While tractors have been used on the land for haying, I found no need to broadfork before building the permanent raised beds. Currently, two plots of equal size exist: five rows of 4ft wide permanent beds composed of composted horse manure/hay+straw. The plots and compost were very productive in 2023, the first year of full production. The cultivable area, including the area on which the plots already exist, is quite flat, with only slight slopes on parts of the property. I experienced no erosion issues. The land has ideal conditions for market gardening and the current plots are relatively sheltered from the wind. The two unheated greenhouses (20x30ftx14ft peak and 10x30ftx7ft peak) are situated on the plots and are of gothic design so heavy snowfalls did not cause an issue. The garden is irrigated with both wobblers and drip irrigation.
The land was used for a market gardening business (with the garden built in 2022 with its first full year of production in 2023). Microgreens were grown indoors and outdoor in 2022 and 2023. There is significant room for expansion on the land, with the vast majority of the property untouched except for making hay. Prior to moving to the property, the land had been used for small home gardens and, going further back, keeping cows. The property can be described as an "acreage within town limits," although we are at the edge of town, with our property bordering a large agricultural plot. The house is on municipal water, electricity, sewage, etc.
We are looking for someone to carry on what we have begun, but there are no strings attached and the new owners can pursue any avenue they see fit. The market garden was quite an immediate success, as there are very few gardeners in the area who garden organically (not certified) or who practice low-to-no till methods. There was strong demand in the area and I developed an early following. This would be very helpful to a market gardener purchasing the property. Alternatively, it would be a terrific place to homestead and provide one's own food, while still being connected to a community. In addition to the two unheated greenhouses and a 8x10ft propagation house, the property has a DIY walk-in cooler with a Coolbot-style setup. It also has a rewired washing machine for spinning greens, as well as a drying and sorting table with box fans above. Certain tools can also be included in the purchase. There is also a large tarp shed that can be used as both a parking space in winter and a place to store tools and equipment. In other words, it is a turn-key market garden ready for a new owner. There is also a family home on the property, situated next to the gardens. The house is a great family home, with 3.5 bedrooms (with the 0.5 bedroom either a child's bedroom or an office), 1.5 bathrooms, an open design kitchen and dining room, and a very spacious living room. The main bathroom is completely renovated, and the whole first floor of the house has new flooring. The gas furnace is a high efficiency Payne unit from 2014, and the electric hot water heater is from 2021. The roof was redone prior to our purchasing the property, in 2019. Further details can be found by contacting me. In sum, the house and garden are in turn-key condition and provide an excellent and affordable opportunity for the next owners. We would not be selling the property if not for family-related reasons.