Coastal Farm For Lease

[Ben H]

I recently signed up with a Farm Link program to find more land to lease, their listing is sorted only by county and doesn't say what the town is unless you ask. A new listing came up for a coastal farm overlooking the bay in my county, I later found out it's just over an hour away. It's about 85 acres, I haven't measured the aerials yet, but that's what the ad said. They are looking for a long term lease. Normally that would be out of my range. One thing that somebody said that jogged an idea was that being on the coast they don't get the snow that I do. This may be an opportunity for some good winter grazing on stockpiled forage which means even less days feeding hay. I understand that cows can graze through snow, but they do have their limits. I haven't talked any further with the land owners other then possible interest. All the other coastal properties within my "range" are all developed, this is kind of in a fishing village. Let's hear your opinion and ideas with how this could work, or should stay away from.

http://maps.google.com/maps?sourcei...um=1&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&resnum=1&ct=image

 

[bverellen]

Hi Ben!

Currently my lease is about an hour away from me. Since some of my welding customers are in the area, I generally can swing in and check the cows 3-4 times a week without making a speacial trip.

It sure does get old driving an hour each way, plus the fuel, just to make sure people hav'nt decided to drive their four wheelers thru the fence, or like yesterday after Tropical Storm Fay went overhead, to make the drive just to make sure the fence was still up and the girls were o.k.

When making your decision, take into account the locals and if they might be a help or hinderence to you having cows on that particular place.

In the future when we make the big move, I know that I don't want a far-away lease, it's just easier sleeping at night having the cows near home.

Most all my problems have been with people, not the cows themselves.

YMMV

Best Regards.........

bart.

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[Ben H]

All my pastures are currently within about 5 miles. I get the feeling this would be the right kind of community, actualy better then where I am. It's a fishing community. Even where I live, being more populated, people are very receptive to grazing cattle, they love it. It's much better then the confinement dairies that are left and diesel exhaust being expelled to harvest the grass, bring it to the animals, then bring the waste back onto the fields.
I need to get myself an intern next year.