land, land, and more land

[mommariffic]

Currently, we are renting the house we live in.

The rent price isn't too high, but to buy it would cost us quite a bit more than we can afford, because it's sitting on 31 acres of land roughly. There's three small cabins on the property we could spruce up and rent out, but I'm wondering if any of you momma's know what I can do with all that LAND to earn an income to cover some of the taxes/mortgage if we do buy?

It's rock, so farming is kind of out of the question, and it's protected so I can't sell it to builders, and I wouldn't want to. I had one idea to open community garden plots and let folks come, garden, and charge a yearly fee?

Any other ideas?
This is a pipe dream right now, but in a few years I'd love to save and buy.

[p.s]

tree farm?

[mommariffic]

Okay, maybe I'm a huge idiot but...what is a tree farm? Like Christmas trees?

[annethcz]

ANY type of tree. Christmas trees are one way, but you could also learn how to graft fruit trees, or grow ornamentals (maples, flowering trees, etc.)

Before you get too excited about renting out the cabins, check out the zoning on the property. In some locales, it's not legal to have more than one occupied dwelling per parcel.

[mommariffic]

Originally Posted by annethcz

ANY type of tree. Christmas trees are one way, but you could also learn how to graft fruit trees, or grow ornamentals (maples, flowering trees, etc.)

Before you get too excited about renting out the cabins, check out the zoning on the property. In some locales, it's not legal to have more than one occupied dwelling per parcel.

Well, the landlord HAS rented them out in the past! So I know that it's totally do-able.

I'll look into trees.

[Marisol]

If I had a bunch of rocky land, I'd fence it well and put goats out on it. I'm not sure that would bring the sort of income you're looking for, though, because of the initial capital investment for the livestock and equipment.

[mommariffic]

Originally Posted by Marisol

If I had a bunch of rocky land, I'd fence it well and put goats out on it. I'm not sure that would bring the sort of income you're looking for, though, because of the initial capital investment for the livestock and equipment.

I was also thinking livestock. Goats would be perfect, and I could make goat cheese or something? I think there's some tax break if the land is used for "farming" too? I may be wrong on that