# We need a piece of land to start our mini farm. Any suggestion ?



## nataliewalsh (Mar 23, 2014)

Location
Affordability 
Whether
Good soil


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

You'd need to provide a bit more information. What state (s) are you looking at? What does "affordable" mean to you. For me it means under $50,000, but for others it would mean under $300,000. What kind or size is a mini-farm? 2 acres, 5, 10, 50? Farming just crops or animals? What kind?

Here's a mini-farm available from someone on the forum -- looks like a fantastic deal.
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/co...tate/506210-84-acre-homestead-upstate-ny.html


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Belfrybat said:


> You'd need to provide a bit more information. What state (s) are you looking at? What does "affordable" mean to you. For me it means under $50,000, but for others it would mean under $300,000. What kind or size is a mini-farm? 2 acres, 5, 10, 50? Farming just crops or animals? What kind?
> 
> Here's a mini-farm available from someone on the forum -- looks like a fantastic deal.
> http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/co...tate/506210-84-acre-homestead-upstate-ny.html


84 acres = mini farm? 

You're right. People have different meanings for concepts/words. 

How ya been, BB?


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

What area do you want, Natalie? How much land do you consider "mini-farm" size?


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## Bubba1358 (Nov 6, 2013)

Tennessee is a good choice. Taxes are low, land is reasonable (5k an acre around Nashville), it's zone 6 to 7. The soil can be rocky, so that's a hit or miss prospect depending on the area.


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

Pony said:


> 84 acres = mini farm?
> 
> You're right. People have different meanings for concepts/words.
> 
> How ya been, BB?


Pony, I've been fine -- just got back from a trip to NY -- looong drive.
Here in West Central Texas, 80 acres isn't much. Back East, yes. That's why I suggested the OP clarify her desires.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Belfrybat said:


> Pony, I've been fine -- just got back from a trip to NY -- looong drive.
> Here in West Central Texas, 80 acres isn't much. Back East, yes. That's why I suggested the OP clarify her desires.


Today, I'm so tired, that the thought of another 5 acres makes me want to crawl into bed...


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## Kmac15 (May 19, 2007)

We have 15 acres in SC we would love to sell so we can move to Tenn to be near family. Great weather and low taxes. $140,000 with barn, home, shop, storage shed and large pole shed. Just PM


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## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

nataliewalsh said:


> Location
> Affordability
> Weather
> Good soil


 Rather general...

Location pertaining to what? Close to freshwater bodies of water, saltwater, rivers, creeks, mountains, or?

Affordability...your financial range? As it has been posted, what do you consider reasonable per acre. How many acres do you want?

Weather could be variable and has a lot to do with your preference. USDA Zone preference? Humidity avoidance? Rainfall preference? Do you want to avoid hurricanes or tornadoes? How about drought or excessive rain areas? 

Do you want to avoid areas at high risk for forest fires? How about Tsunami's?

Good soil is a literal.

As for us HTer's, we all have a different take on what we prefer. In addition, different perspectives due to experiencing life in areas all over the US.

As for myself, I consider our recent property purchase reasonable and even a good deal. Others would shudder paying $97,500 for 5.1 acres. Why did we?

Pure Spring Water from our private well
Natural springs
No CCR's or HOA's
No water restrictions
Four of our 5.1 acres is forest, a lot is 2nd growth Western Red Cedar and Douglas Fir trees (DH is building a log home with our own trees).
Approved Septic in
Well in
Power on the property
Near DNR land and hiking
Only 8 minutes from a marina (we have a boat and DH fishes...)
Quiet
Good soil
25" of rain per year
Mild Winters
No hurricanes, tornadoes, severe droughts, or torrential downpours
No tsunami risk
10 minutes from town, can buy everything we don't grow organically locally grown. We have a certified raw milk dairy here. 

You take that $97,500 and subtract the value of the well, septic, power on the property, driveway, and the value of our standing timber? We might as well have paid $45,000 for a cleared piece of vacant land (not available here at that price). Still sounds expensive? I know a local guy who has been growing his families food for over 20 years here, never has had his garden fail, nor had his orchard not produce in abundance. Water is a top priority and I couldn't put a price tag on pure spring water. Purchasing property with a lot of 2nd growth trees may sound like work, since it is, however you get excellent rich topsoil (not depleted of minerals). I couldn't attach a value point on that, either. The natural springs insure we have a source of water no matter what, even in power outages.

Our elevation is 1126 ft above sea level, but we can be at sea level in just 6 minutes by car. We don't get much snow here, and it melts quickly when we do.

That all said? HTer's have their own preferences and live all over the US for that reason (some in other Countries). It all boils down to priorities.

What are yours?


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## CashmereNCamo (Jul 25, 2014)

Belfrybat said:


> Pony, I've been fine -- just got back from a trip to NY -- looong drive.
> Here in West Central Texas, 80 acres isn't much. Back East, yes. That's why I suggested the OP clarify her desires.



