<at the risk of sounding snarky>
I'm a dweller (or a trender, I guess). Lived in a Midwest city, from 15K to 2Mil, until recently - built a home lake-side in an area after farmer developed plots, mine is only 3ac. and the commute is 50 mi each way daily for our city jobs...hopefully that will last only several more years. Kids are gone. We love our place and have worked hard to make it what it is becoming. But it is a work in progress - work that my little tractor makes doable without begging/paying anyone for help (maybe driving prices up across the industry but not too concerned about it; not looking to sell it nor run back to town).
When not putzing around the yard, I'm hunting, training my dogs, fishing or waiting for the grandson to visit (or working at home for my real job). I plow/blow my own snow - generally we get more than our share of it, and mow my own yard, move my own dirt/rock/trees. Don't mind gravel roads, and have learned how to tame them and my 200ft driveway with my scut (have to admit, an asphalt or concrete drive would be nice but it's not yet part of the vision). I owned a push mower forever, but that seemed a little underpowered for this space/terrain, so now I have a Craftsman gt5000 for the grass (praying more grows this summer than last, as it's a little muddy these days). I don't like to use the JD for mowing - too busy with the loader/bb to attach the 62" deck, not a drive-over whiz-bang type (but it still doesn't qualify for 'basic' cuz it's 4wd). Bought it used, could've bought a larger CUT/Utility, but no matter the price difference between them this unit fit the needs best. We're putting in a standby gennie in the next couple of months; while I don't mind stoking the fireplace and lighting a few candles like we did a few weeks ago when it was -40 with the power cut out, I'd rather not have to worry about it (will probably have to hire that out... I don't like the thought of the new house burning down).
We like our little town 15 miles away, where we do our own shopping and even attend church.
I have friends/family with big farm and ranch operations, hunt/fish with them and on other farms. All of them drive a nicer truck than my f250, which is not fancy but pretty nice imho. We've been welcomed both in our little development and with our farming neighbors, unless they just appear that way to our face and talk smack about us behind our backs. Either way, we're here to stay until God has other plans for us.
I do realize that a few comments above were maybe not aimed at us specifically, but they were close enough that I felt prompted to respond on behalf of those I know who've chosen to nibble at the edges of 'country life'. I have nothing but respect for those of you who manage larger operations, and while I wouldn't ever see the need to have a bigger tractor, your conversations on this board have helped me a great deal, even in my world. <rant over>