Established perma-homestead for sale in Virginia

Spring!!!  And the realtor listing with inside pics. http://caar.paragonrels.com/CollabLink/?id=0ba6430c-16ee-478e-952b-9e6278906d45

It looks beautiful! Are those goumi berries in bloom?

Yes. They are surprising happy and huge. I put them in only 3 years ago & they have exploded.  

PINK LEMONADE BLUEBerries beginning to blush with sunny spring days wrapped in lilac perfume floating on warm breezes~~

A morning stroll to feed my soul

Almost
Time
For this!!

Oh my!! :D

I seriously LOVE your place, and hope it sells to someone who will continue your incredible work there!

I seem to keep getting questions about cash flow o the farm. That is almost an impossible question to answer, but it makes sense to put it out here.  
It depends on how many layers are used:
Blueberries,apples, peaches,plums, goumis, herbs,cut flowers are perennial and only increase yield each year. Will you whole sale or retail or make jams???
Blues are the biggest crop-$10 per pound and last year we sold approx 425#
Apples went into canned cooked apples and apple honey butter
Herbs sold fresh $.75 oz
Many herbs were dried and jarred up $3.25 per jar
Greenhouses ran all winter- we started 2000 4” pots of a variety of herbs: $5 per pot retail, $3.50 pot whole sale
Other greenhouse was planted with salad blends and braising mixes - high demand for fresh local greens and I couldn’t begin to satisfy the market
There is a fenced chicken yard $4/doz for eggs
A duck house $4 for 1/2 doz
Spring, summer, fall annuals were planted throughout the orchard in permanent beds
There is a 5 stall birthing barn should you care to raise heritage pigs, sheep etc. $125 is the current rate for baby heritage piglets
Workshops- we did them monthly except during winter
HipCamp would LOVE to list camping space or a cottage during summer season for folks to unplug-$100 night + extra should they want to join in for dinner etc

So- is it possible to make a handsome living? Yes! But it is work & marketing but the bones are there for whatever YOU want to make of it.  Last weekend we rented out the main house and 1 cottage for a family reunion 2 nights = $600 and from the video they sent me- a good time had by all.

may this “bump” help find the right stewards- enough with the hunters and hunt clubs!!!  I will NOT go there so please leave me be.

Hungry?

My morning stroll’s bounty~

Perfect spot to end a busy blueberry kinda day~

I’ve had a couple requests for inside shots; guess it’s obvious where most of my time is spent.  Lol
Here’s the realtor listing:

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/919-Gilbert-Ln_Victoria_VA_23974_M52204-80482

WOW Marianne! If only I had the money. I am in one of those transitional chapters of life (like many of us at 40 lol) and ready to to get dirt under my nails and build a home to look like this. Had I known at 20 years old a place like yours could be possible to purchase one day, my savings plan would have been COMPLETELY different lol. Sending love and well wishes of the right investor / community of people are able to step in. Have you written a letter to Geoff Lawton? This looks like something up his alley. Food for thought (all pun intended).

Hello again Marianne, side note. If you are in need of a laborer, please feel welcome to reach out. I work a full-time office job in a Louisiana but would use my vacation time in a heartbeat to work on your property.

Hey Leah and thanks!  Take heart- we bought this land 21 years ago when we were in our 40s.  It was forgotten scrub that someone had timbered in the 60s and walked away with only a bulldozer path and nothing else.   Yes I too wished often that I had jumped
On this path in my 20s but for many reasons, mainly financial I didn’t.  We worked, cleared, built and planted for 10 years during every spare moment, weekend, holidays and vacation before we were here full time.  Keep the faith and you’ll get there!!!   We can chat offline about your playing in the dirt with us during your vaca.  Thanks again!!!  M

Gorgeous property? Is it still available?
It would be great to have it listed on The Permaculture Properties Project which lists properties of interest to permies. (I am not a real estate agent. This is a not-for-profit project).
See link here: https://padlet.com/jmwallacephd/ppp
Anyone can post properties of interest. Just double click to add a link, PDF, video or other media (moderator will approve).
If you visit a property, you can share comment or notes about the site.

Amazing back story Marianne! Someone's trash turned into treasure. Perhaps Joel Salatine or Justin Rhodes may know of someone in a financial position to buy it??? Just a thought.
New to this sight so I will indeed figure out how to connect with you. Always enjoy connecting with like minded people who don't settle for status quo in their work.

