Finding Good Farmland How to Evaluate and Acquire Land for Raising Crops and Animals. A Storey BASICS® Title

by Hansen, Ann Larkin

• ISBN13: 9781612120867
• ISBN10: 1612120865
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2013-03-26
• Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC

Summary

This practical guide contains all of the information you need to have before purchasing farmland, covering everything from the characteristics of the land and the surrounding area to government regulations, land use considerations, and financing. Checklists and questionnaires are included to help you decide exactly what you need and how to find it.

Author Biography

Ann Larkin Hansen is the author of The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, The Organic Farming Manual, The Electric Fencing Handbook, Finding Good Farmland, and Making Hay; coauthor of A Landowner’s Guide to Managing Your Woods with consulting forester Dennis Waterman and master logger Mike Severson; and coauthor with her husband, Steve, of Maintaining Small-Farm Equipment. She has been a journalist for more than 30 years, specializing in organic agriculture and sustainable forestry. A homesteader and a small-scale organic farmer, she lives with her family on a farm in northern Wisconsin. 

Table of Contents

Introduction: Finding the farm that's right for you

 

1 Location: Where to look for land, and how to begin the search

 

2 Water: Source, quantity, reliability, ownership, and quality

 

3 Good Land: Soil type, fertility, aspect, slope, drainage, and field histories

 

4 Building and Utilities: House, outbuildings, fences, septic, electric, driveway, and a few other things

 

5 Neighbors and the Neighborhood: Finding out who the neighbors are and what they're doing, now and in the future, and the overall quality of life in the area

 

6 Government Regulations and Services: Permits and codes, land use planning and zoning, property taxes, protections and programs for farmers, roads and other government services

 

7 Financing a Farm: Finding a lender and convincing them to give you a loan

 

8 Alternative Ways to Get onto Land: Additional ways to acquire land to farm

 

Glossary

Acknowledgments

Recommended Reading

Index