# Hobby farm > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hobby_farm > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hobby_farm.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobby_farm > Source revision: 1338017913 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Farm maintained for recreational purposes This article needs more citations. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Hobby farm" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message) An old dairy farm used as a hobby farm near [Leicester, New York](/source/Leicester_(town)%2C_New_York) Agriculture History West Asia Ancient Egypt Ancient Greece Ancient Rome Austronesia Agricultural science Agricultural History Review Arab Agricultural Revolution Argentina Canada China Chile Columbian exchange Green Revolution Indian subcontinent Mesoamerica Middle Ages Neolithic Revolution Organic farming Palestine Peru United Kingdom British Agricultural Revolution Cheshire Scotland United States African-American California On land Agrivoltaic Animal husbandry cattle pigs poultry sheep Dairy Dryland Extensive Fertilizer Free-range Grazing Convertible husbandry Rotational grazing Hobby Intensive animals pigs crops Natural Monoculture Orchard Organic Paddy field Ranching Sharecropping Sowing Colonia Slash-and-burn Smallholding Terrace Steam sterilization Hydroculture Aquaculture Aquaponics Hydroponics Aeroponics Related Agribusiness Agricultural cooperative Agricultural supplies Agricultural science Agricultural engineering Agricultural technology Precision Biotechnology Agroforestry Agronomy Animal husbandry Animal-free agriculture Cash crop Cellular agriculture Cultural methods Contract farming Extensive farming Farm Farmhouse Feed ratio Free range Horticulture Intensive farming animals pigs crops Mechanised agriculture Organic farming Paludiculture Permaculture Plantation Polyculture Rice-duck farming Rice-fish system Sustainable agriculture Sustainable food system Universities and colleges Urban agriculture Lists Agriculturist profession Agricultural machinery Food origins Government ministries Universities and colleges Categories Agricultural machinery Agriculture by country Agriculture companies Biotechnology Cannabis cultivation History of agriculture Livestock Meat industry Poultry farming Agriculture and the environment Agriculture portal v t e A **hobby farm** (also called a **lifestyle block**, **acreage living**, or **rural residential**) is a [smallholding](/source/Smallholding) or small [farm](/source/Farm) that is maintained without expectation of being a primary source of income. Some are held simply to bring homeowners closer to nature, to provide recreational land for horses, or as working farms for secondary income. ## Hobby farms globally Hobby farms are agricultural land smaller than a fully-fledged farm. As such, hobby farms produce the largest share of overall crop production, with 29% of agricultural product for humans, animals, and fuel being produced by farms a maximum of 2 hectares in size,[1] generating 32% of food available globally.[2] Research suggests that due to globalization, climate change, and a decrease in land access particularly within the US, smallholdings are becoming less available to young farmers, with the median age of hobby farmers being 60 worldwide.[3] The size of a hobby farm can vary greatly from one country or region to the next depending on the level of urbanization and land access. The size of a smallholding in Brazil is typically less than 500 hectares (1235 acres),[4] while in America a smallholding is typically categorized as being less than 20 hectares (50 acres).[5] Despite this, 84% of all farms on a global scale consist of less than 2 hectares (5 acres).[2] ## By country ### Australia Rural residential living in Australia consists of very large home sites usually on the outskirts of an urban area. Often subdivisions of former farms, these blocks of land are primarily used for residential purposes by people who enjoy the countryside or have hobbies and interests (e.g. gardening, horses, collecting and restoring old vehicles) which require more land than a normal suburban block, or by those who simply prefer the privacy of very-low-density living. Occupiers of rural residential properties generally accept that there will be a lower level of amenities available to them locally (e.g. shopping centres, public transport) and are prepared to travel further to access such amenities.[6][7] ### United Kingdom In the UK, country living is becoming a pastime rather than an occupation. The number of farms in England with "no economic output" in recent[*[as of?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Dates_and_numbers#Chronological_items)*] surveys jumped in one year from 90,000 to 115,000, while the number of large farms fell to only 15,000.