Thanks Leah and welcome!  This site has so much to offer and I hope you add your journey to it!  Yes let’s stay connected!

God’s Rays shinning down on me~~~

Some new blood joining our team to help find responsible stewards for this place.  Lisa & Rob Novak are rocking it and just shot this video.   I think it’s great
https://youtu.be/dDYLMkJ6Exo

Tons of inside pics on Zillow listing.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/919-Gilbert-Ln-Victoria-VA-23974/235981808_zpid/?fbclid=IwAR1LxnmidBAs7a5lATIymihvEJgpaiHT73SVbYzi8oxW9sTO1VSphEL1AiM

As someone who spent some of my best years working this peice of land as one of Marianne's interns, I can say firsthand that whoever ends up carrying on this legacy is going to have an absolute blast. I so miss this place and the lifestyle that comes with it. Missing you and Coop! I've been watching this thread and the listings since I found out it was going on the market. If only I had started working toward that goal sooner. Maybe one day I can return with my daughter and show her all of the trees that we planted. And I hope you can find a buyer that can put that pasture to work! Wishing you both the best.

Sean!!  Congratulations on having a daughter and yes, when she is old enough to appreciate your path, I hope you take her on a walk about, like we did so often.  I miss you and your BIG waves when either of us returned home.   Stay close to the dirt Sean, your soul is there!   Thank you for the almost 2 years you shared with me while sculpting this place.  I see your touch everywhere there. Many good hands have left their mark and that makes the magic!
Xoxooxx
M

Pretty cool
Video from our realtors

https://gopro.com/v/kVNBJPGZQyEVL

I am very interested in this property. I sent an email to the realtors asking to view it when I return to the US in October if it has not been sold. It is a beautiful place and we would like to continue what you already do. We are experienced and like minded.

Tammy

Oh Tammy- music to my ears!  Thank you so much as I am so tired of hearing from hunters and hunt clubs which may NOT darken this place.   Safe travels back and let me know if I may answer any questions.
Cheers!
M

Marianne,
I got halfway down page one, and realized I had seen some of that metalwork before. :)

Jim Cooper is a WIZARD when it comes to metal. I'm barely able to make a fire poker or pair of tongs.. Please tell him he's an inspiration :) I wish I could come scoop up those railings and lattice work out on the trellis and ... and ... and then work in his forge for Oh, 3 or 4 years.

https://www.cricketscove.net/forge-gallery-intro

I saw your farm posted last year somewhere else, and wished then I could afford it. Still wish I could afford it. Very glad you refused hunt clubs and the like. Kudos to you for that.

Tammy, I'm not sure Marianne has been hiding so much of his work. The metalwork is magnificent.

Thanks so much Tom. Right there with ya brother- I’m in awe of his work and so torn about leaving so much here, but they were created for this place and that’s where they belong.  I may have to request visitation rights
I’ll pass along your kind words; they are appreciated.
M

Something to look at on the holiday-~
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/919-Gilbert-Ln_Victoria_VA_23974_M52204-80482?cid=psc_forsale_fb_retarget_dare_092019_test&fbclid=IwAR18XzpOySTBRw7q9D4YUUoq9NSlEI4bZpp7-4-u1TPdhmlrmNtnZREeEKM

Bump

Dave Burton wrote:I do wonder if maybe a cooperative of sorts, landtrust, ecovillage, or some sort of many people working together and sharing the finances would be interested in purchasing your property. Because the amount of land and price is most definitely going to hard for just one person to handle.

Edit: Expanding on this idea, maybe there could be a scheme like 95 people contribute $10,00 each or 950 people donate $1,000 each or some other variation or some range of people/money/time ratios. I'm not entirely sure how this would work, but there is probably a way (or multiple ways) out there to make it easier for this property to move into hands that can be trusted to keep it running and make it an even better place more awesome place as they become the new stewards/owners.

I would like to do this with 94 others and create an ecovillage, land trust or intentional community. I have the money for the investment and I'm sure I could get back my investment over a few years. Anyone want to join up with me and do this let's make it happen. It looks like a beautiful work in progress and I think it could support at least 95 members. Anyone interested?

Gene
gene_shrt@yahoo.com
8702839757 leave message

It has fallen with splendor o’ the woods~