From the San Francisco Chronicle:

More than half of America's farmers work a job off the farm to make ends meet, according to figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In California and throughout the country, farmers open up their land to tourists, set up roadside stands and travel the farmers market circuit, but they also moonlight as mechanics, pool cleaners and even authors. They make jam and paint landscapes, work at banks and own businesses in order for the farm to survive.

The frequency of working off the farm has also grown substantially over the last 75 years, according to a report by the USDA's Economic Research Service, which conducts the farm survey every five years.

To read the complete Chronicle article, please see More farmers work away from fields to pay bills