Gayle Harvey Real Estate

Buying a Horse Farm in VA?

Admit it, you’ve dreamed about owning horses since you were a kid and buying a horse farm in VA! Or maybe you haven’t, but you’ve had to explain to your son or daughter why Santa can’t fit a pony in his sleigh. Or maybe you’ve come into more land than you know what to do with, and you want to start your very own horse farm. Regardless, we’re here to help! Central Virginia is a great place for horse farms; the sprawling pastures and rolling uplands are well-suited to the rigors of horse-rearing. And rigors there will be; it’s not the easiest thing to get into, but with a little hard work and careful planning, it can be a very fulfilling endeavor! So let’s get started!

Land

It may sound obvious, but it’s worth saying that land is one of the first and most important components of owning a horse farm. Indeed, the amount of land one needs to operate and maintain a horse farm is often underestimated. The Virginia Cooperative Extension recommends at least 2-3 acres of grazing land per horse, and that’s with good, efficient pasture management.

What exactly are you buying and what are you getting for your money? Obviously, the land you’re buying must be zoned for agricultural use. Are you looking into buying a pre-existing horse farm? If the land you’re considering was already used for horse farming, you can assume that zoning is in order, but the previous owners could have been grandfathered in, so always check.

And what about the existing infrastructure? Is there a barn? Are the horse-farming resources in good working condition? If you’re building your own infrastructure (like arena, stables, etc.) determine which way the water flows and avoid building in wet areas or areas where water settles. It would be wise to walk around the property after a heavy rain and identify the places where water collects. Remember not to get too attached to one plot. Sometimes it’s easier to start fresh than to renovate and repair.

Barn

The barn is the central nervous system of any horse farm, so this is definitely an area in which you must invest money and careful consideration. If you’re building your own barn, avoid low-lying areas (like the bottom of a hill), because runoff from rain and snow can weaken your foundation. It helps to use the center of the barn to store supplies like food, hay, and bedding. Storing hay in the center where there are multiple points of entry helps with rotation.

Breathe. See how good that felt? Ventilation is one of, if not the most important consideration when it comes to the structure of a barn. You need fresh airflow, especially with horses urinating and defecating inside the barn, not to mention the fact that the bedding gets pretty dusty. It helps to have multiple entrances to the barn, at least one on either end.

Va Horse Farms for Sale The commonly-accepted size for a horse stall is 12 square feet; big enough for a horse to lay down, stand, and turn around comfortably, but small enough to clean and maintain. Rubber mats are a good call for the floor of the barns. They make cleanup easier, and they’re more comfortable for the horses themselves. If you’re going to install these, make sure you do it before the horses move in, so that the ground is still relatively even. Consider getting stall doors that open up on the top halves, or just an open stall with a stall guard. Wood or mesh work great.

It’s great to have automatic waterers but they also make it difficult to determine how much water your horse is drinking. Automatic waterers shave time off of your labor expenditure and you will guarantee that your horses have access to a consistent supply of fresh drinking water. If you opt for manual waterers/hydrants, make sure you take measures to prevent them from f reezingin the colder months. It’s nice to be able to access a feed bucket with ease, so consider a swing-out parcel with a bucket attached. Many people line the bottom of their feed buckets with metal, to prevent rodents.

So there you have some tips. Everyone has a different vision for her or his farm, and hopefully this little guide has helped you flesh out yours. There are few places better-suited to equestrian pursuits and horse farming than central Virginia! Contact us to have an experienced horse farm agent help you locate the horse farm or land that is best suited for your needs.

Apples in Charlottesville Virginia

Farm Markets, Orchards

It’s been a summer for the books, but as fall approaches, we’re looking forward to some of the season’s finer qualities. Autumn in central Virginia is glorious, all breezy hikes, turning leaves, and a general sense of idyllic serenity….and also, apples. Carter Mountain Orchard is one of the top destinations during this time of year, whether you’re a seasoned local or a newcomer. The hiking is perfect for families, and the orchard is brimming with activities like hayrides and Pick-Your-Own-Apples. The orchard boasts a panoramic, 360 degree view of Charlottesville and the surrounding mountains in all their azure glory. There’s nothing that ushers in autumn quite like drinking fresh hot apple cider and eating donuts at sunset while the sky is streaked with warm hues of pink and orange. All through September Carter Mountain Orchard have a Thursday Evening Sunset Series with dinner and live music. And there really are so many things you can do with the apples you take home…pies, ciders, stewed apples, applesauce, apple butter, caramel apples, fritters, turnovers, the list is endless.

I could go on…indeed, apples are probably my favorite topic other than real estate…but I digress. Carter Mountain itself is located on land south of Charlottesville, a few miles past Monticello, but it’s owned by Crown Orchard Company out of Covesville. The Chiles family has been in the orchard business since 1912, a career spanning four generations, seven orchards in central Virginia, and a lot of people of varying ages getting their hands dirty. Crown Orchard Company provides wholesale quantities for much of the region, due in large part to a modernized, cutting-edge packing facility in Covesville augmented by a staff that works year-round. Land in central Virginia, with its rolling uplands and hilly pastures is a great candidate for orchard and vineyard cultivation anyway.

