So many share the same dream: to be seated on a porch, boots kicked up on the railing. The sun is shining down, and having worked beneath it all day, the shade of the porch feels godly. All around are crops – peaches, corn, okra, potatoes, carrots, peas and green beans – all planted in neat, clean rows. In the pantry are the fruits of previous harvests, a large collection of homegrown pickles, jams, cabbage and anything else that will fit in a mason jar. There’s so much that you know, by the time the next harvest comes around, you’ll have to give the majority away to friends and family members to make room.

This dream is one of freedom - one that shucks reliance on groceries, companies and dollar bills for a reliance on dirt, seeds and rain. It’s pleasant to fantasize about such a uniquely American lifestyle, but achieving it requires long days in the sun, failed harvests, years of trial and error, and heaving and sweating - all to produce a single crop.