hypothetical (for now) land offer in the Ozarks...(RESOLVED, and offer off the table)

We have five acres of land that we bought and homesteaded on in the seventies and eighties that we have hung on to for mainly nostalgic reasons...our sons wanted us to keep it and we did also, although none of us find time to go there very often at all.

We are all just starting to think about leasing it to the right person or couple...maybe small group? to homestead.....a lifetime lease for certain (the lessee's lifetime, not ours), maybe leading towards an actual sale. Definitely something binding that would give the homesteaders some security for the future.  Money won't be an issue, some nominal yearly something plus maybe the taxes...they just went up to 75 a year.  Maybe a 'test' year for both of us to see if it will work?  I don't know...just thinking out loud here

It's Arkansas, not the easiest place to homestead but lots of folks here are doing just that.  There are many like minded folks in the extended community...a river well within walking distance.  

The five acres has a wet weather creek, a small undeveloped spring where we got our water, a terraced garden, a whole lot of rock, pine trees and others, a wisteria running rampant, ticks and snakes, a barely usable right of way from the gravel road...drivable but not in a car.  Remember we haven't lived there since the eighties.....

I have a thread here about the place and another about living in the Arkansas Ozarks that I'll try to link to.

Our last place, was forty acres and wonderful, just too late for us to make use of fully.....I tried to arrange a 'work for land' set up there and came close a couple times....in the end we sold it as one piece.

Ideas?  thoughts?  hate the Ozarks?

Here is the link to a thread I began a few years ago about trying to revive the old place...some pics included and the famous wisteria  

https://permies.com/t/39732/permaculture-projects/Reviving-homestead-wisteria#564094

...and here is another 'summer in the Ozarks'

https://permies.com/t/26576/Summer-Arkansas-Ozarks

Grew up in the Ozarks (MO) and have actually considered returning...interesting.

That is a beautiful chunk of land Judith. We always loved Arkansas (and the Ozarks in general), and even though we have plenty of very nice land (with several thousands more acres of Mark Twain National Forest bordering us), and have lived here in SW Missouri for the last 25 years, we still get nostalgic for Arkansas. We lived there (Fayetteville) for 7 years while going to the university, but it sometimes feels more like home than Missouri -- despite my being born and raised here. I can't see trading in our place for such a small plot, lovely as it is, and it does make me feel kind of melancholy to see the way time and Nature marches on despite us humans with our dreams and best endeavors. I hope you find someone who deserves it and who has the time, ideas and love to invest in making it a home again.

Deb Stephens wrote:That is a beautiful chunk of land Judith. We always loved Arkansas (and the Ozarks in general), and even though we have plenty of very nice land (with several thousands more acres of Mark Twain National Forest bordering us), and have lived here in SW Missouri for the last 25 years, we still get nostalgic for Arkansas. We lived there (Fayetteville) for 7 years while going to the university, but it sometimes feels more like home than Missouri -- despite my being born and raised here. I can't see trading in our place for such a small plot, lovely as it is, and it does make me feel kind of melancholy to see the way time and Nature marches on despite us humans with our dreams and best endeavors. I hope you find someone who deserves it and who has the time, ideas and love to invest in making it a home again.

thank you deb...it is a beautiful, rugged, secluded piece of the earth and will probably only work for someone who already loves and has lived in the Ozarks and met all of its challenges.  
...and then, on the other hand, the land itself will continue to evolve at its own pace without human intervention and that's fine with us also.


I love the Fayetteville area...that's where our sons went to college and we were always glad for the excuse to drive up there.

Hello Judith.
Our family, Ozark Natives, would love to know more about your property. Where is it located?
Can contact us at KendraRoark2013@ outlook.com
Looking forward to hearing from you

Kendra Roark wrote:Hello Judith.
Our family, Ozark Natives, would love to know more about your property. Where is it located?
Can contact us at KendraRoark2013@ outlook.com
Looking forward to hearing from you

Hi Kendra...just send me a PM through permies letting us know what you're looking for and your approach to growing food, etc?

The land is in Stone County (not listed under my name at permies)...and it is every bit that, very rocky.  

and please read the links above for more information about the five acres.  It is fairly landlocked for anything but a four wheel drive and quite rugged and steep, thus the terraced garden.  

Thanks.

Where is your land?  I live in Stone County....at Fox.

Boone Caudill wrote:Where is your land?  I live in Stone County....at Fox.

I'll send you a PM...

Circumstances have changed...our grandson has become very interested in working on this five acres which makes us very happy