It seems to me the show needs the group to leave the farm; too little action might be good for survival but it makes bad TV.

Realistically, I think Rick was right on track trying to fit in with Hershel's community. If he had managed it, the group would've been well positioned to start rebuilding their lives - not simply surviving. However, I have a feeling that morphing into Little House on the Prairie is not the direction the story tellers want to go in .

Shane on the other hand is positioning the group to get back on the road and delve further into a Mad Max lifestyle. It's certainly not how I'd want to live but it should be interesting to watch.

I don't think we can ever expect "good" decisions from the group because truly good decisions would result in less action and less drama. The people making good decisions in this world are sitting around playing cards, working their little gardens and living off their preps in relatively safe locations.