Central Va Farms

We will admit that we are a little biased. Some of us are more than partial to the farms in Madison County, where the heavens are spangled by luminous pink and copper-colored sunsets. But our proclivity toward the mountains aside, buying a home in the country is a great idea for several reasons. There are definitely urban amenities that a country home in central Virginia or a rural estate elsewhere in the Greater Charlottesville area can’t provide, but there are several benefits–financial and otherwise–to buying land in the country, and we’d love a chance to share some of these with you.

As far as the perks of country real estate go, price is one of the most readily apparent. We’re not even talking about crossing state lines here, because obviously you’d pay far less for 100 acres in Albemarle County than you would in New York City (if they even have 100 to spare up there). But these price discrepancies are observable even within property in the Greater Charlottesville area. According to recent data published by the Charlottesville Association of Realtors, land in Nelson County, Greene County, and Louisa is much more economical than homes in Charlottesville or land in Albemarle County. (Keep in mind that some of the land in Albemarle County is divided up into subdivisions, essentially suburbs of Charlottesville). The median price for a home in Albemarle County was $322,000. The median price for a home in Charlottesville was $271,000. The median price for a home in Nelson County was $179,000. The median price for a home in Greene County was $219,000, and the median price for a home in Louisa was $170,000 (all figures reflect data from the second quarter of 2015, with exception of the Louisa figures, which reflect data from the second quarter of 2014). By buying a country home in central Virginia, you pay less for more.

You literally save more by buying rural, but you also have the opportunity to generate revenue from your land. Within a few years of buying a plot of land in central Virginia, you can generate some healthy cash flow, and you can do it on your own terms. You get what you put into the land…so if you wanted to start a small organic farm with help from your friends or family, you could. If you wanted to build stables for a horse farm, you could do it. There are also opportunities to make a real career out of it, at your own pace. The land in central Virginia is good for so many things: breweries and hop farms, vineyards, orchards, livestock pasture…there really are endless possibilities. And with a decent-sized bit of farmland, you can explore them all.

The competition is scant and sparse here in the country. Depending on what you want to do with the land, that may be a good or bad thing. Technically, the Greater Charlottesville area is a buyer’s market (for now at least), and nowhere is that more pronounced than out in the country. The median number of days-on-market for those country homes in Nelson County is 261, up 80 days from last year, and the sales price to list price ratio is 87.2%. However, Greene County’s median DOM dropped from 136 to 44, and Louisa showed similar improvement, meaning you may want to make your move in this area sooner rather than later. With this information in mind, if you’re looking to make a quick flip, rural properties aren’t for you. But for a community that wants to put down roots, you can’t beat it. The rural housing market is also much easier to predict.

We’re certainly aware of the amenities that big cities offer. These tend to be characteristics geared toward younger people (as we know, recent college grads are flocking to big cities en masse). But these same things are reasons why living in the country is great. There’s typically less regulation in the country, giving you more autonomy. Zoning laws, for example are much more lenient if you own rural property, and there are less restrictions on what you can and can’t do. Also you can’t put a price on space (well I guess technically, that’s what real estate is)…but the feeling of waking up and seeing only familiar faces in every direction can be very powerful. Not until one experiences the hustle and bustle, the grit and grime of the city, can one truly appreciate what it means to be alone. Your stars and sunsets will be your own. You’re also looking at better tax rates and less crime by living in a rural area, due in part to the strong sense of trust and community connection that occurs here.

And really, it’s just a better lifestyle. There’s room to run around and enjoy the outdoors…hiking, fishing, hunting and swimming are so accessible that you’ll get bored of the activities. The air is crisp and fresh, the views are breathtaking, and the property values are low. What’s not to love? Call us today to find out more about the Farms in Virginia for Sale.

When we think of horse farms in central Virginia, it’s probably easy to imagine an endless green sprawl with rolling hills, clear blue skies, and horses galloping unrestrained against the rugged landscape. We’re probably less likely to think of horses sitting around in stalls with nothing to do. But horse farmers know the reality; horses, like people are susceptible to obesity given certain conditions. Certain breeds of livestock are considered “easy keepers,” because in conditions that cause most of the herd to lose weight, they are adept at maintaining or even gaining weight. So most of the time it’s better and more desirable than a “hard keeper.” Ponies, as well as most mules and donkeys fit this description, as do many of the smaller, more durable species of horse like the Mustang and the Arabian. Easy keepers are desirable because it’s easy to keep them well-fed, but maintaining nutritional and dietary needs can be difficult.

