The gentleman farmer is tilling his land like never before.
Thanks to two megatrends—the aging of the baby boomers and the craze for organic food—hobbyist farming is enjoying a new golden age. Legions of retired boomers are trying their hand at farming—from chicken to cattle, and cukes to kale. Sales of residential farms just outside big cities like New York; Washington, D.C.; and Los Angeles more than doubled in the five years through 2013, according to RealtyTrac. And older buyers are leading the way, according to the president’s Council of Economic Advisors. Even boldface names like Oprah Winfrey and Martha Stewart have jumped into casual farming.
