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macmanmatty2

New idea for cheap farm land to lease?

macmanmatty2
10 years ago

Hello all, I run a small nursery and do market farming on a small scale although I have no other jobs not related to plants somehow. My some of market garden is under the power right of way and that got me thinking we have lots of large vacant lots near me with large power right of ways that they cannot build any thing on or do much with. having a garden on there is something that you can do and the power company actually likes because they don't have to maintain it. The right of ways are 100-150 ft wide from the road and as long as I want. But Here in florida the land is owned by the owner not the power company like it is in some states. I have a few questions though. Has any one done this before? Would it be best to contact the owner and get permission to plant or the power company? What would be a reasonable offer for leasing it. Or is this whole idea not good one?

Thanks

MacManmatty

Comments (4)

  • lazy_gardens
    10 years ago

    Contact them both. If work needs to be done on the lines over that easement, they will run over your crops with no compensation to you.

    Lease to offer? Depends on the local market, which you are in a better position to know about.

    Grazing is a common use around here.

  • cole_robbie
    10 years ago

    My family has land with power lines through it. We use it for cattle pasture.

    The power company has an easement, which means they have the right to reasonable access for purposes relating to the power lines. They do not have any other rights to the land. My experience has been that they are always very nice people; they come and ask before they enter the property even though they don't have to.

    I might plant that land in blueberries someday. I would leave a wide path for them to drive through, and I would also leave the area directly under each power pole empty in case they had to work on the poles.

  • myfamilysfarm
    10 years ago

    Cole Robbie, glad your company is like that, around me, they come in, announce themselves on that day, then do whatever they want. I'm not talking about the power line people, but the people they hire to trim/cut trees and pile the branches wherever.

  • henhousefarms
    10 years ago

    Many years ago we had a plot of ground that belonged to the railroad. Frankly, I'm not sure how we got it it's use (Dad may have secured it before I was around). It was where we always planted our popcorn (we ate a lot of popcorn). It was off a seldom used spur that serviced a couple of country elevators and an FS plant. It was really old trackage - the railroad (N&W) had a 5mph speedlimit on it and always ran a speeder out front to make sure the rails were still aligned. If we were working the patch and a train came by they always stopped and I would get to ride in the locomotive for a mile or two (imagine that happening today). I spent a lot of summer days tramping up and down that railroad doing goodness knows what. Eventually, the line was abandoned and pulled out. The land went to the elevator and we quit farming it. I know that there are still some properties that the railroad owns and leases out - there is a casket warehouse in one of the towns around here that is on RR ground - so it's possible. Probably would be more trouble that it's worth unless you know someone.

    Tom

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