Are You Looking for Land to Holistically Manage But Not Yet Ready to Buy?

from Martha Holdridge, Holistic Management Practitioner

WEST WIND FARM Seeking Tenant

Hello!  I have a 140 acre farm in southern West Virginia with 20+ acres of open pasture plus additional grazing areas with some trees.  These areas were being used for rotational grazing until 2013.  Since then they have been grazed and/or mowed.  We have an extensive water system with underground pipes and portable water troughs available for each of about 15 paddocks.  A solar-powered energizer and a flexible polywire electric fence system are used to divide paddocks. A description of the property is shown below. We are looking for a tenant interested in living on or near the property who will use a flexible regenerative system (e.g., daily rotations) to graze cattle or manage multi-species.  Please contact me (Martha Holdridge) at [email protected] or cell 301-346-4558 for more information.

Owner: Martha Holdridge, founder of Grasspower.  We invite you to visit our family’s web/blog site, www.grasspower.org to fully understand Martha’s choice of the term, grasspower.  Martha’s permanent residence is in Maryland.

Tenant:  Will farm all grazing areas and do so in such a way as to promote soil health and manage for future generations.  Also, tenant will assist owner in care of fruit trees and berries in the orchard and elsewhere on the property and would retain a share of the produce.  The tenant would live on or very near the farm.

Expectations:  Basic rent will cover owner’s expenses for taxes, insurance, and upkeep on the cabin.  If the cabin is used as tenant’s residence then additional rent would be negotiated.  Both the tenant and the owner will need access to the cabin’s utility room since that is the location of electric power and water pump controls.

Application parameters:  Families welcome.

Application process:  Contact Martha Holdridge at cell 301-346-4558 or [email protected], or [email protected].  Then, if interested, complete a Rental Application form.  Next, arrange a mutually convenient date/time to meet at and view the farm.

WEST WIND FARM DESCRIPTION – October 2017

Location: Western Greenbrier County, West Virginia; zip 24910

Acreage: Legally ~106 acres, actually closer to 140 acres, at 3 elevations – 2500’, 2700’, and 2900’

Pasture: 20 acres cleared and good quality at the 2700’ elevation

• 20 acres medium quality, needs brush hogging, at 2700’ and 2900’
• 10 acres with ever-flowing stream, needs briar rose removal and fence improvement, at 2500’

 

Wooded areas: 50 acres

            Some steep hills

            Some moderate hills – might be suitable for pigs

 

Structures: 5, mostly at 2700’ elevation

• one cabin, 900 sq. ft., with electric stove, fridge, sink, water heater, shower, toilet, wood stove, and oil-burning furnace
• two connected sheds, about 150 sq. ft., each – located near cabin
• one hay barn – can store 800 square bales, but door too small for round bales
• one loading dock – poor but useable condition
• one rain water catchment shed at 2900’

Fences:

• 300’ excellent condition hard-wire interior fences – new in 2016
• boundary fences – medium condition
• interior fences – medium condition

Wells: three, all at mid-level 2700’ elevation:

• two for cattle water, with ~1000’ of underground water lines, 8 outlets and two tire and concrete cattle water troughs
• one for cabin water

Equipment:

• one small tractor and brush hog
• four 150 gal. Rubber Maid water troughs
• three 50 gal. rubber water troughs
• two rubber mineral salt containers
• one solar energizer
• many plastic posts for flexible grazing
• many feet of 9-wire polywire fencing

Questions: Martha Holdridge, [email protected] or cell 301-346-4558; or [email protected]

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Martha Holdridge has been a dedicated supporter of Holistic Management and has seen great results in soil organic matter, which doubled on her land after implementing planned grazing with her cattle. She is passionate about soil health, food nutrition and regenerative agriculture. Read Martha’s letter to President Obama here. Thank you Martha, for being a Holistic Hero!

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