"Call the police" ....
1.) City critters need to get out more and discover that large swaths of this country do not have the 3 min. response times assumed by many. Back when my BIL was a brandy new state police acadamy grad covering his first patrol territory, I used to ride shotgun with him on his night shifts (before the novelty wore off). He was the ONLY law enforcement available in his patrol area, which was 75 MILES long. And if he was already handling a call, the next available guy was a lot farther. The OP stated that he's on a farm and police aren't readilly available, yet others still chastise him for not hunkering down with a telephone in his hand.
i live 35 miles from the nearest town in my area, my area is as secluded as it gets. fire/ems and leo have actually had to have directions called in to them so that they can find some of the houses in my area. even though they will take a long time to get there they would be the first people i call. why? first off i want it on record that i called for assistance should i have to use lethal force. second, should i not have to use lethal force and the man is still there they can remove him and he is no longer my concern ( as sad as it is that a mentally ill father was left on his own by his children he is not my responsibility and is still a threat.) and lastly if he is no longer on my property i can give his last known direction and let them go looking for a mentally ill man with a knife in the dark.
2.) Believe it or not, there are still people who's ethics do not lead them to conclude that they are entitled to abdicate responsibiltiy for what goes down inside their domain, and many rural states have laws that reflect that.
if he is not in my home and i remain inside my family and i are safe as long as he is outside, if he comes in he dies or i die trying to keep him out. my home and my property are my domain, if he is on my property i call the police for the reasons sighted above, if he enters my home by force (the only way he will come in.) i will use force.
if he leaves after i have spoken to the police, i would call my neighbors and give them a heads up on the situation. there is no need for me to run outside and face a man who poses more of a threat outside when i'm inside safely locked in my home. if i were to go out there and be killed i would no longer be able to protect my family, if i were to kill the man i have to put my family through the emotional,legal and finacial turmoil that would ensue if my actions were not deemed justified.
Your survival is priority #1...
1.) IMO it is unfortunate that so many folks in our society share a personal value that, to hell with my community, my safety and that of my immediate family is the highest priority. Expediency is the measuring stick for what is right and wrong. Yet they all applaud the hero who jumps on a hand grenade to save his fellow soldiers. Thank the Lord that some people still think that it's more important to do what is right than what is safe.
you seem to contradict yourself...
you say that a persons survival is their top priority and then chastise them for acting as such.
if MY SURVIVAL IS PRIORITY #1 then why should i put my survival at risk for others if it wasn't absolutely necessary. i'm sure if i was killed leaving my house to protect my neighbors they would mourn me and think of me as a hero or good samaritan etc. etc. but i doubt they would go out of their way to help my family and provide the role that i did in my household.