Ask HN: "I have my whole life ahead of me and no real ideas or passion like you"

If your friend has any interest at all in farming/agriculture, tell him to stick with it, for a variety of reasons.<p>1) Farmers aren't considered tool old and unemployable when they hit 38-40.<p>2) If his parents own the farm, it's a family business, and one he can learn and take over. It is entrepreneurship at its finest. You do it right, you can make a really good living.<p>3) Like any small business, it can be a tough life. But it is rewarding and satisfying beyond measure.<p>4) At harvest time (whether grain harvest or livestock sales), you KNOW you're making a real difference in someone's life--they'll eat and live.<p>Of course, creating the ability to post inane comments and photos to Facebook, Twitter, HN, etc has meaning too. I guess. In some warped parallel universe.<p>5) The problems encountered by farmers are more varied across domains and complexities.<p>6) Farming/ag is becoming far more technical. There is absolutely no reason your friend couldn't also get involved in ag technology at the same time. He's already in the domain. And technology as a hobby in the domain you're in keeps it fun.<p>7) I grew up on a farm, had the chance to go into farming after college with my dad over ~25 years ago. As I look back over my life and career, I've come to the conclusion that was one of the worst decisions I've ever made.<p>But what can you tell a 22 year old college graduate who now (or then) knows everything?<p>Your friend has been dealt a really good hand. He needs to stop and look at it, and what it will be like 10-20-30-40 years down the road.

There's nothing wrong with baling hay. If anything, it should free up his mind to think about better things. At his age, he has plenty of time to figure it out. Not everyone has to be at a starting line for someone else's race.

The story you are telling yourself about who and where you want to be often answer the what to do question. I like both the "farming is a fine future" and the "hang around people with ideas" advice already mentioned here, but I think they are at odds. Farming is definitely a good and important profession, but it is very hard work. People may not look at you as unemployable at 40, but your body will ache with the required labor. Also, rural areas tend to be self-normalizing, and there is little ability to dream. Ask your friend how he feels in his community. Does he like going to breakfast with the other farmers at 5 am and gossiping about crop yields, seeds, and prices? Or does he miss the buzz of a city? If he doesn't know, invite him to come visit for a weekend to see how he feels. Sometimes you can figure out what to do based on where you want to be.

Hang around people with ideas.