If you had 300 acres of land, what would you do to make it profitable?

[Anne in CA]

My family has inherited 300 acres of land. Only 150 acres is farm-able, the rest is rocks and brush. We really have very little money to invest in the land, but would love to see it produce something.

 

Right now it is full of pot holes and cannot be planted with any crop that needs a combine to harvest it, we have no combine, although we have a good tractor, and no one would ever lend or rent one to be used on this piece of land.

 

We also don't have a brand, and we have neighbors that would definitely steal unbranded cattle so cattle are out. It takes too long to get a brand for us to do that this year.

 

Right now my best idea is alfalfa hay, although we don't have a swather or a baler, but there are companies that put up hay for you.

 

Oh yeah, the property is in eastern Oregon and gets very little rain. I am hopeful that someone might think of something we can't.

[Mergath]

Could you maybe rent it out to someone else who has the necessary equipment for the time being?

[Sasharowan]

If you like people, you can turn it into a camping area for those who want to rough it. Scouting groups especially like those kinds of areas.

[Carol in Cal.]

They tend to need less water than other crops, and fresh herbs are always high end sales in supermarkets. If the land has not been used for a long time, you might be able to get organic certification very quickly--I'm not sure how that works exactly, but I have heard that transitioning to organic certification requires 3 years of documentation of no use of chemicals. So perhaps there is a way to fast track that if there has been no use of the land for a while--I'm not sure.

 

Herbs are productive very quickly. Rosemary, lavender, tarragon, and mint are perennials. Basil is an annual. I'm not sure about parsley or oregano.

[Carrie12345]

You should dedicate about 100 acres for 50 homeschooling families to claim and they should all join forces to be a self-sustaining community.

 

I shall start packing. :D

[Mrs Mungo]

We have family who grow fast-growing trees on their property. They pay someone to come in and plant them, then to harvest them and make a significant amount of money from it. I don't know if something like that is available in your area though.

[Wildiris]

Dry farm grapes?

 

Is there a house? Does anyone live there now? Just raw land? Well or spring water? How much water you have will most likely determine what kind of project your land can support.

[Mommyof4ks]

I don't know how you feel about hunting, but leases around here bring in mega bucks for land owners with little to no effort.

[chickenpatty]

You can get 1 yr old blueberry plants from ebay for $1 each. (We just got 100!) I'm not sure how they would do in your area, though.

[amy g.]

I would rent part to a cattle rancher, and let him take the risk. I'd put goats on the rocky brush part.

[Debbie in OR]

My BIL farms in Eastern Oregon and he had done well with mint (he also does wheat, alfalfa, and something else). The mint has been very profitable but you have to apply to be able to grow it. I could find out what the process is if you like.

[Tammy]

Lumber is expensive!

[LauraGB]

You should dedicate about 100 acres for 50 homeschooling families to claim and they should all join forces to be a self-sustaining community.

 

I shall start packing. :D

 

:iagree: If you choose this route, please be sure to let me know. Oregon is a 3rd choice for the state to which we would love to move. ;)

 

And if that doesn't work out to be in your best interest, I second (or third?) the trees. You can grow some for lumber, and some for fruit. Local harvested fruit brings in big $$ at the farmer's markets.

[newbie]

Hay is your best bet.

 

Although you can rent for grazing, that is what we do on ours in NO CAl.

[Vida Winter]

My family has inherited 300 acres of land. Only 150 acres is farm-able, the rest is rocks and brush. We really have very little money to invest in the land, but would love to see it produce something.

 

Right now it is full of pot holes and cannot be planted with any crop that needs a combine to harvest it, we have no combine, although we have a good tractor, and no one would ever lend or rent one to be used on this piece of land.

 

We also don't have a brand, and we have neighbors that would definitely steal unbranded cattle so cattle are out. It takes too long to get a brand for us to do that this year.

 

Right now my best idea is alfalfa hay, although we don't have a swather or a baler, but there are companies that put up hay for you.

 

Oh yeah, the property is in eastern Oregon and gets very little rain. I am hopeful that someone might think of something we can't.

