Greetings all! We are persuing a forever dream of buying a farm with an income producing business so that we can work together as a family without my husband leaving the home place. We own 5 acres in AK with a cabin that we built & have been 'homesteaders' at heart all of our marriage (20 years) & before that, too. We currently live in FL. Confusing... yeah, kinda.

My questions... we will be visiting a cut flower farm for sale in SE Ohio over Christmas & I want to know what kind of things to ask about, look at, etc.

Small Farmer's Journal had a series of articles several years ago about How to Buy a Farm, but I have misplaced my copies & I would love to have some of that information or similar... so... if anyone can help, I would REALLY appreciate it.

I have looked over the posts & under the Homesteading section & haven't found the specifics I'm looking for... if they're here somewhere will you tell me where to find them?

Thanks so much... Sincerely, Sally :o)

-- Sally Gordon (we3sheep@viafamily.com), December 06, 2001

Answers

What county in S.E. Ohio??I guess a good place to start would be property taxes,if it has tillable ground is it enrolled in CAUV or does it qualify for CAUV,how current is the survey,is the water supply well,spring or county tap.If you are thinking of keeping on with the cut flowers,how are they sold ? retail,wholesale,how far away are the markets.Mineral rights,who owns them,are any gas&oil wells on the property,if so do they produce income.I could go on and on but maybe some of this will help.............

-- Steve in Ohio (stevenb@ohiohills.com), December 06, 2001.

Sally, everything Steve said sounds right to me. I would ESPECIALLY be attentive to the marketing aspect of this farm, if I understand you correctly that you would be buying the farm to continue the cut flower business. Would you be buying into a ready made market with good will associated with the farm, or would you have to scramble for buyers for the flowers?

If I were buying a farm today, for any purpose, I'd be looking at the water supply, the soil types, and the property taxes, not necessarily in that order. I'd also drive around and make it a point to stop and chat with potential neighbors, too, to see what they have to say about the place you are interested in. Ask the older farmers around and they'll be able to tell you a whole lot about the water, the land, etc. Remember that you can fix buildings, buy machinerey, etc, but you can't buy a water supply or better soil.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), December 06, 2001.

If part of what you are paying for is the business, then be sure to look at the books or some proof of the income it brings. Ask about mailing lists and seed/supply providers; confirm contracts. Ask to see business permits and licenses. Call providers and check credit of the business. I know a guy who bought a feed store and found out several companies would no longer deliver due to bad debt. Check zoning ordinances.

Bob Villa's Guide to Buying Your Dream House might also be helpful.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), December 07, 2001.