[Muc]

I was having dinner with my French neighbour (monkfish in some Provencal sause, delicious) and was trying to explain to his mother (no English) what my occupation was - I'm one of those city hippie-types that moved to the country for the good life some years ago.
I tried various combinations with hand gestures and then hit on 'paysan'. She didn't believe this as obviously I'm far too sophisticated .
And then we hit on  'nouvelle paysan'. So from now on Nouvelle Paysan it is. Can't wait till the next census.

[marigold]

Sounds good - wonder how it translated into scots?
Teuchter is the word for paysan or peasant so
New age Teuchter? or Neo Teuchter? - sounds quite German

[sagehen]

Un paysan??    And not a nouvelle fermier? How very dare she! 

[marigold]

Peasant is not an insult it doesn't have to be demeaning - it just means someone making their living on a small piece of ground. A crofter would be similar.
We should be proud to be peasants - at least the feudal lords are largely going.

Wikipedia says;-
A peasant is an agricultural worker who subsists by working a small plot of ground. The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district (when the Roman Empire became Christian, these outlying districts were the last to Christianise, and this gave rise to "pagan" as a religious term).[1] The term peasant today is sometimes used in a pejorative sense for impoverished farmers.

[Muc]

...at least the feudal lords are largely going.

That problem was solved here (Ireland) with the republic and all the peasants,  and near-destitute rural-dwellers became 'small farmers' and while the term peasant is quite correct, and to my mind most honourable, I wouldn't use  it at the co-op or the mart, to someone I was trying to do business with.
But how should we peasants describe ourselves to officialdom? Small-holder is good. So too is mixed farmer but it doesn't hit the spot. Hippie, blow-in, back-to-the-land fanatic, good-lifer, new-ager, born-again polytunneler?
Now that I think of it, accidental smallholder is pretty neat.

[marigold]

.. Hippie, blow-in, back-to-the-land fanatic, good-lifer, new-ager, born-again polytunneler?

Tee hee - I love born again polytunneler,  I'm going to use that one and see what sort of responses I get. It sounds a bit like an evangelical potholer
Better than a potboiler which is a Dundonian expression for a man who stays at home while his wife works in the mills.

Actually seriously - given the loaded way people listen to each other 'smallholder' seems straight forward and sensible although Peasant suits my romantic notions.

[sandy]

Nutty English Landlady who has Hens and Dogs!!!Carefree Hippy

[marigold]

I'm jealous Sandy - Something in my life needs to change if I ever want to call myself carefree - I'll work on it

[Muc]

That Dublin blow-in who doesn't spray.

[sagehen]

My answer was meant to be tongue-in cheek, but obviously lost in translation on post  I don't really give a rat's ass what people call me - I think probably 'scruffy socialist riff raff who has too much junk in her backyard' is probably the common neighbourhood sentiment 

Muc - 'dublin blow in who doesn't spray' sounds like a breed of tom cat! 

[Muc]

sounds like a breed of tom cat!

That would fit too.

[sandy]

I lived and worked for years in the same area I grew up so moving enabled me to be myslef...if I'd had gone out like I do here people would say I'd let myself go etc etc..I have not let myself go I am just me and love that freedom!!!!!!! I remeber years ago reading an article about Bidget Bardot, whe was on the beech with a dog, the papers said basicaly look at rough the sex kitten looks now...I was so mad as she was beautiful in my eyes and being herself...why do you need designer or matching outfits, makeup, plastic surgery and perfect figure and hair to have not let yourself go??mind you, thinking about it...I have let myself go...got out of the rat race thats what!!! love it