How to Build a Family Economy: An Interview with Rory Groves
Dec 9, 2024
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Rory Groves, author of 'Durable Trades' and 'The Family Economy,' left a tech career to build a family-based economy with his wife and children. He shares his transformative journey from corporate isolation to farming, emphasizing the importance of continuous parental involvement. The discussion highlights practical challenges and the significance of instilling skills in children for self-sufficiency. Groves also emphasizes community collaboration and the value of prioritizing relationships over material success, showcasing how family bonds can create a sustainable economy.
Rory Groves discusses transitioning from a high tech career to a collaborative family lifestyle, emphasizing the value of integrating work and family.
The podcast highlights how subsistence economies enhance family stability while teaching children responsibility and countering consumerism.
Community networks are essential for building family economies, fostering mentorship and collaboration among families with shared values.
Deep dives
Rory Groves' Journey to Family Economy
Rory Groves transitioned from a tech career to a family-centered lifestyle on a farm in Southern Minnesota. Initially viewing the farm as a hobby for enhancement in family life, he soon recognized the value of integrating his family into the work being performed there. This shift led him to reevaluate modern work's isolating nature compared to the collaborative and bonding experience of farming with loved ones. The family's shared vision and the automatic nature of their endeavors highlighted the benefits of a household economy.
The Concept of Family Economy
Groves highlights the notion of the family economy as a response to modern isolated work environments. His book, 'Durable Trades,' serves as a guide for families seeking to explore collaborative work options together. He emphasizes that family economies are less about specific jobs and more about creating environments fostering relationships, character development, and shared responsibilities among family members. Groves aims to provide practical examples that families, regardless of their individual situations, can adopt to foster a cohesive family dynamic.
The Value of Subsistence and Thrift
The podcast discusses the importance of subsistence economies, where families produce much of their own food, thereby minimizing reliance on external systems. Groves explains how they raise a significant portion of their family's nutritional needs through farming, thus maintaining stability and quality while involving children in the process. This approach not only saves on food costs but also provides invaluable lessons in responsibility and hard work for children, countering the perception that subsistence is outdated or undesirable. The conversation underscores a cultural shift back to valuing thrift over consumerism.
Building Community Through Family Economies
The development of family economies thrives within supportive communities or congregations that share similar beliefs and values. Groves emphasizes the significant impact of community networks, where families collaborate to create opportunities, share knowledge, and support one another's endeavors. These relationships not only enhance individual family economies but also foster a culture of mentorship and shared mission among families. By investing in communal ties, families can leverage collective resources for greater long-term success and stability.
Practical Steps Towards Implementing a Family Economy
Listeners are encouraged to start small when transitioning towards a family economy, focusing on any activity that fosters family collaboration. This could range from simple acts like family worship to hands-on projects like gardening or running a small market stand. Groves asserts that building a family economy is about nurturing relationships and values within a household, illustrating that meaningful engagement leads to personal growth and family unity. He advocates for creative exploration of opportunities unique to each family's gifts, emphasizing that every family can initiate this journey regardless of their circumstances.
Today the Pugs welcome Rory Groves, author of Durable Trades, and a new book, The Family Economy: Discovering the Family as It was Designed to Work. Rory transitioned out of a high tech career a few years back in order to build a family based economy with his wife and children. It took time, and there were many challenges, but he learned some important lessons along the way that he wants to share with people who would like to do the same thing. Tune in and find out if there's something to learn that could help you do it as well!
