Like many of us at Backyard Life, you’ve probably daydreamed about living in the country. Busting loose from the city and making a move to more peaceful surroundings. Enjoying a backyard fishing pond, biking or hiking trails, or even a farm on your own property. And of course, we love living vicariously through others who are making that dream a reality, too.
On the flipside, there are cons to living in the country. For starters, it can be a lot of work and isn’t always “convenient.” But, with these realities come plenty of pros, too. Here, are just a few of the many rural living benefits our ambassadors have experienced, firsthand. (Just in case you need a little more validation to convince your family to do the same!)
The Benefits of Living in the Country
Where to start? Be it gardens or orchards, wildlife food plots, fishing ponds or hiking trails, there’s something for virtually anyone. Not to mention the peace and quiet that comes with having few, if any, neighbors. Here, are a few more rural living benefits our ambassadors regularly enjoy—and celebrate.
Growing Your Own Food
One of the best things about his 100-acre family farm, says Arms Family Homestead YouTuber Daniel Arms, is that his kids are able to tend gardens and livestock. Basically, they’re learning, firsthand, how to grow and raise their own food.
Learn More:
How to Plant a Vegetable Garden
What to Do With Excess Fall Garden Vegetables
Developing Your Own “Fish Factory”
Yep, it’s true: With proper pond management practices, you can create a trophy fishery right in your own backyard! That’s what renowned angler Joe Thomas dreamed of doing when he decided to lay down roots on his Southern Ohio property. Years later, he says his pond has delivered in every way.
Learn More:
Pond Management for Trophy Fish
Backyard Bass Pond Management
Creating Your Own Wildlife Habitat
When it comes to rural living, Bone Collector host Michael Waddell has it in his blood. A native of little-known Booger Bottom, Georgia, Waddell is passionate about his pecan farm and creating world-class turkey hunting habitat.
Learn More:
How to Create Turkey Food Plots
How to Attract Trophy Bucks with Clover
Monetizing Your Property
Whether you’re harvesting pecans like Waddell, or chopping and selling wood like Mike Morgan from YouTube’s Outdoors with the Morgans, rural properties provide opportunities to earn extra income. As pro bass angler Andy Morgan says about harvesting and baling hay on his Tennessee homestead, “It’s a great way to get some production out of your farm and earn a little extra income. You just have to be willing to do the work, or have some good help on hand.”
Learn More:
How to Monetize Your Rural Property
Halloween Activities for Rural Families
Having Your Own Outdoor Playground
Building forts and bonfires. Holding open-air family cookouts. Enjoying hunting, fishing or nature-watching. No matter the choice, living in the country can be like living in your very own national park. Follow Mike Morgans’ lead and build an elaborate trail system prime for hiking, walking dogs or riding ATVs. Or, set up a backyard archery range like Andy Morgan. Of course, you can always add everything from a pool to a putting green. With an abundance of elbow room to work with, the possibilities are as endless as your imagination!
Learn More:
How to Build a Tabletop Jump for Dirt Bikes
Mowing Trails on the Arms Family Homestead
