A good example of living off the informal economy

It's fair season in much of the United States, and this means among other things that my home town newspaper, the Newton County Times, is running features on the county's honored farmers in different categories:  Farm Family of the Year, Junior Farmers and Senior Farmer.  One thing that caught my eye in the story about the Farm Woman of the Year is how the woman, Samantha, and her family earn a living--primarily through the informal economy and with seasonal work.  Indeed, even before they describe the woman's farming endeavors, they report this about her husband, Clayton:

Clayton finds employment in the landscaping and hardwood industries.  He also works for the National Park Service part time as a fire fighter, sometimes spending time away from home on short assignments in other states.  

As for the female farmer, the story reports in the next paragraph:

Samantha also works during the school year as a substitute teacher at the Deer School.  She has also served as the school cheer coach.

The farm includes a garden, but Samantha admits she isn't the one with the green thumb in the family.  That is mostly her husband's department.

In addition to goats on the farm,

There are some rabbits, donkeys, horses, two milking Jersey heifers, chickens, a pair of geese and hive or two of bees that Clayton said are important pollinators for the farm.  Most of the livestock was received in trades.

The end of the story appropriately includes this:

Samantha said her one priority is to teach her children that they can live with what they have and how to be self-sufficient.  You can do anything if you have ingenuity.