 

Are you going to live on the property or do you need something that can be done remotely? If you need to stay away for long periods of time I'd rent it out for grazing. You might need to invest in fencing, which can add up. We are in Eastern OR and have an extremely short growing season. In fact it is snowing right now. Some areas are more suited for crops than others (there are pockets of warmth scattered around).

[justamouse]

First, buy Everything I Want to Do is Illegal by Joel Salatin. If I were you? I would start a CSA and eventually make it into something like Baker Creek Seeds.

Edited March 30, 2010 by justamouse

[jazzyfizzle]

I was also thinking berries- raspberries/black raspberries? Not sure of your zone or how they grow there, but here you can't kill the the things once they get hold and they go for a fair penny at the farm auction.

[fairfarmhand]

Goats? If you want to milk, there is quite a market for goat milk. They also have the added advantage of nicely cleaning up those brushy areas.

[fairfarmhand]

Bees/Honey?

[Anne in CA]

I would not live on the land, it is not desirable to live on. Not to be too daunting, but there is no well but a small one by the house that was there. The well would not water crops like mint. My BIL is also a mint farmer, and it is a real money maker, but this land would not grow the things my BIL has experience with.

 

The trees idea is super, I will look into it for sure. I would happily turn it over to anyone wanting to be self sustaining, but zoning would never permit it.

 

There are already lots of bee hives there, which my father let someone use for a share of the honey, but maybe we should look into getting our own.

 

Unfortunately renting it is not a good option. My father rented it and different people never paid beyond the initial down payment.

 

I will take any other ideas!

[Carol in Cal.]

The trees idea is super, I will look into it for sure. I would happily turn it over to anyone wanting to be self sustaining, but zoning would never permit it.

 

There are already lots of bee hives there, which my father let someone use for a share of the honey, but maybe we should look into getting our own.

 

 

 

Trees do need a fair amount of water to get started. Once they are established they can do pretty well on a limited supply.

 

OK, this is a really bizarre idea, but what about those cacti that have the edible fruit? Is it warm enough up there to grow those? Seems like something like cacti or herbs that fetch a lot of money at the market would be best.

 

It's probably too cold for citrus.

 

I think that running goats on the thorny hills is a really good thought.

 

Apples do well in that kind of climate, once they get going, but they are more of a commodity so it's hard to imagine that you'll make much on them. Maybe the specialty apples like Lady Apples would be more lucrative.

 

I still think that rosemary, juniper, lavender--those perennial herbs that don't need a lot of water--would do well. The winter greens might be good--kale especially. Chard. Things like that. I think that if you go for the unusual varieties you can do really well--the niche would be fresh, local, organic, heirloom varieties.

[Audrey]

My family has inherited 300 acres of land. Only 150 acres is farm-able, the rest is rocks and brush. We really have very little money to invest in the land, but would love to see it produce something.

 

Right now it is full of pot holes and cannot be planted with any crop that needs a combine to harvest it, we have no combine, although we have a good tractor, and no one would ever lend or rent one to be used on this piece of land.

 

We also don't have a brand, and we have neighbors that would definitely steal unbranded cattle so cattle are out. It takes too long to get a brand for us to do that this year.

 

Right now my best idea is alfalfa hay, although we don't have a swather or a baler, but there are companies that put up hay for you.

 

Oh yeah, the property is in eastern Oregon and gets very little rain. I am hopeful that someone might think of something we can't.

 

 

You know you can't make money farming, right? ;)

 

This farmer says rent it out to someone local who knows how to work it. If you ever intend to farm it yourselves someday, take note of what he does. You could end up with a crappy renter though. In which case, your notes are the "what not to do" notes.

 

No matter what you plant, you need to work the land. Even something as low input as alfalfa doesn't just grow without some prep. Unless you have equipment, it's best to let someone else get in there are work it up for you first.

 

Good luck with it!

[MissKNG]

Wind turbines. Big money is paid here for a place to set up wind turbines.

[myfatherslily]

My MIL told me that my FIL told her that he spoke with a man around here who is growing trees and in a certain number of years will have made a nice profit. I know nothing about it:) But if I had a large chunk of land, I'd definitely look into it, at least! My ILs were thinking about it for their land.

