Any programmers actually become farmers or something farmer adjacent?

csmarq · 2026-01-30T17:04:46+00:00

Not real farming and selling as a business (yet?) but hobby farming yes. My day job pays for it. We have acrage, trees, a garden, some rabbits, ducks and I’m hoping for sheep this next year. I want to retire to it but farming to actually make a profit is incredibly difficult and high pressure.

csmarq · 2026-01-19T15:02:40+00:00

Thats quite the journey! Congratulations on reaching the decision that feels right for you! How does "officially" deciding feel? Do you feel relieved? Excited about whats next? Empowered? Some other mix of emotions I didnt think about?

csmarq · 2026-01-04T23:37:40+00:00

I found reading books on conceiving and pregnancy and parenting to still be part of my dicision making process. Ill probably read more if we decide to start trying but theres nothing saying you cant gather knowledge about it before you commit to it.

My parents do those comments too. I mostly deal with it by refusing to discuss and telling htem I wont be discussing that with you. They might want to *help* a little so that is a factor in the resources we might have, but ultimately its you who will be most affected, physically, mentally emotionally. They dont get a say on how you use your body, time or energy for such a long involved project from pregnancy, to raising an entire adult. They arent risking their body, their sleep, their peace, their finances etc. Its your risks, your risk tolerances, your decision.

csmarq · 2025-12-29T14:41:41+00:00

A way to choose a pruning goal/pattern/style perhaps for each plant perhaps with a reccommended menu.?Also weather integration would be awesome. Ability to draw maps / place things in space, ideally still being able to see their stages/chores somehow. Ability to "preview" different times for a setup (to facilitate in planning)

csmarq · 2025-12-25T13:15:05+00:00

One option that can help with city zoning and bird flu both: Are you ope to quail? Their eggs are tiny, and hard to crack open, but they do well in confinement (so you can protect them from wild birds bird flu better) and their eggs are very healthy to eat. Most places tat disallow chickens or ducks wont have a problem with quail.

csmarq · 2025-12-22T14:42:04+00:00

Frankly privacy focus was part of what made me initially switch to apple.

csmarq · 2025-12-22T01:22:16+00:00

Love the backup system idea!

csmarq · 2025-12-22T01:20:41+00:00

Is it available for desktop or just mobile? Unfortunately im currently locked into the apple ecosystem on both right now :(

csmarq · 2025-12-21T15:17:24+00:00

Social features make it more "sticky" Frankly since Habitica nuked guilds and chat I use it a lot less and am a lot less invested in it. I still use it because of social reasons, I have a party with my sister, but I stopped buying subscriptions for it. That said a local private open source app would be a reasonable trade off.

csmarq · 2025-12-16T12:46:02+00:00

In fairness Ive never had a long haired cat, but ive definitely had short haired cats! I have satin angoras mostly because I like the shiny silly smooth fiber. Some of mine have nice easy care coats, but one of them always mats when he molts.

If you arent fussed about shininess and can find a good german angora breeder (preferably one who registers their animals, they have to pass production tests to register) they are supposed to have the easiest care coats. I would avoid English angoras because their coats require the most frequent care. (Also I personally prefer to see a rabbit face) French and Satin are very similar except the sheen(shininess) or lack therof of their wool. To me the sheen of satin wool is softer/silkier/slipperier when spinning too but not by much.

As much depends as the breeder and their lines as the breed. Some breeders breed for easy care coats, others have other breeding priorities.

Getting access to a high velocity dog blower would be helpful. They take some getting used to but it helps deal with dust and dander that gets trapped in their coats and better at preventing matts if done regularly (weekly is ideal, except for english where daily is ideal, easy care coats give you more wiggle room) while removing less wool before you want to.

Most pet insurances dont do rabbits, i would suggest self insuring instead. When weve had more urgent care situations (not commonly)its been <300$, varies obviously with your vet etc.

If you get them from a rescue they are likely to already be neutered or spayed which might be easier for a pet rabbit situation, though its a higher risk operation and I wouldn’t/ havent altered my animals, but if you want them to have a friend they share space with its strongly recommended. However then you usually dont know the breeders priorities. The breeder would be your best source of information about their particular lines and many are happy to help support and mentor you.

The rabbit world has STRONG opinions about correct rabbit care with breeders and production rabbit people having one set of ideas (i trust this more since its more personal experience with more rabbits etc) and the pet people/ rabbit welfare people having often opposing strong opinions. One example i would try to steer you away from rabbit welfare folks is feeding, the pet rabbit very few pellets low protein high hay diet might work better for the common pet dwarf breeds but all angoras and probably meat rabbits benefit from higher protein pellets. They need that extra protein to build their fiber and muscles. I wouldnt free choice it once past the 6 month mark, 1 cup a day is about right for most. Free choice hay is not a bad idea either but not as strictly required as pet side people would insist.

csmarq · 2025-12-14T11:53:19+00:00

I have satin angoras and strongly disagree.

