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Why taking a break from your hobby farm is essential for your well being.
Running a hobby farm requires hard work and dedication. Caring for animals can provide a sense of accomplishment and connection to nature that is hard to find in other activities. However, it’s important for hobby farmers to take vacation and enjoy time off to recharge.
In this blog post, we’ll explore why hobby farmers need a vacation from their farm and the benefits that can be gained from taking time away.
Can Hobby Farmers Take Vacations?
Yes, hobby farmers can take vacations. Having an opportunity to take a vacation is so important, even for hobby farmers. It allows families to simply have a break.
Why Do Hobby Farmers Need To Take Vacations?
One of the most important reasons hobby farmers need a vacation from their farm is to avoid burnout. Hobby farming can be demanding and challenging, requiring long hours and hard physical labour. Over time, this can take a toll on both the body and the mind, leading to exhaustion and burnout.
Everyone needs time to rest and hobby farmers are no exception. Taking a vacation from the farm can provide an opportunity to unwind and relax. Whether it’s a trip to the beach, a visit to a spa, or simply a few days spent lounging at a lake house, taking time away can help hobby farmers return to their work feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
How Do Hobby Farmers Take Vacations?
Finding someone to care for your animals is difficult. Not everyone is familiar with farm animals, especially horses. Horses are big and can be intimidating for people.
The other challenge is cost. It’s expensive to pay for someone to care for your animals on top of paying for a family vacation. Ideally, if you can find another farmer that could do chores for you and then you return the favour when they have a vacation. That would be the perfect scenario.
We have always found someone to stay at our home when we go away. My neighbours are also amazing to watch our home and farm. They always know when we are away in case they notice a fence is broken or additional support is required.
Preparation Is The Key So You Can Enjoy Your Vacation!
For our family to go away is extremely stressful for me. The preparation it takes to leave our farm even for a short period of time is a lot. I’m usually exhausted by the time we’re ready to go and wonder if it’s even worth it. I try to organize everything so chores are simple for the person staying at our farm.
I leave short, concise directions. I tend to be a little wordy so over time I’ve tried hard to ‘get to the point’ faster when writing instructions.
It’s important to have detailed instructions regarding food and medication. I use a pill dosette/pill box for each animal with their name marked clearly on the box. It’s important to have individual pill boxes for each of your animals that require medication. That way the caretaker remembers when and what medication is to be given to each animal.
If the person is not familiar with your animals, especially horses, include a description or a photo of each horse. For example: Peanut is the horse with the white on his face. This will prevent medication errors from occurring.
If you are not going to be available by cell while you are away, be certain your caretaker has a contact number for your veterinarian. If you are utilizing medication that has not been prescribed by your veterinarian, be certain the name of the medication is written down in case of emergency. This is important.
Do You Have A Secondary Emergency Contact?
Consider having a backup person to call if required when you are away, especially if the person caring for your animals is inexperienced. A lot of people love animals but if a problem occurs they often won’t know what to do.
It’s also important you write your farm address down on your instructions so your caretaker has it in case someone has to be called to your farm. If there is ever an emergency, technology is wonderful but it’s better the person has your specific address for reference.
Preventing Luggage Woes: A Smart Packing Strategy
We’ve all heard those horror stories of travellers reaching their dream destinations only to find their luggage is MIA. To steer clear of this travel nightmare, one of the best strategies is to prepare in advance. When packing for your vacation, it’s wise to have a small carry-on bag that contains essentials like a bathing suit, flip flops, undergarments, and your toothbrush. This way, if your main luggage is temporarily misplaced, you won’t be left high and dry without your must-haves.
Track Your Luggage with Apple Air Tags
On our Spring cruise, we took our luggage security up a notch by using Apple Air Tags. These nifty little devices can be discreetly placed in each of your pieces of luggage, allowing you to keep tabs on them with ease. This technology gives you the peace of mind that, even in the unlikely event of luggage loss, you’ll be able to track your belongings effortlessly.
For our cruise, we used Apple Air Tags and couldn’t have been happier with the results. Not only did we know our luggage was safely on board when we arrived at the ship, but we could also trace its journey every step of the way. Interested in enhancing your travel experience? Check out the Apple Air Tags we used on our trip and say goodbye to luggage-related worries.
Where Do Hobby Farmers Go On Vacation?
Farmers can go anywhere their little heart desires when taking a vacation. We recently took a 3 day cruise to the Bahamas. It was incredible. I struggle to go away for long periods of time. Next time I would try a 5 day cruise but I think that’s the limit.
Check out this YouTube Short for some highlights from our trip to Miami and the Bahamas.
We travelled on the ship ‘Freedom Of The Seas’ with Royal Caribbean Cruises. The staff were incredible and the ship was extremely clean. There was even a person standing in the entrance way for the buffet to ensure all people washed their hands before entering. I work full time in health care, this was huge for me.
Have you heard of a ‘FlowRider’?
I would have to say the highlight of the cruise for both my son and husband was the FlowRider. The FlowRider is a surf simulator. They spent hours surfing on the top of the ship. Very fun!
We ported in Nassau Bahamas on the second day and went to Baha Bay. This waterpark was incredible. It was so clean, the staff were very attentive and the food was terrific. Baha Bay also has a FlowRider so my boys spent the morning surfing. I would highly recommend going to this destination.
Is A Hobby Farm Right For You?
Our vacation was incredible but it also made me appreciate where we live and how lucky we are to have our farm. Visiting different places helps you gain new perspectives and see things differently. If you are wondering if a hobby farm is right for you, make sure you check out my blog post ‘6 Things You Should Consider Before Starting A Hobby Farm’.
The biggest thing to remember is, no one will ever look after your animals as well as you do. As long as your animals are safe and fed, that is the most important thing so you can enjoy your vacation.
Hobby farming can be rewarding and fulfilling but it’s important for hobby farmers to take time away from their farm to avoid burnout. By taking a break from their work, hobby farmers can return to their farm with renewed energy, enthusiasm, and creativity.
Comment Below
Are you planning a vacation? What struggles do you have when leaving your hobby farm? I would love to hear from you!
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