I found this text here, and thought it was interesting.

How do you know if your farm is too big? Your farm may be too big if…

· If the fence rows are either gone or so clean you no longer hear the birds singing.

· If gullies appear on slopes and road ditches are filled with muddy water after a rain.

· If the soil feels like pavement under your feet, or you don’t like walking across it anymore.

· If the farm begins to look more like a sea or desert, rather than a patch work quilt.

· If your cows no longer have names and your children wouldn’t know them if they did.

· If your animals never feel the sun, don’t have room to walk, or never touch the dirt.

· If your farm no longer smells like a farm but stinks like a sewer or a factory.

· If it’s no longer safe for anyone but an adult to work with your machinery or chemicals.

· If you work harder and harder, but it always seems there is more work to be done.

· If a bigger tractor, combine, or new pickup truck seems like it might solve your problems.

· If your banker or contractor owns more of your farm than you will ever own.

· If the farm is keeping the family apart, or tearing it apart, rather than bringing it together.

· If your children begin to dislike farm life and vow not to return to the farm.

· If you no longer feel good about asking your family to live on a farm.

· If you’re too busy to bother with community affairs, and rarely go into town anymore.

· If you drive right through “your” town to buy things in the city, just to save a few dollars.

· If neighbors complain about dust, noise, or odors from your farm, and you don’t care.

· If caring for the land no longer gives purpose and meaning to your life.

· If continuing the farming tradition feels more like a burden rather than a privilege.

· If you’re too busy to notice changing seasons, to watch the sunset, or to feel the wind blow.

· If farming is no longer exciting, no longer fun, if it’s hard to face a new season.

· If you have forgotten why you wanted to be a farmer in the first place.

If very many of these things ring true, odds are your farm is too big.