[8] Willy Newlands, author of *Hobby Farm* (Souvenir Press, London, 2006), says: "Hobby agriculture covers a wide spectrum, from backyard eggs-and-jam to large areas of grazing land. The main planks on which a definition can be made are money and labour: the hobby farmer's income is largely made from off-farm work and the holding does not employ full-time labour. "There is a blurred line between the smallholder/crofter and the hobby farmer, although my own definition would be 'a smallholder tries to make money on his land, a hobby farmer spends money on his land.' Mainly, it’s a matter of attitude. The nouveau farmer is, above all, enjoying himself." ### United States In the U.S., a high proportion of farms might be classed as hobby farms. In 2007, over 40% of farms reported less than $2500 in income and over 10% of farms had less than 10 acres (4.0 hectares) of land. Over 50% of primary farm operators reported that their main income was a job outside of their farm; although, this figure includes some farm operators who do not personally participate in farming and some quite large and productive farms.[9] In the US, as farms grow in size, older farms become less economically viable. Some are purchased and most of the land is combined with larger nearby farms, however, the large farm has little use for the buildings. These can be sold off with only a building lot of real estate, but are much more saleable if a modest area, 5 to 15 acres (20,000 to 60,000 m²) is sold along with them.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] Some, especially in developed areas, are used as [truck gardens](/source/Market_gardening), with their own produce stands, or a regular stall in a local [farmer's market](/source/Farmer's_market). ### Canada [Canadian](/source/Canada) hobby farms are exempt from certain taxes and regulations applied to commercial farms; however, there are stipulations for what does and does not make an acreage a hobby farm.[10] Hobby farmers are evaluated by the Government of Canada to determine whether they are a commercial or pleasure farm based on criteria from a test. Some criterion includes the amount of money a business makes, which should be under $10,000 annual net income for a hobby farm, the number of employees, time spent on the farm in comparison to time spent gathering primary income, and whether the farm is run in a businesslike or commercial manner.[11] The majority of hobby farms in Canada are based in Ontario and British Columbia. Hobby farming in Canada has quickly gained popularity over the last few decades as both a means of generating additional revenue and for the enjoyment of Canadians. 40% of hobby farmers in Canada have reported a positive net income as of a 1998 census.[12] The size of these farms appears to be gradually decreasing due in part to increasing [urban sprawl](/source/Urban_sprawl) and inaccessibility of large plots of land to the average Canadian, however the median income earned by these farms has increased by 144.4% in 2016, making these small farms more profitable than ever before.[13] ## See also [Portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents/Portals): - [Agriculture and Agronomy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Agriculture_and_Agronomy) **Hobby farm** at Wikipedia's [sister projects](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikimedia_sister_projects): - [**Data**](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5874958) from Wikidata - [Allotment gardens](/source/Allotment_gardens) - [Asset-Based Community Development](/source/Asset-Based_Community_Development) - [Community Food Security Coalition](/source/Community_Food_Security_Coalition) - [Community gardens](/source/Community_gardens) - [Gentleman farmer](/source/Gentleman_farmer) - [Special Rural Properties, Western Australia](/source/Special_Rural_Properties%2C_Western_Australia) - [Sustainable agriculture](/source/Sustainable_agriculture) - [Permaculture](/source/Permaculture) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Zandt, Florian (6 October 2021). ["The world's smallest farms feed more people than you might think, research shows"](https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/10/fuel-food-work-world-farms-agriculture/). *World Economic Forum*. Retrieved 28 February 2024. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_2-1) [Ritchie, Hannah](/source/Hannah_Ritchie); [Roser, Max](/source/Max_Roser) (18 March 2024). ["Smallholders produce one-third of the world's food, less than half of what many headlines claim"](https://ourworldindata.org/smallholder-food-production). *Our World in Data*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Robinson, Meggan (1 September 2022). ["New Data Highlights A Lesser-Known Issue The Farm Industry Is Facing"](https://www.tastingtable.com/990285/new-data-highlights-a-lesser-known-issue-the-farm-industry-is-facing/). *Tasting Table*. Retrieved 28 February 2024. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Helfand, Steven M. (2017). ["Brazilian Agriculture: Is it all about the Large Farms?"](https://economics.ucr.edu/docs/helfand/Helfand%20Is%20it%20all%20about%20large%20farms%20EuroChoices%202017.pdf) (PDF). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Smallholdings - All you need to know"](https://addland.com/research/guides/smallholdings). *Addland*. Retrieved 6 March 2024. