From engineer to farmer

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to encourage readers to think about a life after retirement, with an emphasis on the nature and activities of small agribusiness for actively retired people. The article can also provide a comparison between the activities of “re-converted” elderly farmers in different parts of Europe.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is an invited viewpoint piece and based upon the experience and opinions of an actively retired Romanian citizen, currently managing her small family farm.

Findings

A complete change of work and living environment can be the much-needed step that many actively retired professionals need. Nevertheless, the success and happiness found following such a decision is also dependent on previous experiences and knowledge in the newly chosen field of activity, since these activities are not just a pastime, but can easily become the equivalent of a fulltime job… or even more than this.

Originality/value

The article provides not only a succinct overview of a small agribusiness run by an actively retired person, but also remarkable insight and understanding of the retirement for people from different cultures and professional backgrounds. It presents a different perspective of active retirement for elderly people in Eastern European countries.

Citation

Barcanescu, I. (2013), "From engineer to farmer", Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, Vol. 14 No. 4, pp. 258-261. https://doi.org/10.1108/QAOA-09-2013-0028