Looking for land in Central/Southern Ontario

Hey Everybody,

This is a long shot, but unless I try, I will never know. I've looked at investment companies that have been suggested through these fora that buy up land for the purpose of permaculture/biodynamic/organic farming, and do a rent-to-own with farmers, groups of farmers, or co-ops. I would be down with this suggestion, but I think I'd need a group to go in with, which I'm also down with. So I guess this is the first query of this thread. I would love to meet other people in my area that want to do permaculture. I'd love to be able to hash out what everyone wants to do, and then assemble into groups (or even one group) according to compatability of view, and start this thing.

My second question would be, does anyone have permaculture-appropriate property, or know of someone who does, that would entertain a rent-to-own setup? I would go for a vendor takeback mortgage if I could find one offered by a person I could trust, but I don't even know how to find such a person, or such a piece of land.

I am currently working at bindery at the 401 and Hurontario in Mississauga. It started as a family bindery, and we have since gone into business with a long-time business associate. I am looking to relocate aspects of the business that aren't same-day or next-day related to the property, and operate a book bindery on property as a revenue stream, with a view to making the whole shop as eco-friendly as possible, and providing as many opportunities for green product and process choices as possible. We have already been largely solvent-free, and with the exception of water, vinegar, and rubbing alcohol, we could easily remain so. I think that a properly designed biochar kiln that is based on the RMH design could easily incinerate all volatile and pollutant components in the waste paper stream, cracking the residual tars in the exhaust at appropriately high temperatures, and turning a waste problem into enduring soil structure; a book bindery come terra preta operation. Until I can open up shop on site, I would have to either commute, or stay in the city during the week, but that would enable me to keep contributing something in the area of $1000/month to pay for it all. Having said that, I would be willing to drive around an hour one-way every day if it meant I could start this up soon.

The point is, I am a working stiff like most, I'd imagine. I am working and living in an area where it is damn-near impossible to get on the property ladder on one's own. And most residential property mortgages won't cover the kind of land I'm looking for, even if it's being sold as residential.

My long-term view is that a setup like this could be designed to evolve, with allowance for individual profit within the larger scheme, and a view to increase the holdings of the group to either keep them in the group, or to subdivide so that everybody has their own significant chunk. Either way, we could maintain the social networks we create and use them as a larger permaculture system, even should property ownership continual on individual bases. My own personal aspirations to land ownership revolve around the idea of a large generational family acreage (>100ac., >1000ac. wouldn't displease me), and a network of like-minded groups and/or families that seek the same kind of life stability. Imagine a transitioned town.

So if anyone has any ideas, I would love to be a part of a group solution. If there were any interested parties, we could even hash out what we each envision right on this thread.

-CK

Consider joining with me to buy a farm in Ecuador. Cheaper and less regulation allows you a wider range of options before grinding up against the establishment. Your work, your money and your permaculture dream will go a lot farther there.

I'm in Canada too. If you are a working stiff here, you are a window shopper in the lie of first world abundance. We can do better for ourselves.

When I saw your thread, I was sorely tempted. But I don't think that's for me just yet. I don't like flying the way it's done now, for environmental and safety reasons both, and all my family, with the exception of the odd individual abroad (we're all odd individuals, just most of us are on Canadian soil) and some in Texas.

With the exception that I'm much more comfortable with the Conservatives being a weak official opposition with a libertarian-leaning-liberal Prime Minister in office (and then I woke up), I love Canada's political climate, I love the diversity of terrain, and except for some population pressure issues in cities, I don't mind the people much. I guess I love Canada. So I'm not looking to leave.

As a pipe dream, there's a 1000ac. property in the Madawaska Valley in Eastern Ontario. Mixed hardwood/softwood and coniferous/deciduous species, a private lake, access to a larger body with few cottages on it. I don't have $1 million yet, so for me it is a pipe dream. If I was to find a bunch of like-minded individuals, however, this has the potential to cease being a purely hypothetical analysis.

That specific example would be a weekend commute for me until I relocate entirely, but getting that much land in a relatively isolated location presents the possibility of using the elements of the Canadian Shield there present and land shaping, wind control, and hydrology measures to effect a larger area of influence in the creation of a microclimate suited to a wider variety of food-bearing perennials and annuals. You also get to say what's what on that much more of the land, as in you can interdict all internal combustion engines on the property, and not have to worry about what the neighbours are doing.

I wish you all the best in your Ecuadorian exploits, but I fear I shall have to read about them on these fora.

-CK