- Michaele Blakely was an organic farmer for more than 40 years.
- She lives on 31 acres in Washington, and rents her fields to dog owners.
- She likes that it’s a low-effort way to make money in retirement.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Michaele Blakely, who rents her land through Sniffspot. It has been edited for length and clarity.
Working as a self-employed organic farmer, I didn’t have a plan for retirement. My four kids wanted to pull out their hair in frustration with me. But I believed if you do the right thing and work hard, you’ll generally be OK in this country.
I’m 71 now, and so far, that’s been the case for me. I became semi-retired right around the time the pandemic started, in 2020. Before then I was working 12-14 hour days raising poultry, cattle, pigs, and crops. In my 60s, I was diagnosed with a few different autoimmune conditions that zapped my energy. I physically couldn’t do the long days any more.
Then, I got long COVID, and needed to scale back even further. I kept a flock of goats and made goat-milk soap and botanical treatments and ointments. I ran a small vegetable stand on my property. Last year, I stopped doing that, too. These days, I’m officially retired, but I also have a unique side gig. I rent out my fields to dog owners, and it helps pad my income.
I rent out my fields for $18 an hour
Today I have three streams of income. I rely heavily on social security, and I also took a reverse mortgage on my property. In addition, I make $500 to $1,500 a month renting out my fields for people to walk and play with their dogs.
A few years ago I noticed an ad on a local community Facebook group, looking for land owners who were interested in renting their land. I replied, and became one of the first hosts in Washington with a service called Sniffspot, which rents private dog parks.
Today, I charge people $18 per dog per hour to play in my fields. Some people like to come and just throw the ball to their dogs. Others like to walk the property and look for wildlife like elk.
It’s a hands-off way to make money
I love that renting the fields is an easy, hands-off way to make money. I like to say that I prefer not to meet my guests. I can even list that on my profile.
I have renters most days, though Mondays and Tuesdays are generally quiet. If I see a day booking up, I know that’s a sign good weather is coming.
I use the computer to keep up with bookings and respond to inquiries. To prepare for renters, I set out water for the dogs. I quickly check for dog poop, and provide a trash barrel for people to leave behind their dog droppings. I mow the fields to make them easier to walk through, but for the most part there’s not much I have to do. I’m going to Europe in a few weeks, and I still have renters coming when I’m gone.
I’m an introvert, so this is a perfect fit
Around 2018, I was approached by a company that rents private campsites. I was still running a working farm, and I didn’t think anyone would be interested in camping near dusty fields. The people at the site assured me people would love to camp on the farm, but taking on campers never felt right to me.
I’m an introvert. For 40 years I interacted with so many people at farmer’s markets. Don’t get me wrong, I loved talking to my customers, but it was emotionally draining. I didn’t want to have to do that in retirement. That’s why Sniffspot is perfect for me.
I know other landowners on the site make a lot more money than I do. They put in extra effort, by adding agility classes or swimming pools, or even hosting dog birthday parties. I’m not interested in that, but I’m glad to have a source of retirement income that is hands-off. I worked so hard for 40 years that I’m ready to slow down.