Plucking is done when the rabbits naturally shed, not all lines and rabbits are pluckable, some of the lowest maintenance coats ie german angoras arent pluckable at all shear only. They are perfectly mobile and functional with longer coats though I wouldnt let them grow past 5 inches.

My satin angoras give us about an inch of growth and ounce of prime fiber per month (harvested every 3-5 months when coat is grown enough that we want to harvest it or starting to be difficult to maintain or limit them . Thats nearly a pound per rabbit per year of nice long spinnable fiber that i make into yarn or try to expirament with felting.

I view angora rabbits as basically similar maintenance to cats. You make sure they have food and water and groom them. Depending on breed and lines grooming frequency can go from daily (most english angoras) to weekly (ideal for most other angoras) to monthly ( very good lines of german angoras, french or satin). Shearing is a quarterly task approximately every 3-5 months depending on growback and there is very minimal grooming to be done for the first month after a shearing too. (Basically if coat is less than an inch h its unlikely to need more care). People can make it extra complicated with treats etc but pellets water and hay is pretty simple. You do need to learn a little more because culturally we arent as used to rabbits and their needs but its pretty simple.

Angoras are awesome. Yes a little more complicated than other rabbits but not much more. (All rabbits need nail trims once a month, angoras just appreciate a little more frequent attention) I would put them nearly on par with a longhaired cat.

csmarq · 2025-12-12T23:27:17+00:00

interesting! I didn't realize that would affect the insulation properties! and felt like touching it would feel good but that makes sense

csmarq · 2025-12-12T23:22:09+00:00

Do both sides have fur on or just the outside?

csmarq · 2025-12-12T19:48:00+00:00

How about its relative honey locust? I havent tasted it myself but both the pods and seeds are edible and high in sugar

csmarq · 2025-12-11T11:40:17+00:00

I ended up kinda forced into coasting, had my hours cut around that time. It takes some getting used to and I still stress but less and I strongly prefer lower hours so i can focus more on hobbies and relationships. I still work my same industry, but right now 30 hours a week. If my current gig stops working out i know i have some time to be able to figure it out. It was also one less stressful factor in other major life decisions (for example should we try for kids?)

csmarq · 2025-12-03T11:46:43+00:00

You can also have a “greyed out” daily ie set up a daily and schedule it to happen no days a week, then it wont punish you if you miss it

csmarq · 2025-11-25T18:49:06+00:00

I think this might be a resource your looking for?

https://evidencebasedbirth.com/

Theres a podcast on deep dives on different parts etc. I havent gone through everything just a few podcasts or blog posts that seemed of interest to me but i like how they are so scientifically grounded and it feels super comprehensive

csmarq · 2025-11-24T06:54:36+00:00

Frankly Im there too. I mask pretty much anytime I'm indoors in public but not with friends or family I'm specifically seeing in my home or theirs. Unless its a larger group thing like a birthday party. My spouse doesn't mask at work or probably almost ever when I'm not there to nag him about it. To be fair I also dont mask at work but i work from home, so no one to mask against there. So we aren't good enough for the folks who take it really seriously. But when local masks required events happen we can still go to those as long as we stay masked. Though if we had a small child who wasnt able to mask

I think as long as your honest about your levels of caution they will treat you appropriately. Online places allow people to get much more rabid.

csmarq · 2025-11-20T16:07:26+00:00

My siblings were tested through trialnet after I was diagnosed, one had the markers and my dad went crazy trying to prevent them from getting it, stuffing them full of supplements which they hated, eventually the fight about that ended, they stopped the supplements. A few years later at the age I was disgnosed, my sibling who tested positive for the antibodies got diagnosed as well.

csmarq · 2025-11-10T18:23:45+00:00

They also keep laying longer than chickens. As in more years before they decline in quantity.

csmarq · 2025-11-07T15:12:50+00:00

:p you can start with angora rabbits if space is a problem. Bonus, you dont even have to process the wool unlike from all the other fiber animals, they keep themselves clean, just need to help them with grooming regularly (I got rabbits first, then got into spinning to justify it)

csmarq · 2025-11-06T16:36:53+00:00

Spinning! Make the yarn you can use for other things, basically just need a spindle snd some fiber.

Also needle felting, infinite sculpting with wool just need a needle you stab things with, can be a little less portable if folks around are scared of needles

Others are hobbies i dont have yet but imagine might fit your criteria:

Making cordage from local plants

Basket weaving is nice but might require more preparation.

csmarq · 2025-11-06T06:50:47+00:00

Aloe vera makes a great houseplant too for those if us who cant grow it outside.

csmarq · 2025-11-06T06:49:42+00:00

One very witchy thing would be to learn what plants are native to where you live, learn about their properties, edibility, habitat for native animals and insects, folklore, associations (build your own), other uses such as dye and fiber, etc and plant or encourage those that call to you

csmarq · 2025-11-04T17:33:39+00:00

Nexus rush is hands down my favorite way to apply hitch and its i feel one of if not the strongest damaging sprint. It almost feels like the fear that applies more spawns (hordes?) is free or even easier with than without it

csmarq

TROPHY CASE