[Dobela]

My uncle owns lots of not so great farmland in a fairly rural area. Some he rents for a share of the crop. His most profitable venture? Renting out large portions of it to cell phone companies who want to increase their coverage area. Believe me, he is making several thousand a year for this and has even had the companies competing for space and to keep the other companies out.

[Teachin'Mine]

Lavender is what I was thinking. And I agree with going for the organic certification too. I also think that camping could be a possibility - maybe even put in some RV pads if zoning allows and there's enough of interest in the area. You can also rent out the land for someone else to farm and get either a set rent or a percent of the crop/profits. Christmas tree farm could work, but you won't see profits for about 6 or 7 years. The pot holes would have to be filled too for people to walk around. Raising nursery stock could also work. Maybe plant an area as a pumpkin patch and you can use the tractor for hay rides. Not sure if they do okay in dry areas or if they'd need irrigation Can you subdivide at all? Maybe sell off just a few acres for someone to build on to get some equity to do what you want with the property. Can you build a small "cabin" to rent out this summer by the week - for vacations? 300 acres sounds wonderful!!! :)

[asta]

I think you need to get with your local ag extension agent and find out exactly what your agricultural options are re: soil conditions, rainfall, wind, sun, etc.

 

Eastern Oregon can be extremely harsh as far as growing conditions, but there are a few pockets that are "growable".

 

Water will be a significant problem there, as will water rights. Do you have the water and mineral rights to the property? If you don't have the mineral rights, you need to recognize that, if there is anything remotely valuable underneath all of those rocks, the person who does have the rights can exert them at any time. (mineral rights are rarely conveyed with property nowadays)

 

I would second looking into non agricultural options such as alternative energy farms and cell phone towers (if you have any significant elevation available). The big/medium game hunting is also a great idea; you don't even have to run the business yourself. There are numerous reputable businesses in existence that are always looking for private lands to lease during hunting seasons. As long as you have contracts written up by a lawyer, they will pay their bills - it is a big money business. Game and wind farms are pretty much mutually exclusive, though - too much harmonic interference.

 

Lastly, I would check with the state utility corporations to see if they have been wanting to run high tension power lines or underground cable through that area, but were unable to due to it being private land. If you have no intention of ever living on the land, this is a way of getting some income out of it to pay the taxes. Three hundred acres is a huge swath to have in private ownership, and it may be smack dab in the middle of where a utility company wishes to pass.

 

I realize these ideas may not be ethically palatable options to many, but E. Oregon really isn't a growing area.

 

 

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[Jean in Newcastle]

Eastern Oregon? Are you talking the high desert country? I saw a lot of cattle being grazed out there. If you grow other stuff you will need irrigation equipment, I think.

[Chris in VA]

I don't know how much money you need to make, but you could investigate cell towers.

Here's a site with information.

[katemary63]

I'd put goats on the rocky brush part.

 

I was thinking goats too.

[katemary63]

You know you can't make money farming, right? ;)

 

This farmer says rent it out to someone local who knows how to work it. If you ever intend to farm it yourselves someday, take note of what he does. You could end up with a crappy renter though. In which case, your notes are the "what not to do" notes.

 

No matter what you plant, you need to work the land. Even something as low input as alfalfa doesn't just grow without some prep. Unless you have equipment, it's best to let someone else get in there are work it up for you first.

 

Good luck with it!

 

I agree. We farm 160 acres. We raise hay, beef cattle and meat goats. We don't make much money on it. My husband works full time off farm. We farm for the lifestyle, not the income. Oh, and for the sparkle in my daughter's eye when she is bottle feeding her goat kids or training her market steer! , Yup! It's all worth it!

[Audrey]

I agree. We farm 160 acres. We raise hay, beef cattle and meat goats. We don't make much money on it. My husband works full time off farm. We farm for the lifestyle, not the income. Oh, and for the sparkle in my daughter's eye when she is bottle feeding her goat kids or training her market steer! , Yup! It's all worth it!

 

Hey! We're on a quarter section, too! :) And yes, it's for the lifestyle, which is really great if you know what you're getting into and why you're doing it.

[Anne in CA]

These suggestions really got me thinking. I think there is some hope. I would love to keep this land in the family since my grandfather sacrificed for it so dearly. Thanks again.