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  • From: Paul Bucciaglia <pbucciaglia AT yahoo.com>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Re: WOOHOOO! HAPPY NEW YEAR! I BOUGHT A FARM!
  • Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2004 09:19:31 -0800 (PST)

CONGRATULATIONS STEVEN!
 
I don't say this much but your story is very inspriational to me.  I started farming again for a friend of mine 8 years ago after a long hiatus and I am to the point now where I have a farm business on 20 acres of rented land in CT, growing about 10 acres of veg in 2005.  Land prices here are beyond astronomical, so I am lucky to have any land available, and I have a good relationship with my landlord.  Even with my good situation, I keep dreaming about owning my own farm, maybe somewhere upstate in NY (even in VT land prices are through the roof!)  What is it about owning your own land?  I keep trying to tell myself that I should adopt a more Native American approach to land, how can I ever really own it anyways?  But it seems to me the sad fact is we live in a world where having that approach leaves you vulnerable.  I guess I will just enjoy 'my' farm while I keep my eyes open for somthing I could buy.
 
One question:  did I read correctly that you grossed $150 K on 1.5 acres?  What crops did you grow and how did you sell them?  thats very impressive and I'm really curious how you did it.
 
Best of luck with your new farm.   What a great way to start the new year.  You deserve your good fortune. 
 
Paul
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2004 21:22:42 -0800
From: "Steven Rogers"
Subject: [Market-farming] WOOHOOO! HAPPY NEW YEAR! I BOUGHT A FARM!
To: Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Message-ID: <410-220041253152242550 AT earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

After 15 years of market farming, I just bought my own farm today. I started out in 1989 on a 1/2 acre garden at my own house and another rented 1/2acre, both in the city of Portland, Or. The place I owned was an acre total with two rotten houses and a large shed that was nicer than the two houses. I paid full price, no inspection, no representation--closed on 12/24/1981 for $49K. Turned out it needed a roof, wiring and a water heater. Six months later the bubble burst in the real estate market and the house lost one third of its value. (Ah, the Reagan years. Some people swear they were great, but they were the worst economic times ever for me.) All of my friends and family told me I was and idiot for ever buying the place and that I should just cut my losses and walk away. Oh, did I mention the neighborhood's nickname is felony flats? Well I stuck it out, started farming, expanded to 1 1/2 acres until I finally got the year I had been waiting for where everything went right-
my sales doubled from $75K/year to $150K. I decided I had proved my original point about being able to make it on a small acreage in an urban setting, and I found 15 acres to rent with Irrigation out in the suburbs. Beautiful place-on one side a National Wildlife Refuge, on the other side a Home Depot. Amazing soil. The bottom ground needed no irrigation or fertilizer even for lettuces and carrots. All the land had been rezoned for industrial or residential so the prices were really high-up to $200k/ acre. Last May, I listed my house and 1 acre in Portland for sale-it had been rezoned for rowhouses so I got $265K for it. In the meantime, farmland within 45 miles of Portland doubled in price. Today I looked at properties 60 miles from Portland and just bought a 20 acre farm with buried 6" mainline irrigation. 350 gpm well, 3bed 1 1/2 bath farmhouse with a new roof furnace and water heater. Lrge pole building for processing with 3-phase power. All for $249K. The payments will
be less than what I am paying in rent right now. All I can say is thank you Jesus! 20 miles closer to Portland and the price would have doubled. 35 miles closer to Portland and this becomes a $750K property. Now I have a place to put the 1/2 acre HayGrove tunnel I just bought.



Steven Rogers
singingpigfarm AT earthlink.net
EarthLink Revolves Around You.
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Paul Bucciaglia
Fort Hill Farm
Organic Vegetables, Herbs, and Flowers
18 Fort Hill Rd.
New Milford CT 06776
(860) 350-3158
www.forthillfarm.com

  • [Market-farming] Re: WOOHOOO! HAPPY NEW YEAR! I BOUGHT A FARM!, Paul Bucciaglia, 12/31/2004

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