It's a lot of fun to lay out a farm from scratch, but a lot of work, too! My favorite thing
is tearing out all the old barbed wire fence and accompanying multiflora roses and replacing it with new fence.
Bushhogging is one of the first things we did. For us, it was a good way to see how the land layed out and find any hazards - like washouts and sinkholes. It also gave us an easier look at the fences to see which could stay for a while and which had to be replaced. You say your land is cut over? Better warn the bush hog guy. Saplings aren't a problem, but I'd be pretty PO'ed if I tore up my bush hog on a stump that I didn't see! You might want that dozer first.
A camper is a good idea. I don't know about you, but "roughing it" isn't my idea of fun. I like mattresses, refridgeration and toilets.
Don't be in too much of a hurry to build. Try to figure out how you're going to use the property first. For us, the first priority was siting the horse barn. I wanted central location in relation to turnouts/pastures, enough room for a riding ring in front, and enough flat land behind it in case we ever have the money to build an indoor ring. I also wanted a driveway big enough for tractor-trailer access, if necessary. The drainage was a slight problem(we knew it would be), but I think we've got that solved with gutters, drain tile, and a little dirt re-location.
Our barn, in case you're wondering, is a 36x84 pole barn w/ 12' sidewalls. The cost for just the shell was about $8000- but that was before building material prices skyrocketed. It was a complete DIY project(DH is a carpenter) and about the only thing we had help with was setting the posts and the trusses. We rented a sky-trac (big all-terrain forklift) to set the trusses- best $400 bucks I spent
. We considered rafters, but since we didn't want or need a hay loft, trusses were easier and cheaper.
A few other things we did-
Since we had to run water lines anyway, we put in several frost-proof hydrants near pastures so we don't have to drag much hose. I used pvc rather than the coils of black pipe on the recommendation of the plumbing supply co. The cost difference is almost nil for a much better product.
Before we put down gravel for the driveway, we borrowed an earth pan for behind the tractor and removed the topsoil. Gravel ain't cheap and I didn't want it all sinking into the mud. I wish I had sucked it up and put down geo-textile fabric under the gravel, but I didn't think I could afford it at the time. After using it on the parking area around the barn, I now realize how much money it would have saved me.
Lots of gates! Every area has a gate large enough to get a tractor and bush-hog through, and the bigger pastures have a 16' gate so that we can get larger equipment(haybine) through. I also put a couple of gates in the perimeter fence, so in the unlikely event that one of my critters escapes, I can herd it back in without getting near the road.
Good luck and have fun!
and we are excited to get going doing 'something'...
