Let's say ... you've got 50 acres just laying around ...

[SkizzlePig]

So, my wife and I are in the process of deciding between bare land properties. Most of the properties we're looking at are in the 15 to 30 acre range and within our budget.

... then there's this one property. It's nearly one hundred acres and just a little bit outside our budget, but we can afford it. It has two or three ponds, a stand of pines, and open, level pasture land as far as the eye can see (well, almost ).

Here's the potential plan ... we buy the larger parcel and section off fifty (or how-ever-much) and do some for-profit endeavor on it ... to offset the cost and be a profit center for our hobby farm. So, we're looking for ideas ...

Any ideas what you'd do with an extra fifty acres? Obviously, we're looking for the lowest initial investment with the highest potential return and as little upkeep as possible ... sounds easy, eh? If it matters, the property is in the South.

Here's what I've thought of thus far:
1) Horse stables with 20 acres +/- of trails
2) Carbon offset forest
3) Cut up the extra fifty acres and sell it in smaller plots (not my favorite)

Thoughts?

[Bro. Williams]

Can you lease it?

sell timber?

rent it?

[EarthSheltered]

Could it be easily made into a seasonal campground? Rented as pasture or cropland? Or a hunting lease?

Personally, I would always go for more land (if it doesn't bankrupt you) then less, since they aren't making any more

[Bro. Williams]

I agree with that last statement of the last poster. If nothing else (and you can afford it), it is considered money in the bank, in most places.

[SkizzlePig]

@Bro. -
I could sell the timber, but it's not a very big stand. I don't think it has much timber value. I'm certain I could lease/rent it ... but for what purpose? What are you thinking? A lease would be great, I just don't know what the leasor would use the property for.

@Sheltered -
A seasonal campground is an interesting idea. There would be a pond stocked with fish on the property ... so that idea is in the running. Thanks!

[caroline00]

In the south of the US or in the south of Oregon?

First of all, I would plant at least 20 acres of woods..if you are in the real south, you can probobly get seedings cheap from the state dept of conservation. Research your trees carefully.

Then I would make sure that some of those ponds are stocked...

If there are other things to do in the area, I might think about a campground that has horse facilities... but dont supply horses or assume any other sort of liability...

while you are getting things situated, go ahead and rent out pasture... or write up a lease agreement to let a local rancher graze free for a prescribed # of years, if he will fertilize and fence the pasture he will be using. I think the 2nd option is better paying even though you wont get any money

We do have 50 acres lying unused... it is totally wooded... we let people cut firewood for thier own use... we let friends hunt in it...but we aren't using it otherwise.

[Bro. Williams]

Originally Posted by Unlikely Farmer

@Bro. -
I could sell the timber, but it's not a very big stand. I don't think it has much timber value. I'm certain I could lease/rent it ... but for what purpose? What are you thinking? A lease would be great, I just don't know what the leasor would use the property for.

@Sheltered -
A seasonal campground is an interesting idea. There would be a pond stocked with fish on the property ... so that idea is in the running. Thanks!

I know many rent acreage around here to other farmers to grow feed/hay on, or as an alternative pasture for additional livestock.

Also, I have a family member who has several acres of his large farm in conservation programs. For example, he has about 10 acres in a tree program where the state provided trees for 25 cents apiece, and they stay in the program for 15 years. Yearly the program pays him a certain incentive. After 15 years, the tress are his, and he can do what he wants to with them. Additionally, he has 30+ acres (give or take), in a program where he planted native grass and wild flowers for a 2-5 year program. He leared about these programs through the local agriculture extension office.

[SkizzlePig]

Originally Posted by Bro. Williams

I know many rent acreage around here to other farmers to grow feed/hay on, or as an alternative pasture for additional livestock.

Also, I have a family member who has several acres of his large farm in conservation programs. For example, he has about 10 acres in a tree program where the state provided trees for 25 cents apiece, and they stay in the program for 15 years. Yearly the program pays him a certain incentive. After 15 years, the tress are his, and he can do what he wants to with them. Additionally, he has 30+ acres (give or take), in a program where he planted native grass and wild flowers for a 2-5 year program. He leared about these programs through the local agriculture extension office.

Brilliant!

Any idea how many trees he put on the 10 acres? I'm just looking for an order of magnitude ... like 10, 100 or 1000.

[Bro. Williams]

Originally Posted by Unlikely Farmer

Brilliant!

Any idea how many trees he put on the 10 acres? I'm just looking for an order of magnitude ... like 10, 100 or 1000.

Haha. Yes, I have a wonderful idea. This guy is ex-military (high up), so he is meticulous. The second year he had them out, it was during the summer months, between teaching schedules, he wanted to make sure they were getting extra good growth, so I helped him hoe around half of them (he did the rest himself). There are somewhere around 2500, give or take.

In our state, and in this particular program, the program is dealing with the conservation of a specific river in our area, specifically the land erosion around it. So, the program limits the area involved to within 1000 feet of the said waterway. With ten acres, and two branches to this waterway, we did a lot of trees.

