# Hello from southern Virginia



## KatsFarm

Just wanted to say hello  Hubby and I are just moving in to our "new" homestead and looking forward to starting our new life. 

We bought an old, abandoned farm, with 35 acres in half/half pastures and mature trees, and a small pond.

We decided to restore the 100 year old farmhouse, which is just the right size for us, because most of the hardest work had already been completed on it by the previous owner. New framing, windows, siding and metal roof. 

We have three goats, Anglo Nubians, 2 does and a buckling, which we will be breeding to increase the herd and for milk. 

We also have chickens, ducks and a Pyr named Sophie. I am hoping to learn from you all the things about farming that I don't know, which is plenty!

You can visit our farm at http://www.hennypennyfarm.blogspot.com


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## Vahomesteaders

Welcome. We are Virginians too!


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## motdaugrnds

Hello Kats, nice to meet you. I'm in VA as well.


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## blueberry

Welcome to a fantastic group! Virginia is a lovely state; can't wait to return myself


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## KatsFarm

Thanks for the warm welcome! I am pleased to "meet" you all


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## popscott

Welcome.... SW virginy here...


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## Marinea

Another SWer here...welcome!


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## Blueridgeviews

Welcome from central VA (Albemarle Co)
Sounds like you bought a perfect place -- will enjoy reading of your progress.


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## JennAdeleK

Welcome!


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## CountryMom22

Welcome! Can't wait to hear about your adventures, and of course, we love pictures around here!

Enjoy the forum!


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## Clem

The pictures in your blog look so much like all the country still left undisturbed for 50 years or more in Pittsylvania and Halifax counties!

If you're there, hello neighbors. I'm on the right side of the state line, but always willing to drive a few minutes to help out. That's how I feel justified in life.


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## KatsFarm

Clem said:


> The pictures in your blog look so much like all the country still left undisturbed for 50 years or more in Pittsylvania and Halifax counties!
> 
> If you're there, hello neighbors. I'm on the right side of the state line, but always willing to drive a few minutes to help out. That's how I feel justified in life.


Which side is the right side? We are in the Clarksville VA area, about 2 miles from NC line. We feel the same, always ready to help our neighbors.

This farm has been mostly undisturbed for decades. The last renovation on record was in 1950, and that family died off about ten years ago. Since that time no one has lived here. One person came and made an attempt to restore the house, but gave up. That was 2-3 years ago. 

Now it's our turn, having been raised in a location where spilling seed on the ground was enough to get a garden, to this farm where it is all white clay is a challenge. Guess this is where we learn just how stubborn I can be. DH and I are determined to make this place home and a productive farm again.

Neighborly visits are always a welcomed pleasure!


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## Blueridgeviews

Where did you live that you could just spill seed on the ground??!! 
I want to move THERE. LOL

I read your blog on the well water issue. We live in serious farm country (surrounded by lots,of livestock) and our well kept testing with cloriform in it. It was a low number, but it made us nervous so we bought a Berkey water filter, and it worked fantastic for two years until we installed a UV system. They can sit right on your counter and gets rid of everything --as good as RO. And I think about $200 for our big one.
http://www.berkeyfilters.com/?gclid...Zyqm1CkuqD4HRR-xsa2yQeBYlFEe5qoYKYaAgwz8P8HAQ


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## KatsFarm

Blueridgeviews said:


> Where did you live that you could just spill seed on the ground??!!
> I want to move THERE. LOL
> 
> I read your blog on the well water issue. We live in serious farm country (surrounded by lots,of livestock) and our well kept testing with cloriform in it. It was a low number, but it made us nervous so we bought a Berkey water filter, and it worked fantastic for two years until we installed a UV system. They can sit right on your counter and gets rid of everything --as good as RO. And I think about $200 for our big one.
> http://www.berkeyfilters.com/?gclid...Zyqm1CkuqD4HRR-xsa2yQeBYlFEe5qoYKYaAgwz8P8HAQ


New England has very fertile soil. I have that same Berkey on my Amazon wishlist.
Luckily there isn't a lot of livestock very nearby, but I do have some concern regarding the farm next door that is growing tobacco. We are organic and I don't know if they are using pesticides or chemical fertilizer that could leach it's way here.


