Farm Tour: Ledyard Mini Farm

entrance to the house 

Finally!  I have an optimistic post to write for the first time in weeks!  (and I do apologize for all the negativity, but this process is a LOT harder than I thought and writing really does help me to sort through my thoughts).

This afternoon I visited a property in Ledyard. The current owners are friends of my real estate agent and the property is not currently on the market, but it was on the market for over a year and they are very interested in selling.  Last time it was on the market, it was listed at $299,000 - which is in my price range (but seems high).

front of the house (yup - it's mostly underground.  not exactly what I imagined my house would look like, but beggars can't be choosers)

On first impression, the property was not really what I was looking for.  The dreariness of winter (even though it's been warm!) doesn't bring out the best in farms.  But after a closer, more open look, the property has everything I've been looking for.  I don't see it as a place I would settle at long-term, but I can certainly see living there until we get our business established and have a better understanding of exactly what we're looking for in a farm.

2 bedroom apartment over a 2 car garage (apartment currently rented at $800 a month)

One benefit of the property is that it has an apartment - currently rented for $800 a month.  It's been rented steadily for the past few years and that additional income would mean that I wouldn't need to work a second job.  That's a HUGE benefit.

The house is in need of updates, but is in pretty good shape.  Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, with an open kitchen/living room out onto a large deck.  It even had a wood stove!

chicken coop, garden shed, 5 stall horse barn (in need of some roof repairs!)

Aside from an oversized garage (with AC/heat, electricity,water, and plenty of storage), there was chicken coop (with water), large storage shed, and a 5-stall horse barn (with electricity and water).  There was also a large field (over an acre) with irrigation running out to it, and a few dozen blueberry/raspberry bushes.  The fields are fenced in and the woodlands in the back are open, abutting a brook.  It's not a beautiful farm, but it's got good bones.  And I really think that I can make it beautiful.

main field

It feels SO good to have an option.  I'm still not sure it's the one, but on Friday we're going on another marathon and hopefully this weekend I'll have a better idea of where I want to go from here.  I still have two weeks to pull this together and tonight I feel like I might actually have a chance.

all photos by my mom