Greening Acres is located in beautiful Pope County, which contains one-third of the Shawnee National Forest.
Pamela Tanner is searching for farmers interested in building a partnership through purchasing or leasing part of her farm, Greening Acres (Pope County). The ideal candidate is someone committed to making a positive difference in environmental issues. Farming experience is ideal, but anyone with the commitment to farm regeneratively and an eagerness to learn will be considered. The right candidates have potential to become the successors of the farm.
Pamela is a dedicated steward of the land who has worked toward converting her farm to regenerative management. She believes changing agricultural practices is essential to the health of our planet. She would like to see her farm become a model to inspire other farmers to do the same.
“After I retired,” says Pamela, “I discovered more and more about environmental issues that desperately need attention. I learned that regenerative agriculture can have a positive impact on many of them.”
Pamela had the opportunity to farm later in life when she inherited 116 acres in Pope County in Southern Illinois. Her goal to convert the farm led her to move all the way from Austin, Texas, and become the full-time steward of the property. Ultimately, she hopes to find like-minded farmers to continue stewarding the land.
“I inherited my farm around the time that I was learning about the importance of regenerative agriculture,” says Pamela. “So, I decided to convert it from traditional row crops, which it had been in for decades, to regenerative practices, but I couldn’t find a farmer who was willing to use these practices. In fact, most of the farmers I talked to didn’t even know what regenerative agriculture was. So, I decided to come here and do it myself while I looked for partners.”
After two years, Pamela has about 14,000 seedlings planted as part of her work to establish agroforestry on her land. The majority of these seedlings are hazelnuts. She has 22 acres in a Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contract and has planted several acres in a mix of grass and clover species for grazing and soil health. The remaining acres currently sit idle, awaiting the next farm enterprise.
The farm is four miles from the county seat of Golconda; 35 minutes from Paducah, Kentucky; and 1.25 hours from Carbondale. There are 93,000 acres of Shawnee National Forest in Pope County. Within the forest, there are 1,250 miles of multi-use trails (for horses, mountain bikes, and hikers) along with many camping and hunting sites.
The leasing or sale price is negotiable and owner financing may be available. The arrangement is also negotiable on how many acres will be purchased or leased and the length of the lease. There is potential for a lease-to-own arrangement.
There could be the opportunity to share equipment and infrastructure, which currently includes:
- 60 HP Kioti tractor with front loader bucket and pallet forks
- Whitfield 3-point hitch tree planter
- 6-foot Titan cutter
- Subsoiler
- Biochar kiln
- Gasoline/propane generator
- A pole barn
- Old barbed wire fencing around much of the perimeter
A large RV is available for temporary housing.
If you are interested, please contact Pamela Tanner by email or phone.
[email protected] | 512-903-2906