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## Blueridgeviews

We lived in CT and also organic gardened there, but the weather and bugs were way worse there than VA. But the soil was not as hard pan clay as our is here. We have used tons of free wood chips and manure to build soil here. 

Since you are new to VA -- Are you getting the farm tax relief on your property taxes? VA is really generous in property tax reduction for farmers. I think it varies by counties. We save over $2,000 a year on our property taxes for having small amount of livestock on 21 acres in Albermarle Co.
We've heard other VA counties are even more generous.
Also, if you shop at Tractor Supply and Southern States and some hardware stores, you can get a farm tax acct and not pay sales tax on related farm items.


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## KatsFarm

Blueridgeviews said:


> We lived in CT and also organic gardened there, but the weather and bugs were way worse there than VA. But the soil was not as hard pan clay as our is here. We have used tons of free wood chips and manure to build soil here.
> 
> Since you are new to VA -- Are you getting the farm tax relief on your property taxes? VA is really generous in property tax reduction for farmers. I think it varies by counties. We save over $2,000 a year on our property taxes for having small amount of livestock on 21 acres in Albermarle Co.
> We've heard other VA counties are even more generous.
> Also, if you shop at Tractor Supply and Southern States and some hardware stores, you can get a farm tax acct and not pay sales tax on related farm items.


We lived in Eastern CT, never had a problem with bugs, especially mosquitoes, unlike here. The land here is definitely a challenge. I am building my garden above ground with a wood chips base. Hopefully after a few years of adding more wood chips and the chicken poo, I may be able to till it. Right now I will be happy if I can grow enough for the kitchen.

I did not know about the farm incentives. I do know that the place is being tax as a "at use(?)" tax rate since we have livestock, albeit 3 goats and a dozen chickens and ducks, and hay.

Where do I learn more about these good things for farmers? Do I need a permit to sell eggs, or goat's milk and soap?

There is so much to learn. 

Thanks for telling me about the tax breaks


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## motdaugrnds

I raise the large Nubian dairy goats too. In fact I drove all the way up to your area to purchase my herd buck "So-Gay Roman" from Chateau Bryant's farm.  These Nubians give great milk!

Contact your local agricultural department and you will get loads of information as to what can and cannot be done. Also contact your local tax department to find out about tax exemptions. And you probably have a Farm Bureau Dept as well so talk with them as to exemptions. (Tractor Supply can also provide information about tax exemptions.) Your local Health Dept can talk with you about the legalities of selling milk and eggs.

As for poisons leeching from that tobacca field onto your acreage, is your land down hill from where that is grown? (I've read somewhere that a deep layer of woodchips will correct poisons. Don't know if this is true; but sure wouldn't hurt to place a good deep pile between your land and that tobacca. You need to talk with the owner about what he sprays...and when...as some people do not take the wind into consideration when spraying.) I can tell you my neighbor had planted tobacco for years when I moved on my acreage; and the first year I was here I planted about 50 tomatoe plants on that side of the property. That year I had an excellent crop of tomatoes!

Have you walked over your acreage to find out where the run-off water goes, where it stands and what predators you have there? You can get the Health Dept to test your well water for impurities. And when you go to put in your disposal system, be real sure it is NOT higher than your well water....

Lastly, enjoy.....You have started a wonderful adventure!

As for your soil, woodchips will do the job yet will take a few years. Still it is much better than tilling the soil because, when you break up the soil, you destroy the life of what is there, beit nutrition and/or worms. (Were that soil mine, I'ld pile about 16" of woodchips over the entire garden area and let it sit there for a few years. Watch some of the YouTube videos about "Back-to-Eden gardening" with Paul Gautschie.) Raised beds are great; however, they dry out rather easy and will require more water.


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## KatsFarm

Such great information all around! Thanks so much.

