# Mapping the Farm



## dlskidmore (Apr 18, 2012)

Thought I'd show off a bit of how handy Google Earth can be in mapping out the farm.

First, I downloaded the tax maps from my county's website. Every county is different, but you should be able to search for your name or address in the public records. If your county does not have this information online, then your county clerk's office or town hall should have paper tax maps. I used paper tax maps before the information age to find all the landowners along a creek for a Girl Scout project. If you have your tax ID off a tax bill it will make the search for this data a bit faster. The tax map will give you a good idea of the shape of your property and the distances along each border segment.

Second, I took my GPS out and took a bunch of waypoints and track logs as I walked around the place and where I thought the borders were. I especially noted where existing corner posts and property line markers were. The GPS is not accurate enough to resolve border disputes or place boundary fences, but it gets a decent idea of the relative position of things. Most of my waypoints reported an accuracy around +/-10 feet, which is good enough to get general lengths of fences and acreage.

Third, I used the GPS software to download the data to my computer. If you're using a Garmin, the Trip and Waypoint Manager will do this, if you're using an Android device, you can save data to google Drive and then download it.

Fourth, I imported the GPS data into Google Earth (Tools -> GPS -> Import From File)

Fifth, I started adding polygons to Google Earth that seemed to line up with my other data. My fence lines have changed since the last overhead photos, but you may be able to trace existing features in the photo as well as use the waypoints and track logs.

Sixth, I adjusted my polygons using the ruler feature to align the polygon shape with the tax map dimensions.

Done!

I'll be using this map to plan my fencing and pasture renovation projects. Border fences will still need surveying by a professional, but all internal borders could be planned this way.

I had originally planned on using MapWindow GIS to make this map, but had some problems with the data import process. MapWindow does have some more sophisticated tools to play with if I can get that working later.


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