Why land is worth much more some places

[farmaholic]

We need a heck of a lot more than this. We need about 2 weeks steady, dug outs dry, can’t let kids drive ski-doos in fields case they fall down a crack.

See AF5, and that's on gumbo.

Now what about the Ghetto? There ain't no stress like Slum of the Ghetto stress.

[makar]

See AF5, and that's on gumbo.

Now what about the Ghetto? There ain't no stress like Slum of the Ghetto stress.

My dugout hasn't dropped six inches in five years but am fighting 3 year old cattails on wheat ground. New world stress. To edit new world is the old school district named by Ukrainian homesteaders, their new world.

[farmaholic]

My dugout hasn't dropped six inches in five years but am fighting 3 year old cattails on wheat ground. New world stress. To edit new world is the old school district named by Ukrainian homesteaders, their new world.

That's God's country, they don't call it "The Peace" for nothing.
The Slum of the Ghetto is at the end of the "Highway to Hell"!
And between us is SF3's Garden of Eden.
Furrows on the Rez and Caseih is in the Swamp.
Sheepwheat lives by the Enchanted Forest.
Helmsdale likes the designation of being a Special Area.
Anyone else want to characterize their farm?

Richard5 manages Abacus Acres.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Grandpa always called this area Big Swamp Country.
We have big continuous muskegs outside the farmland, and within the farmland, the lowland is again big continuous chunks.
Where he grew up, North of Stettler, it is pothole country, extreme pothole country. I just looked at Google Maps. The outside round on the half section totals 9 miles long, in 3 separate chunks. I counted 30 obstacles within that boundary ( not counting those already gone around in the 9 mile long first round). And that is on a dry year, too many to count on a wet year. Would definitely need to pack a lunch. The current farmers have big modern equipment, I can't imagine how they get into and around half the places.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Woodland's name is self descriptive, but his nearest neighbor is a giant coal mine, slowly swallowing the farm, what would you call that?
Chuck's farm is located in the agricultural region known as Basement (It's OK, he won't read this thread, it sounds farm related).
Blaithin, the funny farm, or Chicken Ranch?

[farmaholic]

What I find interesting is how the quality of land can change within a few miles, even with in a couple of miles.
Topography and texture, sometimes the transition is very short.

We each get used to farming what we grew up with. Some families move to different areas, some kids have to move to different areas because there is no room at home for them, but those left at "home" have learned to accept the land with it's capabilities and limitations. Some farms have alot of land variability within itself, within the same field. But we each learn to make it work, no matter how generous or stingy those acres may be.

[woodland]

Hills of hope......... that’s what the local history book is called. Where Canola, Carbon(oil and coal), and Cows collide you’ll find us. The Rez is 4 miles north and the coal mine is slowly spreading like a cancer through what’s left of our community. Most everyone out here has rolled a piece of iron in the hills of sand or heavy grey clay. Massey combine, bourgault air tank, even a newer spray coupe have fallen victim to the perils of gravity here. If that’s not enough fun there’s the muskegs to get stuck in at the bottom of said hills.

The view is nice though. On a clear day you can see the mountains 200 miles southwest and past Edmonton 70 miles east.

Not sure why the ancestors came this far west 99.75 years ago but it’s a beautiful spot at least.

Sunrise this morning going out to feed the moo moos

[Sheepwheat]

Woodland. Access to water and easy fuel. No one could have envisioned farming going the way it has. At that time, the settlers of these areas were the lucky ones! Lol

Ideal mixed farming, or just great livestock country. Natural shelter, water, drainage.

You gotta look at the bright side of your beautiful area.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

What I find interesting is how the quality of land can change within a few miles, even with in a couple of miles.
Topography and texture, sometimes the transition is very short.

Very true around here. Multiple soil types within any quarter. From organic soil, to gumbo, to grey wooded, some sand, some has decent subsurface drainage, even with very little slope, some with decent slope doesn't drain at all, or even discharges.

Go a couple mile south, and it is sand and hills, much more forgiving, but much less potential. West and you hit the river, but across that it is big hills, always crying for moisture, even in our wet climate. North across the big muskeg, it is even flatter than us, productive land in between the swamps. East a few miles starts the pothole country. 10 miles east the real farmland starts, called diamond valley, but they don't appreciate a year as wet as this. We are on a literall island between a river, a creek and a muskeg. There is an actual island about a mile square in the muskeg just north of me.

Have neighbors on lighter hilly land south of here. Were renting a quarter a mile from our home, really good subsurface drainage, never fails. So they bought a quarter right kitty corner to our home farm(good reason I didn't buy it), only one quarter separates this one from their rental. I assume they thought it would be the same. But It is almost all gumbo. They applied the same intensive tillage, spring discing etc. that works fine on their ground, and discovered the hard way that it is completely different soil.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Woodland. Access to water and easy fuel. No one could have envisioned farming going the way it has. At that time, the settlers of these areas were the lucky ones! Lol

Ideal mixed farming, or just great livestock country. Natural shelter, water, drainage.

You gotta look at the bright side of your beautiful area.

The features that made a good homestead are quite different to what makes a productive farm, or good farmyard today.

Lots of old farmyards stuck in a gulley next to a body of water, with no room for expansion, too steep for buildings.