And it’s not a bad time to be in the apple business. The USDA is reporting a significant growth in U.S. fresh apple exports over the last few years, reflecting and responding to a shift in the levers of supply and demand. Most apples produced in the U.S. are used domestically, but demand for them is diminishing due to counter-seasonal competition which often comes in the form of imports. We’re talking grapes, berries, and stone-fruits which are in season around the same time as apples. At around the turn of the century, fruit production in the Southern Hemisphere (particularly Chile) began to expand, providing tropical fruits to American consumers whose choices were more limited in the winter months.

Domestic apple production outpaces domestic demand, and so there was an excess of product, particularly in Washington State, which churns out a significant chunk of U.S.-grown apples. This excess of supply has been leading to a huge amount of growth in annual export numbers…up from 607 million pounds in the 1980s to 2.3 billion pounds in 2014/2015. Half of the U.S. fresh apple exports go to Mexico, Canada, and India, with Mexico alone accounting for 25% of U.S. export market. The U.S. is now the third largest exporter of apples, behind Poland and China. Despite this, apples from the U.S. are ranked first globally overall, and reach a variety of markets in Southern Asia like Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines. Due to the changing markets, producers have focused their attention on new cultivars, such as Fuji, HoneyCrisp and Gala apples. It’s not a bad time to get into the business, especially if you have elevated land in central Virginia. (You will need to purchase propagated varieties as you cannot plant a seed and grow your own apple trees). Dwarfs and semidwarfs will start to bear fruit in 2-4 years, (around a bushel or two per year), and by the time you hit the 5-8 range, you could be reaping 4-5 bushels a year!

If you have longed to start your own orchard and are looking to buy a farm in Central Virginia, call or email Gayle, she’d love to talk with you!

Ferreira, Gustavo and Perez, Agnes. Fruit and Tree Nuts Outlook: March 2016. USDA, Economic Research Service, March 2016

Stonefield Farmers Market on the Green

Farm Markets

As the steadfast, ardent proponents of central Virginia farms, local food, and everything farm-to-table, we at Gayle Harvey Real Estate are no strangers to writing about farmers markets. So imagine our surprise when we discovered a relatively new one right under our noses, at the Shops at Stonefield! Stonefield, with its array of upscale restaurants, clothing shops, and the affordably artisanal Trader Joe’s grocery store, was the last place we thought of looking for a farmers market, but sometimes the best things in life are tucked away where you least expect them. So we’d like to introduce you to Stonefield’s farmers market, which is hosted by the group Central Farm Markets.

If you’re not familiar with the Shops at Stonefield, head north on US-29 out of Charlottesville, towards the traffic, towards the land in Orange County, Madison County, up to Washington, D.C. and all the other things about which your parents warned you. The market is hosted on Saturdays from 9:30am until 2:30pm, at which point you can simply meander over from the local vendors and go catch a movie at the Regal Stonefield, do some more shopping, or grab a late lunch.

A little more about Central Farm Markets…it’s an organization that was founded in 2008 as a sort of farmers market collective. Their first market was started in 2008 in a parking lot in Bethesda, MD, where they had 17 vendors. They’ve since expanded outwards, with thriving markets in Bethesda and Pike Maryland, Fairfax, VA and now Charlottesville. Beyond just making local and organic varieties of produce, meats, and cheeses available to the community, Central Farm Markets advocates for more deliberate sustainability practices in farming.

The Stonefield Market features around 30 different vendors, most of which are from the central Virginia area. We’ll highlight a few of these below, but if you want to get in on the action, see for yourself!

On their website, the Bageladies state unequivocally their belief that “Bagels done right can change the world.” In Charlottesville, we read that as “Bagels done right can give Bodo’s a run for its money,” and this bagel outfit from Waynesboro is doing just that! Their bagels also contain 60% fewer sugars than traditional, store-bought bagels and have virtually no wheat starch glucose. They also have great recipe ideas for grilled cheese sandwiches, pizza bagels, and bagel burgers. Bodo’s, you’re still #1.

Established in 2000, Radical Roots is a family farm on five acres of land in Rockingham County. The farmers are committed to sustainable agriculture, using permaculture farming techniques to harness the land. They maximize the potential of their five acres by growing certified organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs, an amazing bounty considering the small staff and the concentration of land.

Then there’s the super-local Buck Mountain Farms, which makes its home north of Charlottesville, in Earlysville. Buck Mountain employs a similar philosophy on farming, making efficient use of the rotational grazing to produce high-quality chicken and grass-fed cattle on evenly grazed, sustainable pastures. Their willingness to learn the nuances of permacultural farming means they maximize the land’s potential, relying on no manufactured fertilizer! Come enjoy some free-range chicken or the 14 different cuts of grass-fed beef today! They’ve also got red beets, turnips, and lettuce.

The Rock Barn is quickly on its way to becoming a Charlottesville institution; it’s already on the menu at various Cville staples like Fry’s Spring Station, and Ivy Provisions. You don’t edge your way to the top of a competitive culinary environment like Charlottesville’s without a quality product, which is pork. Multiple cuts of pork for every occasion, at wholesale or retail amounts. If you think you could handle it, try the porkshare…if not, grab yourself a cut or two. Operating out of an estate, Oak Ridge, in Nelson County, the Rock Barn operates based on a nose-to-tail philosophy, utilizing literally every part of the pig with a focus on the big picture.