What makes a Farmer a FARMER?

Question: what makes a Farmer?? when can you call yourself a Farmer without it sounding silly & at what point does it become true that you are indeed a FARMER??

I have spent a few hours this morning mulling this quandry over while clipping my new chicks wings & then again while working in the vegie garden beds picking off the green caterpillars that have invaded the cauliflowers also while i sat with my coffee & read up on how to make a Milking Stand for my goat [once she drops her kids & can be milked that is].

Is there some task i need to do to class myself a Farmer?  Is there some amount of animals i must have to call myself a Farmer, is it when i own lots of my own Farm machinery instead of asking the neighbour if he can use his tractor etc to plow the fields,  is it only when i can employ staff,  is it only when i have 1000 acres ..... or maybe it is only when i have sown & cropped the first field, OR only once i sell enough of my homegrown goods to pay my way in the world???? 

Maybe it is all of the above put together??? 

When can i officially say "I am a Farmer"?

I have decided that it is a personal decision that each one must make for themselves and after much soul searching i have decided to indeed class myself as a FARMER! 

and here is why.........

Deep down i have always longed to be a Farmer & i was brought up on a Goat Stud so i do know what Farming involves and it is a way of life that i love BUT that ofcourse doesnt make me a Farmer today. 

What, i believe, makes me a Farmer TODAY is the combination of my passion, my BIG plans, my intention, my philosophy, my working steadily away at my PLAN as my funds make it possible, my dreams, that i wake up in the morning thinking about my Farm, that i go to bed at night thinking & dreaming about my Farm and all it entails both what i am currently setting in place & also all i wish my Farm to be in the future, that i wont give up eventho i have no real idea what i am doing & lastly i am not afraid to put it all on the line to try even if i fail miserably.

 This is what i believe makes me a Farmer TODAY eventho i recognise that i have such a long way to go and so i am truly proud & comfortable to go ahead from this point on and say out loud to one and all that i, trace mussger, am indeed a FARMER :)

love trace xo