Want to live the
permaculture dream? Wish you could try it out before investing thousands of hours of labor and hundreds of thousands into plants/property/infrastructure?
This is the perfect opportunity for someone who wants to see if the
permaculture life is right for them. Or someone who wants to start up a market garden business on a shoestring.
About the Area
My farm is near Salem, Missouri. A beautiful rural area filled with natural springs, caves, parks, the remnants of the Ozark mountains, and gorgeous rivers. (following are some helpful wiki-links about the area, including average weather data.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_State_Park
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_River_(Ozarks)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Twain_National_Forest
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozark_National_Scenic_Riverways
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozarks
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meramec_Caverns
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem,_Missouri
https://www.eastwindblog.co/
https://www.dancingrabbit.org/
There is a tight knit community nearby year round, and the area is the destination of thousands of tourists every summer. My farm is perfectly located to enjoy secluded quietness, while the nearby town offers many options for income from your farm ventures. Or maybe even provide the tourists with campsites, many want to see the farm when it is in production anyhow!
Why?
This is the perfect opportunity for someone who cannot afford to purchase
land but wants to live the
permaculture dream. Or is itching to get started or test out if it is for them while they seek their own piece of heaven. A lot of the hardest part is getting things established, and we have done much of that already. Eventually, we do hope to build this into a community as well so I am open to discussing this too.
I have had to go to Australia for work, and I will be here for the foreseeable future. I need to rent out my farm while I am gone. A 2 year contract would be ideal, however I am willing to do anywhere from a 1 year – 5 year lease, maybe even longer for the right person. I understand just how much work goes into this and I am open to working with someone who will take good care of my property in my absence. I would also be open to considering the placement of a permanent home on the property, though these details would have to be well hammered out before hand.
About My Farm Itself
My farm has been being restructured slowly over the last six years. It has a food forest and a variety of
perennial delights with support species in place (such as comfrey with its deep rooted nutrient accumulation, and Siberian
pea shrub with its nitrogen fixing and fast growth. Both of which work as livestock feed too!) There is a stable, stocked ½ acre
pond on the property, believed to be spring fed (it is older than I am, I have an aerial photo of the
pond from over 30 years ago!) There is a mated pair of bald eagles that frequent the pond. (This is why there is bird netting over the areas my
chickens roam!)
Come Spring, the property is covered in blankets of lovely wildflowers. It always exudes a calming parklike atmosphere. I have been teaching others about aquaponics,
permaculture design, rotational grazing, biointensive
gardening,
food preservation, and wicking beds. We have established a market garden with over 2,000 strawberry plants, and a large 25ft X 70ft bio-intensive plot. On top of this, we were growing
mushrooms and Easter egger eggs. Though a person could really use this property to produce almost any food they wanted, and make a strong living on top of feeding their family.
All among lovely established oak
trees on the front 2 or so acres, I have turned it into a paradise I am loathe to leave. I have been producing several thousands of pounds of food every year and feeding several families by myself with a farmhand helping less than 10 hours a week (which I only had the last 2 years, because of health issues arising.) Even what
yard there is, has been geared towards edibility with a plethora of
wild edibles such as dandelion, plantain, lamb’s quarters, sorrel, and the like. (With the goal of phasing the yard out entirely as perennials take over.)
There is a green house, though its wooden ends need redone now. It has a
chicken tractor in it that can be used for poultry or
rabbits. There is roughly 7 acres of fenced pasture with very nice hog/cattle combo panels surrounding. Meaning a
fence strong
enough for
cattle, pigs, goats, and/or sheep. There is a school bus turned chicken coop and attached duck enclosure. There is a barn with lean-to for animals during nasty weather. There is also a reducing gate system to a loading area for easy loading and careful introductions of new livestock. I have also used this area as a nursery for when an animal is expecting. We like to use this as a treat area when not in other use, so animals come right on up for their treats every day.
There are also dozens of wicking tubs on the property, many with perennial herbs like rosemary, catmint, thyme, and wormwood. Also two 4’X12’ wicking beds that are designed to easily attach trellising, or hoops to for year round gardening. And finally a very nice powered
workshop for winter projects and tool storage.
The house itself is a cozy 2-bedroom, 1-bath with a nice office. It has many built-ins throughout with central heating and air. It has a covered plant room, and spacious pantry. Comes with washer,
dryer, refrigerator, stove, and chest freezer. The highlights of the house are a hallway with floor to ceiling lit bookshelves and an office with custom made desks and shelving. The rooves of almost all outbuildings have guttering for diverting rainwater to storage or plantings as you desire.
I am open to most additions/changes, some things I will be willing to share in the cost of when funds are available. Though I do want to keep most of the established trees/plants. I am asking what I feel is a very reasonable
$800/month because I really want this to go to someone who will care for the established plants on the property. That is why I am even willing to do a long lease if desired. Please contact me with any questions at all, at any time and please see the photos and link below to the farms’ album. Winter is the best time to get going for the year as you can start getting ready for the growing season now! Pet friendly home too!
Imgur Album:
https://imgur.com/a/NhhKuxN
Production plants on property: (variety types available with property map)
Tart cherries
Johnson
Apple
Black Walnuts
Hickories
Plums (prune & fresh eating types)
Pears
Sunchokes
Air potatoes
Blackberries
Mulberries
Maypop (Cold hardy passion fruit)
Over ½ acre of strawberries (setup for market garden)
Gooseberries
Not producing yet but established:
Pecans
Sweet cherries
Pawpaws
Hazelnuts
Aronia
Schisandra berry
Hardy Kiwi
And I am sure there are some I have missed! (Though most of these were labeled with 3D printed labels when I left.) For serious enquiries, I am willing to send a site map with key. Please ask any questions you may have!
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