The small farm is still with us, too, it’s just that the farming most of us do is not agricultural, it’s cybercultural, and the labor is not physical, it’s intellectual. One of the most powerful ideas made possible by the Networked World is ’small farming’ — our ability to claim a small piece of intellectual property as our own and derive wealth from it.

The rows of crops may be lines of code. You may be planting and harvesting algorithms, communities, humor, CAD designs or music instead of beans, corn, barley, hogs and beef…but the principles of what it takes to successfully operate a small farm are still in play.

Here are five of those principles:

LIFESTYLE. As a small farmer, you have chosen independence and personal responsibility. But you’ve also chosen work from which you cannot walk away. It’s with you 24/7. You can take the family to Six Flags, but the entire time you’re there, you’re thinking about what to do about the weevils in your beans (i.e. the bugs in your software) back home.

DIVERSIFICATION. The peaks and valleys of the market can be smoothed out by planting a variety of crops. When wheat is down, sorghum is up. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket., and don’t cry over spilled milk. Spread out your risk. Grow smaller crops with higher yields. Explore new strains.

SEASONALITY. The time frames may be different, but like their rural forerunners, cyber-farmers must manage for seasonal effects. If you find yourself living close to the bone for the winter, you can take some solace in the fact that spring will inevitably follow.

COMMUNITY. Communities are the small farmer’s conduit to the larger world. They provide news, networking and emotional support They determine where and how you socialize with your neighbors. They shape your world view and your character. They help normalize productive behaviors.

PERSPECTIVE. In fifteen minutes one hailstorm takes out an entire year’s worth of crops…a twister takes the roof off your barn…the health of your animals comes before your own…a million stars in the sky at night show you your proper place in the universe. Life on a small farm is one neverending reminder that you are part of something more important than yourself, and that what happens is often beyond your ability to control it. This awareness keeps you humble. Centered. Rooted. At peace.

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