I have considered farming in the past, quite seriously. I think bringing an engineering/scientist mindset to it might be a distraction, but it might also actually help me stay interested in what looks like otherwise very tough work.
Farmers have moderately high suicide rates: isolation, hard work, long hours, and the inability to just stop, as you state.
I read your account - and have read many others like it - and immediately start to think of farming more like Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea": hard work, rewarding, but there's little choice in getting on with the work.
Bringing an engineering/scientist mindset isn't a distraction - it's often a godsend. Another tool in your belt. It gives you an ability to research, to understand, to figure things out. It puts you streets ahead of a lot of farmers.
You don't need to be isolated nor put in long hours. But it's more work than I should perhaps have described as "a side project." If I made it my full time job and quit programming for a living, I'd probably be able to say it was only a part time job relatively quickly.
The hard work and inability to just stop are inescapable. You need to be aware of that going in. As the quote about surfing big waves from Point Break goes "You can't just call time-out and stroll on into the beach if you don't like the way things are going" much as I sometimes wish I could.
The peace of mind and living in harmony with your surroundings is good for your soul though. It definitely makes you more aware of living in the moment and having backup plans.
Farmers have moderately high suicide rates: isolation, hard work, long hours, and the inability to just stop, as you state.
I read your account - and have read many others like it - and immediately start to think of farming more like Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea": hard work, rewarding, but there's little choice in getting on with the work.
Maybe one day. Maybe.