Evaluating a Parcel for a
Small Farm or Homestead
Created by Paul McKenzie
Ag Extension Agent, Retired
Areas for assessment
Acreage:
Is there enough?
Evaluation method
Some rough estimates follow…
Fruit & Vegetable Production for Home Use: 0.25 - 2 acres
Fruit & Vegetable Production for Supplemental Income: 2 - 10 acres
Poultry for home use: minimal space needed
Poultry for supplemental income: varies
(can raise a few hundred birds per acre)
Small ruminants (goats/sheep): 1 acre per animal
Cows: 2 acres per animal
What’s different between the two pictures?
Woodlot for firewood for personal use: 10 - 20+ acres
Woodlot for timber production: 20 - 100+ acres
Hunting: 10 - 100+ acres
Home, driveway, septic, utilities, etc.: 0.1 - 1+ acres
Farm structures: highly variable
Soil: Is it suitable?
Soil characteristics that can limit land use options:
* From https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/land/management/soil/soil-properties/texture
If only there was some system to get an overview of the soil for a particular piece of land….
Person symbol adapted from the work of Amanda Wentworth, from Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/146278242@N03/31762655127) and used under Creative Commons License CC-BY-2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode)
~6 feet
Topography: Is it suitable?
Wooded acreage: Can it be converted to another use?
Some important questions to answer…
Is the soil suitable for the desired use?
Do the trees have value? How much?
What’s your timeframe?
TIMBER HARVEST
CONTRACT
1. Seller will receive a $1000 deposit.
2. Upon completion of harvest, seller will receive final payment of $6000.
3. All workers must wear NC State Wolfpack t-shirts.
4. Buyer will have an 18 month window for harvest.
This slide is for illustration purposes only and is NOT intended to provide actual guidance on timber harvest contracts.
What’s the cost of preparing the site for the new use?
Water: Quality/Quantity?
Consider this equation:
This equation is fake. The point is, water is valuable.
What sources are available?
Is there enough of it?
Is the quality adequate for intended use?
Assessing ponds: Volume
Surface area x average depth = volume*
(This will provide a very rough estimate, user must decide if it’s accurate enough for decision-making or if further analysis is needed)
To estimate pond surface area:
Use Google Earth or County GIS site
To estimate pond depth:
Take several depth readings and calculate the average.
Assessing ponds: Water Quality
Assessing ponds: Infrastructure
Image source: Building a Pond by Marley Beem, Jan 2021, Oklahoma State University Extension,
https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/building-a-pond.html, attributed to USDA-NRCS.
Assessing ponds: Nuisance plants/algae
Assessing streams: Flow
Assessing streams: Quality
Assessing wells: Flow Rate
Assessing Wells:
Quality
County
Health Department
Assessing Municipal Water:
Quality
Assessing Municipal Water: Cost
https://dashboards.efc.sog.unc.edu/nc
Existing infrastructure: Help or hindrance?
Utilities: Cost effective access?
Electricity
Electricity
Sewer
Cell service
Broadband access
Current survey? Marked boundaries? Accurate legal description?
Is there legal and adequate access for vehicles/equipment?
Is there an easement?
How wide?
Is it documented?
Is it marked?
Is it drivable?
Who maintains it?
Are owners cooperative?
Register of Deeds
Will any cleanup be required?
Consider seasonal differences
How far to services, supplies, markets, etc.?