer is all about.

Check them out:

Penny Peterson ~ http://all-natural-mama.blogspot.com

Paul Wald ~ SaltCreekLife.com

You could not find two more witty, funny, eloquent writers. We are happy to have these two Renegade Farmers here!

4. How does a city girl even THINK she knows about farming? And why do you feel you’re ready to have a farm?

Wow, talk about one strong email. For me to explain myself here would probably be a bit much, especially since I’ve mentioned the whos, whats, wheres, whens, and whys on both my radio show, and in THIS POST. And, I would hope people aren’t such purists about the farming life that they are exclusionary about it. I TRY to put all sorts of spins on this crazy farm world as I can, and in both our radio format, and this website, I hope myself and my collegues give an air of openness, variety, and possibilities to farmers, and farmer wanna-bees.

I KNOW I’m the city slicker, but I’m the best prepped city slicker you’ll ever meet…and, I’m willing to fall down and get dirty just to learn what I don’t know. I can’t say for sure how I KNOW I’m ready for farming, but it’s a constant, dull, longing ache that echoes through most moments of my day. I yearn for that piece of acreage, wherever it may be, to no end, and it drives me to do crazy things, like work on a city farm, tend bees on rooftops, WRITE THIS POST about Farm Fever, and run a crazy radio show with guests who are living my dream RIGHT NOW. Maybe I’m hoping to live vicariously through them, who knows?

I’ll tell you this much, you cannot live in the largest city in America and not wig-out people with your endless farm fantasy. I have literally drawn stares on the subway where I will crack open a book on Draft Horses, or draw hysterical gasps from people when I tell them I keep bees and they realize: “oh, she means IN THE CITY.” And while most well educated young city women are perusing catalogues of Anne Klein and Victoria’s Secret, I’m waiting for John Deere, Rosie’s Coveralls, Hobby Farms, and Murray McMurray to come to my door.  My heart goes pitter-patter when I think of stocking my imaginary farm with old enamelware, graniteware coffee mugs, redwork embroidery, quilts or old farm tools.

Yeah, I’m a rural-loving weirdo, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Alright folks, that’s it for now! As always if YOU have any questions, send them along to therenegadefarmer@gmail.com. I’m thinking this segment of answering questions online could become a regular series…so stay tuned for more Farm mayhem!

Thanks!
Zan Asha