Natural Area Acreage (Woods, Paririe, Wetland, etc) : 1
Information about available infrastructure & equipment : Infrastructure Available includes:Irrigation/water access, Barns or other facilities, Fencing, Electrical access, Farm equipment
Permitted Crops and Livestock : Crops:Vegetables, Fruit trees, Nut trees, Other Crops<br />Livestock:Poultry, Pigs, Sheep, Goats, Beekeeping
Farming History and Other Useful Information : My long term goal is to grow a food forest on this property. Throughout the various stages of growing the food forest, I would be interested in incorporating small ruminants, pastured pigs, or poultry into the farm operation. There is also an acre of woods on the property that would be good for growing mushrooms.
I am open to discussions about incorporating a small vegetable operation into this vision as well. My main concern with growing veggies is water access, but if the plot was strategically placed this may not be a concern. There is not currently a designated spot for growing vegetables on the property. <br /><br />Previously this property was an alpaca farm. The Alpaca farm was run for ten years and had 32 alpacas, mostly female for breeding. The farm prior to the alpacas was a dairy farm. The Stiehr Family Farm has been continuously owned since 1904 with 350 acres of land on both sides of Delaney road. I am the first none family owner since the farmhouse was built.
There are two main parts to this property: the barn with a four acre pasture behind it and a six acre field that was previously in conventional corn/soy production. The pasture is shaded with big black walnut trees. The field has not been tilled or planted this season. The plants currently growing are clover, chicory and low ragweed. I have not seeded the field with any pasture or native prairie mix.
There is a church next to the property that has a large community garden program. There is no other farmland near the property.
There is no additional housing on the property, but this farm is in a populated area and there are plenty of apartment rentals nearby. <br /><br />
Information about your family's values around farmland stewardship, preferred farming methods, and goals for the property : Our values around farmland stewardship are to leave the land better than you found it. We want to build the soil by planting successional plant species and trees and using livestock to mimic a natural ecosystem. The short term goal is to start trees and shrubs on the six-acre field and get pastured livestock between the rows. Our long-term goals are to have a nursery for trees and shrubs and have a fully functional small scale savanna ecosystem.
Information on tenure options and timeline for availability : Tenure options are available Immediately and include: For lease, Partnership<br />I am looking for a grower who wants to incorporate their own independent project on this property and/or help implement the food forest. Examples of viable enterprises for this property might include: pastured livestock on a small scale, mushrooms, vegetables. I envision that I would buy some or all of the food that was produced, but the farmer would be responsible for the entirety of their project from the research on the topic to the marketing and sales. We would share the profit. In this scenario, we both take risks and hope for success and the farmer gets to work on their project with little to no overhead.
My wife and I work full time at the Veterans Administration, so we are not able to participate in the day-to-day operations. We are working on our own long-term project for the farm, which is implementing a food forest on the six-acre field. We'd be happy to discuss any projects that would partner well with our long-term vision.
We are hoping to find someone immediately. I have 1,000 trees I have already purchased that need to be planted before winter. There are several other preparations that could take place now to better prepare the property for the 2023 growing season.
This is a great opportunity for an experienced or beginning farmer who wants to work on a solo project with little to no overhead. There is also the potential to learn more about agroforestry and participate in the first phases of starting a food forest. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter, live near Wadsworth, and be open to collaboration. I am still in the process of figuring out what the exact structure of the partnership will be between the farmer and I. If the property is of interest to you, I encourage you to reach out and share your ideas about what you're looking for and what type of arrangement would work for you.
Is the property protected from development through a conservation easement? : Yes
Is the land you are making available for farming zoned appropriately for farming? : No
Is the property certified organic or would it qualify immediately for organic certification? : No
Are you willing to have the public on the property as part of the farm business? : N/A
