Quit your Job and Farm Full Time: Joel Salatin’s Recipe for Success

So, you’ve been homesteading and you’re ready to go all in. What are the next steps for quitting your job and farming full time? Joel Salatin provides his recommendations for a successful transition to becoming a full-time farmer.

A lot of homesteaders ask me, “Okay, I’ve got the homestead thing down. I’ve checked that box. I’m ready to take it to another level. I’m ready to actually farm full-time and make it commercial.” Others say, “I’m going to start with a homestead with the vision of going commercial at some point. I’m going to quit my town job and make a living from the farm.” So, what’s the recipe for making that happen? I’ve got a couple of things to share.

First, get a nest egg together. Stay with your job long enough to build up enough savings, ideally for one year, so that you can survive even if things don’t go exactly as planned. Two years is even better. You might say, “Well, that’s going to take a lot of saving!” And yes, that’s true. You have to learn how to live frugally. That means no eating out, no movies, no vacations, no Disney trips, no Netflix, nothing. Strip your life down to the essentials. If you can live in a tent or an RV, do it. This won’t last forever, but that initial debt or capital tie-down can put you on a treadmill you’ll never get off. So, get out of debt, build a nest egg, and start living frugally. That’s crucial.

Next, you want to develop one or two income streams that you feel really confident about. Become a master at something, ideally something that’s not a luxury or exotic item. Focus on everyday, consumable products. That’s why I like chickens over something like beef, llama, or ostrich. It’s not that I’m against those animals, but they cater to niche markets and are considered luxuries. You want something that people will keep coming back for, week after week, year-round. That’s how you ensure consistent cash flow. Businesses often fail not because of bad products or services but because they don’t have steady cash flow. Bills pile up while you wait for money to come in. Everyday foods like milk, eggs, chicken, ground beef, and sausage are items people eat all the time, and you can offer a better version than what’s out there.

Sales are another big topic, but value-added products are critical when you’re small. You can’t compete with the low margins that large-scale operations thrive on. But you can create artisanal, craft products at full retail value. To do that, you need to wear all the hats—production, processing, marketing, and distribution. Owning all of those aspects allows you to capture the full retail dollar, which gets you off the treadmill of needing to scale up. Instead of trying to be bigger, focus on being better. You don’t need to borrow money to improve; you just need better protocols and some experimentation to refine what you’re already doing.

So, to recap: build a nest egg, get out of debt, and live frugally. See how cheaply you can live before making the leap. People’s tolerance for frugal living varies, so it’s essential to figure that out before you quit your job. Get everyone on the same page about what “frugal living” means. Then, develop two or three enterprises that you feel confident in. Establish your value-added products and brand early on. Consider forming an LLC right away because it allows you to live on pre-tax dollars. The business can own your car, pay your phone bills, and rent your home office, which significantly reduces your personal income and, by extension, your tax burden.

When my wife and I started, we lived on $300 a month. We drove a $50 car while our college buddies were driving $10,000 cars. If we didn’t grow it, we didn’t eat it. We didn’t take a vacation for seven years. That early frugal living is paying off now. If we had started with debt, we would’ve been stuck on a treadmill, always chasing dollars to pay off that debt, and we wouldn’t have had the freedom to innovate.

If you want the freedom to experiment, innovate, and explore what works, you’ve got to free yourself from the financial treadmill. Build a little capital cushion, get family agreement on frugal living, develop mastery in a few things, and add value. That’s how you get up and running successfully.

When you reach a point where you’re able to free yourself from the financial pressures that come with debt and overhead, you gain the flexibility to innovate and experiment with different approaches. This freedom is invaluable because it allows you to take risks, try new methods, and pivot when necessary, without the constant fear of financial failure looming over you. If you’re always stuck chasing the next dollar just to cover your basic living expenses or debt payments, it becomes nearly impossible to invest time and energy into building something better.

The importance of frugality can’t be overstated, especially in the early stages of transitioning to a full-time farm or homestead. It’s not about deprivation for the sake of it—it’s about gaining the flexibility to make thoughtful decisions without being tied down by financial strain. When my wife and I started, we cut expenses down to the bone because we knew that every dollar saved was one more dollar of freedom. That freedom gave us the ability to innovate in ways we wouldn’t have been able to if we had started with significant debt or high living costs.

For example, because we didn’t have to constantly worry about making loan payments, we could take the time to figure out which farming practices worked best for us. We could experiment with different crops, animals, and value-added products. We could invest in developing better protocols, which in turn improved the quality of our products. This focus on improving our craft, rather than just scaling up for the sake of it, allowed us to create products that were unique and in demand, and that’s where our success came from.

As you transition to full-time farming, one of the most important things you can do is develop a few key income streams that are reliable and scalable. You don’t need a dozen different enterprises to be successful; in fact, focusing on one or two areas where you can excel will often yield better results. Find something that people need and will keep coming back for, whether that’s eggs, milk, chicken, or another staple food. These everyday items create a steady cash flow, which is the lifeblood of any business. Without it, even the best product or service will struggle to survive.

