How long you been in the game?

[HawkinsHollow]

BTW I am 44. I meant to ask in the original thread. How old are you? That is an important part of the equation. Thanks for all of your responses. You all inspire me when I read about your success stories!

 

[TripleR]

BTW I am 44. I meant to ask in the original thread. How old are you? That is an important part of the equation. Thanks for all of your responses. You all inspire me when I read about your success stories!

Seventy-one years old and until we were in our early sixties neither my brother nor I could afford a new tractor. He is an excellent mechanic, so we bought well used machines, fixed and kept them.

As is often the case "we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us."

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Seventy-one years old and until we were in our early sixties neither my brother nor I could afford a new tractor. He is an excellent mechanic, so we bought well used machines, fixed and kept them.

As is often the case "we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us."

WOW! So you went from 130 ac. to 500ac. and 1 tractor to 9? Sounds like you are doing something right or have really big shoulders to stand on. Thanks!

 

[Thomas]

Congrats. :thumbsup:
I found just taking my time I enjoy doing it and really wasn't hard work.also think long term so when you reach those golden years land still easy to care for.

 

[WM75Guy]

We bought our 14 acres that was a hay pasture 12 years ago. It has been a steady works in progress. We built the shop first and 10 years ago built the house, stables, and arena. We are both in our early 60s and looking forward to retirement in the next 5-6 years. Next project is replacing the fence across the front and a gated entrance. A little more crossing fencing and maybe some Lowline Angus cows.

 

[dieselcrawler]

I grew up on 80ac up a holler, but we were 'hobby farmers' at best... always did a few hundred squares bales of hay, just enough to keep the property taxes in the agricultural rate bracket. Dad worked at a metal rollong mill, mom worked part time too. My wifes family was more true farmers, had cattle, pigs, rasied corn, hay.

We bought our farm in 2013, have 117ac of prime grade A West Virginia hillside, only flat spots are where they built the house and barn back in the early 1900's. We have plans to get some cows once we complete some fence replacement.

I'm 42...

 

[CADplans]

We moved to Roanoke VA area April 01 1982,,

Check number 0001 was written for a IH 404 with loader and Rhino 6 foot blade,,,

My wife still has that check,,, :laughing:

 

[TnAndy]

have 117ac of prime grade A West Virginia hillside, only flat spots are where they built the house and barn

ahahaaaa......turns out that grade applies in Tennessee as well....AKA...."Retainer walls R us"

We bought (because it was cheap and we were school teachers) 75ac of completely timbered mountain side in 1982 and have been hacking away at it ever since....or as I tell folks "We're 35 years into a 50 year project"

I'm 69, going on 106.......

This is one of the first hacks....summer of 1982, cutting a hole in the forest. Driveway goes around to the left, you can see it up on the hill....house site is out at the end before it drops about 40' into a creek bed.

My wife the bricklayer, 1984. Part of the house is slab on grade due to rock. Behind her is where the house site drops off into that creek bed.

Same view point at photo 1, probably late 80's after we got the house livable.

Digging out one of our two ponds. Original shop building (built with a chainsaw mill). Employer at the time lent me his 750 John Deere for a lot of the digging and timber knock down.

Present shop...tore the original down after 15yrs, kept the slab, added 50', built this one. That pond is just up over the pile of logs in the foreground. Pine beetle hit us hard in late 90's, I logged & sawed for 2 years trying to save what I could. (which turned into 3 rental houses)

More or less what it looks like today from the house. Couple of fenced (deer resistant) garden areas, upper pond, shop, etc.

Lower pond:

House, mid 2000 era. Was building a "skyzebo" off the end of the deck. 26 courses of block to get up level with the deck.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

It's not a "game" for us, it's a way of life and the only life I've ever known...

I've only ever lived two places in my life, in the bush in Alaska and where I am now, on the farm I grew up on.

SR

 

[TripleR]

Beautiful place TnAndy