Alasdair Boden: There’s no shame in being a part-time farmer

It probably won’t come as a shock, but this occasional article isn’t my full-time job.

Neither is farming – although that is an integral part of my working life. I’m not alone.

There is a growing trend of people farming whose primary income comes from off the farm.

See also: Alasdair Boden – it’s sad to see the dairy sector shrink

About the author

Alasdair Boden

Having been brought up in Kendal, Alasdair Boden returned to the Lake District in 2019 when he and his wife, Heather, bought a holiday cottage business. The 37-year-old describes himself as an “accidental farmer’ having later acquired the 40ha historically connected to the enterprise.

Read more articles by Alasdair Boden

In this valley, only one holding has farming as their sole income. Everybody else, like us, also “farms” tourists, with accommodation and campsites the most common additions.

Elsewhere, I know many people who rely on this “secondary” income as the one that brings in the cash.

These jobs could be directly related to agriculture, such as at the local mart or agri store, or might be something totally different: plumbing, teaching or even practising law.

This is not new, and it’s certainly not a bad thing.

Before the Second World War, farmers in this area would regularly head off to work in mines or build infrastructure projects.

However, as farming industrialised, it required full-time attention and, with this, came the rise of the standalone “farmer”.

But now we’re moving back to how it was before – smaller holdings where people might still rear 75 head of sheep but do 30 hours of work a week elsewhere.

Often those, such as myself, who are part-time farmers, are timid to call themselves such when around others in the industry.

There is still a feeling that to have the prestigious job title of farmer, you need to have 500 head of sheep and work 25 hours a day, seven days a week without holidays.

This shouldn’t be the case. We should welcome and encourage people to work away from the land. It offers financial stability, easing the mental load and bringing a chance to socialise.

Right now I’m more a “land manager” than a farmer and work part-time as a marketing manager.

While one day I might give up the contracted job, farming is unlikely to become my sole income.

I’m happy with that. And in the meantime, I’ll continue grappling with how to describe myself.