Value-added products are another key to success. When you’re small, you simply can’t compete with large-scale operations on price, but you can compete on quality. By adding value to your products—whether through artisanal techniques, organic practices, or simply producing something that’s better than what’s available in stores—you can command a higher price and capture more of the retail dollar. This is where being better, not bigger, really pays off.

Another essential component is controlling as much of the process as you can. When you’re small, you need to wear many hats—production, processing, marketing, and distribution—so that you capture the full retail value of your products. Every middleman you cut out of the process is another opportunity to increase your profits and stay financially sustainable. It’s not easy, but by mastering these different roles, you can create a profitable, sustainable business that doesn’t rely on the low margins and high volumes of large-scale agriculture.

Lastly, you must stay focused. It’s easy to get distracted by shiny new ideas or feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of tasks on your to-do list. But if you focus on mastering a few key areas and keep your operations simple, you’ll have a much better chance of succeeding. Remember, it’s about doing a few things really well, not trying to do everything. Keep your goals clear, stay frugal, and work hard to build something sustainable.

Ultimately, farming full-time is a journey that requires patience, persistence, and the willingness to live frugally in the beginning. But by building a solid foundation, mastering a few key skills, and focusing on value-added products, you can create a life and business that’s both fulfilling and financially sustainable. It’s about taking control of your future, finding freedom in simplicity, and creating something that’s truly yours.

As you move forward on this journey toward full-time farming or homesteading, remember that the road ahead may be challenging, but it’s also deeply rewarding. The freedom you gain from being in control of your livelihood and the satisfaction of working directly with the land, animals, and food you produce are incomparable. There’s something incredibly grounding and fulfilling about creating your own path, one that’s not dictated by a corporate job or traditional career trajectory.

One of the most important things to keep in mind is the alignment within your household. Frugal living and the sacrifices required for it need to be something everyone involved agrees on. If you’re making this transition with a family, everyone’s level of tolerance for a simpler, stripped-down lifestyle may differ. For some, living in an RV, growing most of their food, or forgoing luxuries may feel liberating. For others, it could be uncomfortable or even frustrating. It’s essential to work through these differences and find common ground before you make the leap. It’ll save a lot of tension and conflict down the road.

Another critical aspect of making this work is building up your expertise in the areas you choose to focus on. Being a jack of all trades might sound appealing, but when it comes to building a business, mastering one or two key skills can set you apart from the competition. Whether it’s raising chickens, producing high-quality dairy, or crafting unique value-added products like artisan cheeses or specialty meats, honing your craft will make you the go-to person in your market.

Additionally, think about the kind of market you want to serve. It’s tempting to go after niche or luxury markets, but in many cases, staples like eggs, chicken, or milk provide a much more reliable and consistent source of income. People need these items every day, and as long as you can offer them a superior product—better-tasting, ethically sourced, or organically produced—they’ll keep coming back. Consistency is key. It builds trust, brand loyalty, and regular cash flow, which is what keeps your business sustainable.

Cash flow, as I’ve mentioned, is the lifeblood of any business. Many businesses don’t fail because they have bad products—they fail because they can’t keep the money flowing to cover their expenses. This is why it’s essential to have at least one income stream that brings in money consistently, every week, year-round. You want to create a system where you’re not waiting months for a big payday that may or may not come. Instead, you’re building something steady that allows you to cover your costs while growing your business at a sustainable pace.

This brings us back to the idea of value-added products. In farming, especially on a small scale, margins can be tight. Competing with larger operations on commodity prices is nearly impossible, but by focusing on artisanal or specialized products, you can command higher prices and keep more of the revenue. By owning the entire process—from production to processing to marketing and distribution—you can capture the full retail value of what you produce. It’s this approach that will allow you to thrive without needing to scale up massively or take on large amounts of debt.

Debt is one of the biggest traps that new farmers and homesteaders fall into. It can feel like a necessary evil, especially when you’re trying to get your operation off the ground. But the more debt you take on, the harder it becomes to innovate, take risks, or make long-term decisions for the health of your farm. You end up chasing short-term cash just to cover loan payments, which stifles creativity and flexibility. By staying out of debt, or keeping it to an absolute minimum, you give yourself the breathing room you need to grow at your own pace and make decisions based on what’s best for your farm, not what’s best for your creditors.

Finally, remember that this journey is as much about personal growth as it is about financial success. Living frugally, taking on the responsibilities of full-time farming, and wearing all the hats that come with running a small business requires resilience, adaptability, and perseverance. There will be moments of doubt and frustration, but those moments are just as much a part of the process as the successes. The ability to adapt and learn from these challenges is what will ultimately determine your success.

In the end, making the transition from homesteading to full-time farming is about more than just growing crops or raising animals. It’s about creating a lifestyle that reflects your values, gives you control over your time, and allows you to provide for yourself and your family in a meaningful way. With the right preparation—building up your nest egg, mastering your craft, staying frugal, and focusing on value-added products—you can create a sustainable, fulfilling life doing what you love.