Reasons for obesity

The forage that we cultivate on our modern-day pastures is much higher in caloric content than what horses were raised on, from an evolutionary perspective. Imagine; the formative horses and their ancestors were raised on forage that was much less nourishing, both nutritionally and calorically. Not only that but the terrain was very sparsely vegetated. The result was a lean, resourceful animal who had to walk several miles just to find sufficient sustenance. Skip ahead to modern times, and we are by and large providing these animals with high-quality forages that are easily accessible, removing their incentive to walk around for miles. All grazing activity is kept within the confines of pasture fencing. So we have food that is nutritionally more nourishing than what horses are used to, combined with a decrease in energy expenditures. It’s the same for humans, especially over the last hundred or so years: we’ve seen the effect of increasingly sedentary lifestyles combined with widespread availability of food. Additionally, there have been advances in agricultural technology over the last century that have seen the phasing out of livestock bred for crop cultivation. The tractor has replaced the workhorse, and most horses now are kept for recreational purposes. This is especially the case on central Virginia horse farms; horses are used for leisure and recreation–activities like foxhunting or exploring trails on horseback.

What happens when horses become obese

It can be difficult to say when a horse is just a bit plump and when it’s actually obese. Not everyone has a livestock scale (although you can pick one up for well under a thousand bucks). Sometimes it’s hard to get a handle on whether or not your four-legged friend may simply be suffering from “big-bonedness.” And of course some body fat is needed. But when your horse actually does reach that point, it should be a cause for concern.

Excess fat detracts from a horse’s ability to exercise. It requires more energy to even move, and so they do it less. More seriously, excess layers of fat can insulate the body. During the summer, this could lead to heat stress because the fat detracts from a horse’s ability to dissipate heat. These extra fat layers can also result in the formation of lipomas, benign tumors that tend to grow in a horse’s abdominal cavity. Lipomas often form on the mesentery, a thin strand of suspended tissue that encloses the intestine. As the tumor develops, it starts to hang from the mesentery, forming what’s called a pedicle. This can prevent ingested material from passing while cutting off blood supply. Obese horses are also more prone to developing laminitis, a hoofed animal disease that can lead to inflammation, hoof sinking, foot tenderness, and inability to walk. This is most likely a result of irregular glucose metabolism.

Treating obesity

Not everyone has access to a livestock scale, but there are otherways to keep track of horse obesity. Weight tapes are pretty good at approximating the body weight of your horse. They’re also useful for tracking weight gains or losses over time. The Henneke horse body condition scoring system was created to develop a standardized scale with which to assess a horse’s body conditions. It assesses weight accumulation across six areas on a horse’s body: neck, withers, behind the shoulder, over the ribs, topline, and tailhead. It gives each of the areas a rating from 1-9: one is extremely emaciated and 9 is obese. Ideal scores are 4-6: you can’t necessarily see the rib but you should always feel it.

Diet and exercise are the two ways to address obesity in any species. In order to address obesity, you must build your horse up to the point where it’s expending more energy than it’s taking in (through calories). This has to be done gradually though; the stress of a sudden surge of physical activity is no good. Say you tend to keep your horses in stalls. Simply letting a pampered horse out won’t really do too much; often, the horses will just stand around waiting to eat. Forced exercise may be necessary at first. Get them to walk around in twenty minute jaunts several times a day, or ten minute runs. Riding the horse is more effective. Consider loaning the horse to someone you know who will want to ride it around. Walking for a long while is considered more effective than galloping for a short while. It’s a steady process; consistency is key.

Next you must think about reducing the amount of grazing your horse does every day. Taper off access to pastures, definitely less than four hours a day. Despite this advice, it’s important to keep the horses eating consistently. Horses that are let out once or twice a day, eat more than horses that are grazing sparsely throughout the day. It’s important to keep the metabolism working. To reduce access to pasture, turn horses out into a drylots (no forage). If you don’t have one on the property, consider a muzzle that lets horses hydrate and consume salt without being able to eat grass. Don’t feed your horses as many high-calorie concentrates, especially if you have an easy keeper. It would also be wise to stick to grass forage and hay instead of legumes like alfalfa. This way, the horses are taking in less calories. Conserve the amount of hay your horses consume. 1.5% of the horse’s target weight is ideal…not 1.5% of its current weight. Try your best to distribute this intake evenly throughout the day instead of in concentrated bursts of eating.

Always consult with your veterinarian before making any abrupt changes to your horse’s diet and lifestyle.