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Rural residential zone"](https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/mbrc-planning-scheme/info-sheets/rural-residential/). [Moreton Bay Regional Council](/source/Moreton_Bay_Regional_Council). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20181210084635/https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/mbrc-planning-scheme/info-sheets/rural-residential/) from the original on 10 December 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Rural Residential Zone"](https://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/4177/CPInfoSheet_Rural-Residential-Zone-Information-4-MAY-2017.pdf) (PDF). [Townsville City Council](/source/Townsville_City_Council). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20181210085441/https://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/4177/CPInfoSheet_Rural-Residential-Zone-Information-4-MAY-2017.pdf) (PDF) from the original on 10 December 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["The Changing Landscape of Farming in England"](https://landlister.co.uk/guides/farming-in-england-changing-landscape). *landlister.co.uk*. Retrieved 20 October 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** [2007 Census of Agriculture – United States Data](https://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_1_US/st99_1_001_001.pdf) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20170513115210/https://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_1_US/st99_1_001_001.pdf) 13 May 2017 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service, Table 1. Historical Highlights: 2007 and Earlier Census Years 1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["What Is a Hobby Farm in Canada (And What Isn't)?"](https://bootstrapbee.com/smallholding/what-is-a-hobby-farm-in-canada-and-what-isn-t). *🐝 BootstrapBee.com*. Retrieved 13 March 2024. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Agency, Canada Revenue (7 October 2016). ["Income Tax Folio S4-F11-C1, Meaning of Farming and Farming Business"](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/technical-information/income-tax/income-tax-folios-index/series-4-businesses/series-4-businesses-folio-11-meaning-farming/income-tax-folio-s4-f11-c1-meaning-farming-farming-business.html). *www.canada.ca*. Retrieved 13 March 2024. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (27 November 2018). ["The Daily — The socioeconomic portrait of Canada's evolving farm population, 2016"](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/181127/dq181127b-eng.htm). *www150.statcan.gc.ca*. Retrieved 14 February 2024. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["Hobby Farming: For Pleasure or Profit? - ARCHIVED"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180908193729/https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/21-601-m/21-601-m1998033-eng.pdf) (PDF). Archived from [the original](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/21-601-m/21-601-m1998033-eng.pdf) (PDF) on 8 September 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2026. ## Further reading - Falk, Ben (2024). *The Resilient Farm and Homestead : 20 Years of Permaculture and Whole Systems Design. Revised and expanded edition*. Chelsea Green Publishing. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781645021100](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781645021100). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [1413966511](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/1413966511). - Martin, Paul (2007). *Lifestyle Farming in New Zealand*. Craig Potton Publishing. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781877333446](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781877333446). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [946774460](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/946774460). - Dimitri, Carolyn; Effland, Anne; Conklin, Neilson (June 2005). ["The 20th Century Transformation of U.S. Agriculture and Farm Policy"](https://web.archive.org/web/20151103234157/http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/eib-economic-information-bulletin/eib3.aspx). *Economic Research Service*. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Archived from [the original](https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/eib-economic-information-bulletin/eib3.aspx) on 3 November 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2015. - O'Dell, Larry. ["Sidewalk and Suitcase Farmers"](http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=SI002). *Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture*. [Oklahoma Historical Society](/source/Oklahoma_Historical_Society). - Fortier, Jean-Martin (1 March 2014). ["The Market Gardener: A Successful Grower's Handbook for Small-Scale Organic Farming"](https://themarketgardener.com/books/the-market-gardener/). --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Hobby farm](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobby_farm) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobby_farm?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.