What exactly does it mean to be “dirt rich?”
We’ve had this question posed to us before when folks have seen Stoney Creek Farm’s “Dirt Rich” tagline.
Living “dirt rich” is all about making sustainable choices with what you purchase, recycle, and reuse.
It’s about growing and preserving your own healthy food and making intentional decisions with how you spend your time.
It’s about giving back to your community and leaving a lasting legacy for future generations.
In a nutshell, it’s about living a life of more joy and less stress.
Who wouldn’t want that?
Here are 3 reasons living “dirt rich” can improve your life and finances.
1. You have the freedom to live your passion and dreams.
Living “dirt rich” means that you have freedom—freedom to follow your passions, to act on your dreams, to not be constricted by corporate life, debt, or an overdependence on consumer supply chains.
I (Leigh) spent years climbing the corporate ladder. It left me with stress that I could feel in my body. I began developing health problems, like high blood pressure, that would surely damage my heart if I didn’t take steps to get control of it.
It wasn’t until I stepped away from that go-go-go world, and moved to Stoney Creek Farm, that I finally was able to breathe again.
I now am able to live a slower, more intentional lifestyle. My husband, Olin, and I have both been able to retire debt-free, and the income streams we’ve developed from the farm over the last 14 years support us financially.
For many people, today’s rising living costs (and consumer-heavy society) don’t allow for retiring debt free.
But by choosing a sustainable lifestyle, we’ve been able to pay off past debt and avoid future debt. This gives us the freedom to run our own business, do the things we love, and travel whenever we feel like it.
2. You are able to make a difference in your community and beyond.
Local agriculture benefits your community in powerful ways.
This article from the University of Vermont gives 10 great reasons that you should buy food from your local farm:
- It looks and tastes better.
- It’s better for you.
- It preserves genetic diversity.
- It’s safe.
- It supports local families.
- It builds community.
- It preserves open space.
- It keeps taxes down.
- It benefits the environment and wildlife.
- It is an investment in the future.
When you only have to ship food a matter of miles (instead of across the country), less gas is used—a win for the environment. The food is also healthier, since it loses nutrients every day it’s traveling on the road.
By supporting local agriculture, you also keep more money circulating in your community, rather than shoveling it over to major corporations.
Being “dirt rich” isn’t only about what you grow in your own garden. While we grow our own vegetables and produce at Stoney Creek Farm, we source our meat and other food items, like honey, from local farmers, doing our best to keep our money in the local community.
3. You can leave a legacy to future generations.
Did you know… ?
Today’s society is 3 – 5 generations from the farm.
Up until the last century, farm living was a fact of life for the vast majority of the population. But with the advent of the supermarket in the early 1900s, we shifted away from an agriculturally-knowledgeable society to a society that can’t imagine a life without the conveniences of purchasing any type of food—during any season—from the grocery store.
This means society is experiencing a major disconnect between consuming food and knowing how this food is produced.
Additionally, home economics is no longer widely taught in schools. Our youth aren’t given the opportunity to learn important life skills, like preserving your own food.
I learned how to preserve food from my own mother. As a teen, I didn’t like the idea of helping her can our fruits and vegetables… because teenagers don’t like anything that isn’t their idea! But later in life, I’ve realized how important that skill was and am thankful my mom made me learn it.
Preserving your own food means that you know exactly what is in your food: straight from the field without pesticides and not doused with extra salt.
Today one of the most popular classes at the farm is Canning 101. People are starting to realize the importance of healthy food and want to teach their children and grands how to live a healthier life—which starts with the food you put in your body.
We can’t think of anything more worth living “dirt rich” than leaving a legacy to future generations.
You’re invited.
2021 Sustainable Farm Conference
If you’re interested in a “dirt rich” life of more joy and less stress, we invite you to join us right here at Stoney Creek Farm on October 2, 2021 for our Annual Sustainable Farm Conference.
We’ll give you the guidance and tools to incorporate money-saving sustainable living practices into your life.
Whether you’re looking to own a farm, start your own homestead, or simply live sustainably right where you’re at, this conference is for you.
