This is my first post here, I hope it makes sense! I'm in the process of purchasing this 7.6 acre property, hopefully to be moved in by late February. Existing wetland area, house, barn, driveways, culverts, perimeter fencing, etc. cannot be changed, the 'bones' of what is here is what I can work with and around. It's "just me" living and working there, labor and daily hours are in limited short supply, so self-sufficient and low-labor systems are a must.
The fields as they are will be used to graze sheep and raise lamb for a CSA start up. I'd love to incorporate on contour tree/fruit/vegetable/beds within the pasture areas to help create cell type grazing areas. I will also be adding a kitchen garden,
rabbits, and egg laying
chickens to the property. The house, driveway, and rectangular open garden space on the Southwest quarter of the property are the highest places, everything else has rolling hills down into the culverts, but then a VERY steep hillside on the entire West edge of the property, that runs down from a major interstate highway, and is wooded.
Honestly that big "blank slate" rectangle garden area on the southeast corner has me the most perplexed. It's plenty of room for
chickens, rabbit, garden, but it's not the most practical at all in terms of shade, winter access, neighbor privacy, etc. Between the house and barn actually would be more practical space for them for many parts of the year! But the southeast corner is probably more space than I want for "just" garden, especially if I'm growing fruit, berries, etc. elsewhere on the property! I might put in a walipini there. and a farm sign up near the road.
Business farm plan for this is to begin with selling CSA shares for lamb, and move into adding rabbit and eggs to the shares. From there, begin to offer shares other farm produce, both some staples that people are familiar with as well as introducing them to novelty and unusual items to try. Growing slowly over time and several years as both customers and plantings become established. But lamb with rabbit and eggs will always be the main production goals.
I'd love to hear, just from the initial overview, what YOU would do with this property, what you would put on it, and where! I don't think I'm going to do swales, I think this ground already holds
water really well, and worried about having too long of a wet spring to get animals out on pasture as it is, but I think food tree lines would be fine. Apples, crabapples and pumpkins are "for sure" as I also use them for fall and winter sheep
feed suppliments. I know you don't have a lot of property details, but just as preliminary ideas I'd love to hear any thoughts and suggestions for design layout or how you'd use the space. Stuff that helps me brainstorm and think about what/where its' all going to go. This is zone 5b/6a. And the immediate North side of the house is the septic field, can't change too much there, except next to the road going Northward, there is a nice pocket of possible tree/ shrub space there.
