So, I live in the very best rental house ever. Well... Maybe not best ever, but it is pretty excellent. Located in Central-ish Kentucky, about 20 minutes north of Somerset. Right in the heart of
cattle country. In fact, this sweet little house sits on the edge of a wonderful farm... The owner runs a small herd of mixed
beef cattle. There is over 100 acres of beautiful
land that the awesome land-owners gave us free reign to play on. Acres and acres of wild blackberrie, some wild black raspberries and also some wild pawpaws. Hosts of
medicinal wild herbs. A spring just down the hill and a small seasonal creek which geodes fairly burst out of(crystal hunting with kiddos!). A stocked fish
pond. The area is very rural, we can see our neighbor’s house but it is still very private. The views are excellent. The
trees are excellent. The owners are truly great people. The house is small and cute, two bedrooms. Dog and cat friendly area. Imminently walkable/bikeable neighborhood, the roads aren't busy and are all paved. The area has a nice network of "crunch" happening... First annual
Sustainability Fair was held in Somerset this year. Established farmer's market in town. Freshly installed high-speed internet. Just all around awesome, but it gets better...
The landowners(Chris and wife, Betty Jo) gave me permission to garden, as big as I want. I purchased tons of
compost and laid out the best no-till garden I ever have, and have laid tons of mulch and grassclippings, as well as lugged poo up the hill from the cow field... The garden this year was OUT OF THIS WORLD. I give them lots of produce, and they even expressed how impressed they were with my 'different'
gardening method. *haha* They gave me permission to have
chickens, but I never ended up getting any. If we were staying I probably would, and also try to talk them into a cow.
I've been working on it.
While the house is on
city water, they have a well just outside in the
yard, though there is no pump. They might just allow the right tenants to install one, if they paid(and it would be no less than the water bill for the year, I am sure). The house also has a nice gutter system, and I bet Chris and Betty Jo would be okay with water catchment barrels.
And to top it all off, rent here is very affordable. $425 a month, and one month deposit.
I share this info because it was such a stroke of luck for us to find this place. I really adore the owners(like, LOVE them), and living here has been peaceful and fun. I invested a good amount of money and lots and lots and lots of time and effort into establishing this kick-ass garden. The raised compost beds can be worked with your hands. There is 100 feet of fence-line along the yard where I laid compost and mulch and grew cukes, morning glories, and squash. Next season it
should be rich and ready for vining beans or flowers. I am currently planting some fall crops, and tucking in some of the excess beds in prep for the winter... Sheet composting garden residue and crass clippings.
I have some
perennial herbs tucked in here and there... Catnip, yarrow, thyme, chives, oregano, chamomile is busy reseeding itself. Might set out a chunk of lemon balm from the planter. There is a big bed full of Swiss Chard, mixed colors, that will be coming back next year. I'd really be kind of saddened for this beautiful garden to be flattened back out into hayfield(sits on the corner of an alfalfa hayfield) or overrun with weeds. I'd love for someone to take advantage of all the work I've done, to pick up where I leave off.
Our lease is up in late October, but we're looking to rent month to month until Spring(February or March). Anybody out there interested in renting this little patch of bliss? I'd like to take contact info/leads to Betty Jo(this is the farm she grew up on, by the way, her dad built the house) when we're ready to go and spare her the trouble of finding another tenant. From what I gather, she has had a string of bad ones in the past. They just love us, probably because we keep the yard nice, grow veggies and flowers, and are never late on the rent.
