I’ve been dreaming of buying my own chunk of dirt for almost 20 years. You’d think that growing up in a rural community I’d be thinking, “Hey! Why don’t I start a farm?” But really, I just wanted somewhere to stretch out and have a few apple trees.
Originally, I was thinking of buying a piece of land back in my home state of New York. I watched real estate there in the mid 1990’s. I found several multi-acre chunks of land for very reasonable prices. I fantasized about purchasing one, then I watched land prices inflate beyond my ability to purchase more than a small bit of an acre.
So, I settled on a small suburban lot in Utah and put in a garden. Not quite a hobby farm, but I got plenty of experience dealing with bugs and weeds. My dream of land wasn’t crushed, just deferred.
A few years ago, I determined that I wanted a hobby farm with a small orchard, and chickens, rabbits, and ducks. I decided I wanted to grow and eat my own food. So, I began looking at land, again.
This time, I looked at land around Utah. I wanted something with seasons (other than hot and really hot.) I also realized I needed to keep my “day job,” so I needed something close enough to home that I could drive there on one tank of gas. Those requirements narrowed down my search to northern Utah, southern Idaho, and southwestern Wyoming.
![Finding the Farm](https://homesteadorbust.tgenedavis.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/finding_the_farm_01.jpg)
Probably my favorite location is Bear Lake on the Idaho side. The land there is reasonably priced. The weather isn’t too cold—actually it’s very similar to the New England village I grew up in. The land is already cleared and well used for pastures and farming. I love the whole area.
Doing a little planning and dreaming, I realized I need between 1.5 and five acres. I’m not looking for a full-blown farm, just a nice small hobby farm. The parcels that size up in Bear Lake County are reasonably priced and absolutely perfect for what I want to create.
Unfortunately, I’m not a rich man. The reality of having a daughter in college, and three more on their way to college or trade school means reasonably priced land is still out of reach. What I need is some dirt cheap dirt.
So, I looked around some more. I’ve been looking at property in the region for several years, and knew how to find land. I also knew I’m not getting any younger. If I look too many more years, I’ll be a grandfather.
Weird.
Finally I settled on a dirt cheap piece of dirt … and sage. Not exactly the pastoral lands of Bear Lake, but we have to work with what we have. I can afford the land, and I still have a strong back. My wife and I expect to sign for the land within the next few days.
Wish us luck!
![Finding the Farm](https://homesteadorbust.tgenedavis.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/finding_the_farm_02.jpg)