I didn’t grow up dreaming of being a farmer. Like many people, I wanted a good job, a stable income, and a comfortable life. I wanted to be respected for my work, earn enough to take care of my family, and still have something left to save or invest. But things don’t always go as planned.
These days, I teach, I write, and I do other things on the side. Still, I’ve come to understand something very important; one source of income is no longer enough. Prices keep going up. Food is more expensive. Bills never stop coming. And somehow, your salary stays the same. It feels like working hard just to remain in the same spot. That’s when I started to look at things differently. That’s how I returned to the soil.
I started with rabbits, small, quiet animals that don’t need much space but need a lot of care. Feeding them, cleaning their space, and watching over them daily taught me patience. When they give birth, it feels like a reward for all the time and attention I’ve given them. Their droppings also help my crops grow better. Nothing is wasted.
Then came the goats. Oh, goats! These animals are strong-willed, full of energy, and they test your patience like nothing else. But I’ve grown fond of them. You can't afford to ignore them for even one day. And then there’s the farm.
I started growing what we eat: pepper, vegetables like spinach, fluted pumpkin (ugwu), scent leaves, and sometimes okra. I grow different types of pepper, rodo, atarodo, and tatase. When I step into the garden and see life pushing through the soil, I feel peace. It's not always easy. Sometimes pests come, sometimes rain doesn’t fall when needed, and sometimes the sun is too harsh. But that’s life, isn’t it? Nothing good comes without some effort.
Farming is not easy. Let nobody deceive you. It takes time. You must wake early. You must be ready to sweat. You will feel tired. Sometimes, you will feel like giving up. But when you bring in your first harvest, when you cook with your own pepper or give out vegetables from your backyard, there’s a joy in your heart. A sense of fulfilment. A kind of freedom that can’t be bought.
Farming has taught me a lot. It has shown me the value of consistency, the beauty of growth, and the power of starting small. In this tough economy, growing your own food is one way to fight back. Even if it doesn’t solve all your problems, it helps. It reduces how much you spend. It keeps you active. It connects you to nature. It gives you options.
You don’t need a big land to start. You can plant in sacks, buckets, or any small space around you. What matters is the mindset.
So yes, I farm. I farm not just because I enjoy it, but because it makes sense in today’s world. I farm because I want to eat what I grow. I farm because I want to show others that even in this hard economy, we can still take steps to help ourselves.
If you’ve been thinking about it, don’t wait until things get worse. Start small. Learn. Make mistakes. Grow something. Raise something. And watch how it grows you, too.
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