The area is more level than hilly, so that is good. One of the features we looked for when looking for a farm was rolling hills, but we also took into account that we want to be able to still walk the land easily when we are in our 80's+, so we looked for just "rolling" acres. 

We know where all the standing water goes, and none is in our growing area. 

We are organic so we really don't want anything blowing in from the neighbors crop area. The hay field for our animals is on that side of our property, so we don't want our animals ingesting any chemicals.

We are not installing a waste disposal system so that is not a problem. We are using waterless commodes and filtering gray water for reuse for trees and ornamental gardens.

At our old home my garden depended heavily on woodchips, both for growing my veg and for weed and moisture control. The soil there started out as completely worn out and could only grow crab-grass. When we left, our garden was admired by the neighborhood, and I could raise just about all our food for one year.

So far this summer I have seen more bees, spiders, and butterflies in one place than I have ever seen in my lifetime. But, I also haven't seen a single worm  just tiny slugs.

DH is working on either getting the old well pump working or replacing it. Once that is working I will get the water tested.

We are also looking into getting a solar power system to provide our electricity instead of connecting to the grid.

I love You-Tube for learning and finding new ideas and resources. 

Thank you all again of your responses and advice. You are incredible!


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## Blueridgeviews

Yes, contact your county AG department and they will steer you who to call to learn the rules for it.
We have one women who administers it and they are very lenient and helpful.
Each county in VA has different rules. Most,people get the tax off with having their land hayed. A person with hay equiptment will come in and hay some of your pastures and give you a little of the hay, he gets the rest to sell, but you get big bucks in tax relief. We don't do this as it strips the land eventually unless you want to fertilize it, but one year of it wont hurt if your pastures are good.

Instead of haying, you can have livestock for the tax break and on twenty acre parcel, our county gives us the break for having four cows, or four horses boarded, or ten goats or ten sheep, or four llamas, pigs, or some combo of those. Not sure how many chickens count. Also if you sell produce, but I'm not sure how that works.

But the county south of us only asks for one cow on twenty acres. You have to have five or more acres to be considered a farm for the break, and can have less animals on less land.

Your place sounds wonderful -- keep us posted on your progress.
RE the bugs -- Didn't you say you have ducks? They will clean up the bugs fast without scratching up the beds like chickens. Muscovies work the best for some reason. If it moves, they eat it. I have finally gotten the bugs organically under control, but the mockingbirds are causing major havoc in fruit trees and berries. Grrrr....

RE - no worms -- I tried worm tunnels this year in an area of bad soil, and after two months they were filled with worms! They came from all over the garden I guess. You just drill holes in a five gallon bucket on the bottom and halfway up the sides and dig it halfway into the ground then fill with your kitchen compost,or garden weeds and waste and put the lid on it. The worms smell it and come and then put their castings and cultivate all through the area back and forth in and out of the tunnels.
You can find how to make them on You Tube.


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## Hiro

Welcome to the area. We live in the county to your west. 

I understand your trepidation on deep tilling. But, there are now subsoilers that can break up below the surface without tearing up the top layer of soil, which leads to erosion. If you get to know your neighbors (the tobacco farmer), he probably has one that he might break up a garden spot for you. 

If that isn't an appealing option, I have used daikon radishes to some success in areas that I can't get typical equipment to. It is worth a try and now is the time of year to plant them. 

Anyway, welcome to hardpan alley.


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## KatsFarm

We have been becoming friends with a farmer who lives a couple miles down the road and he has been helping,and teaching, us a great deal. Last week he and some of his friends cut and baled all our hay, we have about 17 acres in hay, and 17 in mature hard woods, and about 1+ acres for the house, outbuildings, garden etc. 
He found one of our pastures would benefit from being plowed and reseeded and will be doing that for us in coming weeks. He has also offered to plow up a garden area too. 
I don't have much hope in being able to plant vegetables in this clay, so I plan to use the back to Eden method of laying a thick bed of wood chips, etc. I have done this in the past and it worked great. I figure after a few years of building up the layer of organic material, I can then till it under and start to improve the topsoil in the garden area. At least I am hoping it works out that way.......


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