I had to consider splitting up "just" 70 acres because here in Texas, that's a mini-farm, but to some folks back east, that's a large parcel of land! I finally decided to list the house with the northernmost 15 acres and outbuildings for sale with an option to buy additional land from the remaining acreage.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

I always find it odd when new members join, ask broadly general questions, then when folks try helping and ask for a bit more information to try helping further, the new member never replies.
Yup, just a bit odd.


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## idigbeets (Sep 3, 2011)

I usually just ignore these kinds of posts....


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## FarmFamily (Feb 12, 2014)

I'm not sure where you are looking to buy but we are preparing our place for sale. We are touching it up a bit before we put in on the market. I'm doing some painting in some of the rooms, having new carpet laid in the living room and bedrooms, installing new porch posts, doing some work on the barn, replacing wood fence at front gate entrance... just cosmetic stuff. Here's a list of what our mini-homestead consists of...

The house is brick and vinyl siding
has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths
laundry area in master bath
walk in closet in master
central AC/H
attached 2 car garage
water well
2 1/2 + acres
porches on front of the house, side of living room and off the kitchen
24x24 barn/shop on a slab with 3 attached stalls
pasture and pens with stalls
many flowering bushes and trees...azaleas, gardenias, roses, bluebonnets, wisteria, altheas, crepe myrtles, dogwoods, redbuds...
numerous oaks and pecan trees (native and paper shell)
mature and young fruit trees...pear, peach, plum, apple, blueberry, fig
several areas for a vegetable garden(s) 
raised beds currently planted in herbs
yard is completely fenced

On our place we have raised/are raising and grown.... most of our vegetables, fruit, meat rabbits, laying hens, ducks, pasture poultry, dairy goats, meat goats, slaughter pigs, honey bees. The pasture could also support a dairy cow, The goats can't keep up with the growth. With proper management you could grow much of your own food for the year.

This really is a nice quiet place in the country. We're surrounded by woods. It's very private. There are lots of areas for nature walks around here seeing that we're near/surrounded by the Big Thicket National Preserve. There are lots of wild grapes and berries growing here too. Mayhaws and dewberries/blackberries. If you have little ones in public school we are in a very desired school district. Big Sandy ISD in Dallardsville. We are in Segno, TX. I hope to have everything finished and be ready to put it on the market in about a month. Maybe sooner. We plan to list it at $124,000. We do have a couple people already showing interest. 

You can visit our homestead at http://homesteadfarmer.blogspot.com/


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## CashmereNCamo (Jul 25, 2014)

FarmFamily said:


> This really is a nice quiet place in the country. We're surrounded by woods. It's very private. There are lots of areas for nature walks around here seeing that we're near/surrounded by the Big Thicket National Preserve. There are lots of wild grapes and berries growing here too. Mayhaws and dewberries/blackberries. If you have little ones in public school we are in a very desired school district. Big Sandy ISD in Dallardsville. *We are in Segno, TX.* I hope to have everything finished and be ready to put it on the market in about a month. Maybe sooner. We plan to list it at $124,000. We do have a couple people already showing interest.
> 
> You can visit our homestead at http://homesteadfarmer.blogspot.com/


*YOU ARE IN SEGNO???!!! * We're NEIGHBORS!!! We used to live in that log cabin on Tom Marsh Road in Segno. We sold it years ago and bought a place just outside of Woodville. Now I'm selling this place, in part or whole, because I'm widowed, the kids are grown and 70 acres is too much for me to manage. Without a full time cattle or hay operation to keep up with the rain and long growing season, this place could get out of control quickly. 

I sure miss that log cabin back in Segno - if only I had known how things were going to change, I'd have never left. :shrug:

Here's my place, not even 20 miles from you:

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/co...mestead-east-texas-w-addl-land-available.html


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## FarmFamily (Feb 12, 2014)

CashmereNCamo said:


> *YOU ARE IN SEGNO???!!! * We're NEIGHBORS!!! We used to live in that log cabin on Tom Marsh Road in Segno. We sold it years ago and bought a place just outside of Woodville. Now I'm selling this place, in part or whole, because I'm widowed, the kids are grown and 70 acres is too much for me to manage. Without a full time cattle or hay operation to keep up with the rain and long growing season, this place could get out of control quickly.
> 
> I sure miss that log cabin back in Segno - if only I had known how things were going to change, I'd have never left. :shrug:
> 
> ...


How funny. What a small world! Ha! Yes, this is a nice area to live in. We've been here about 10 yrs. My husband took a job out of state so off we go. Well... Seeing how you miss Segno... I know a cute little place for sale out here.


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## Swamp-Gator (Aug 3, 2014)

Here in Michigan there is a 12.5 acre piece for sale. It comes with well, septic, electric, mobile home, decent driveway, looks like they also use wood heat. I am pretty sure the land is chemical free. It is about 1/2 mile from the fire department and bingo on Wednesday nights. About 2 miles from the race tracks with auto racing on Saturday nights in the summer.

Very nice neighborhood and friendly community. Good school, bus pick up. County transportation, winter wonderland (snowmobiling, skiing, ice fishing, ect.) and best of all.......

It is situated on a little lake. They advertised it as a pond but it is a small fresh water lake that is spring fed.


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