As a side note, it is really cool to watch a forest grow over the years (I think it is in the 4th or 5th year now), the ash have grown so fast. There are different trees in this program, so he planted various types. All very cool.

It would be a good idea to meet up with an extension agent and see what programs are available (sometimes there are limits to funds, certain requirements, waiting lists, specifications that must be met, contracts, etc).

Also, another idea on leasing, which one can do on top of the other ideas. We have some individuals around here who lease out their land to hunters, and only allow those hunters to hunt in a specific area. It is a good deal for the land owners and a good deal for the hunters (limits who is in the area). For a smaller area, one wouldn't make much, but it would be an extra income regardless.

[caroline00]

our dept of conservation sells bundles of native seedlings 25-50 like seedings in a bundle for $12.50 to MO residents. But I think most states in this part of the country do something similar

we plant and leave... rarely water...

they have probobly more than 100 varieites of plants...pines, oaks, walnuts, hickory etc

[poorboy]

land and timber is just like a savings account, the timber will increase in vaalue. so if you don't need the cash won't hurt nothing to just let it set. 20 acres of my little place is doing just that sitting and the timber is getting more valuable every year.

[Lynne]

We planted 3000 trees on 9.5 acres.
After the initial reimbursement of the cost of trees, tubes, stakes, fuel and machine rental we get a check for about $1400 a year for maintenance. Remember if you don’t already file a schedule F or are self employed there will be at least two more forms to file at tax time.

[Rowena]

Do you have a name of your program, I don't we have anything like it, but I would like to do some research and a name would give me a start?

[Bro. Williams]

Originally Posted by Rowena

Do you have a name of your program, I don't we have anything like it, but I would like to do some research and a name would give me a start?

The one in KY is:

http://www.conservation.ky.gov/programs/crep/

One can also find some at:

www.fsa.usda.gov

[michiganfarmer]

Originally Posted by Unlikely Farmer

Here's what I've thought of thus far:
1) Horse stables with 20 acres +/- of trails
2) Carbon offset forest
3) Cut up the extra fifty acres and sell it in smaller plots (not my favorite)

Thoughts?

Horses do not pay. Horses only cost. Anyone with enough money to pay good money for boarding will expect such a fancy place that you wont be able to afford to build it. Anyone who will accept a plain place probably can barely afford feed in the first place, and wont ever have enough money to pay you enough to make any profit. Forget anything to do with horses. THey are an expensive hobby.

If you want people moving in right next to you, and telling you how to live, then definately sell off small plots.


ANything that is going to pay is going to cost in the beginning. My first thought is growing hay, and trucking it out west to sell. THere might even be good money selling it locally. Plant hay, graze feeder cattle on it, and sell the cattle

[pcdreams]

how far are you from the property? Is it close enough to drive to daily? Is there a well or stream?

I'm thinking cut flowers on maybe 1/2 acre.. I've seen a book on making $$ on flowers... never did much with flowers but the idea seems doable.

[Queen Bee]

Christmas trees! A renewable source for those town people who want the 'special' feeling of "cut your own trees'! It would take several yrs to get going but once est. it should be a great money money maker..

[texican]

Theres no such thing as too much land... live on it a few years and you'll find plenty of things to do with the extra land.

If it were me, I'd build smack dab in the middle, or in an area where I couldn't see any potential neighbor.

[Shadow]

Banks do not like to loan money on vacant land. Reason it seldom has a income attached to it. Renting it out to farm, pasture, whatever usually just pays the yearly property tax. Growing trees for timber, just had some of ours cut. Timber is high but getting it cut makes a mess. Timber cutter gets 40 to50 percent then the federal and state capital gains taxes get 44 percent at least Obama wants to double that. So you end up with a big mess and 25 cents on the dollar. I will never cut timber again. We have 120 acres we use about 6 rest just sets there. A friend asked about 50 acres and looked at it a couple of times. That was three years ago asked again last week told him it was still there he wants to wait five more years till he retires to buy it, would I sell it to him at the initial price in five years. I thought about it and added up the cost of the land each year taxes, insurance fuel to bushhog the pasture and it cost about 100 dollars per acre just to own it a year. So no .
Christmas trees require a lot of work shearing to shape once or twice a year, fertilizine spraying for insects almost as much work as a orchard which requires a lot of work lots of spraying and pruning, I know organic but people that buy do not buy ugly wormy fruit.
Now it cost us 22 dollars for a round trip to town. Property out where we are is currently holding about steady but don't bet on it. Rright now the 50 would sell for about 3,000 per acre more if we would sell in smaller parcels of about 5 acres each. I bought it at 700 per acre, 22 years ago paid taxes, insurance, bushhogged replanted after a tornado blew down all the trees so I probably have 3,000 in it and expect it to lose value over the next few years.
If you can afford for it to just set go for it if you have to make money with it be very careful.