living on a slope: the ups and downs of marginal land

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

Speaking of water, it's good to know that—as the owner of marginal land—you'll be high and safe during floods. And in more normal times you'll have good drainage around your buildings and in your orchard . . . where this factor can be very important to the health of your tree.

FOOD

Before you buy a hillside spread, you should consider the several pros and cons of growing food on it. First, remember that marginal land is the last to be developed for farming (it's generally wooded, large machinery doesn't work it well and—in any case—the pioneers were attracted to the more fertile soil of the valley below). Therefore, you're probably going to have to clear your garden and orchard area . . . and clearing land particularly by hand, is hard work. One consolation: The process at least gives you poles for building and firewood.

On the plus side, marginal property is often separated by some distance from valley land, which reduces the risk of entrenched harmful pests on your cultivated food plants and trees. Then, too, those woods around your garden and orchard make a nice windbreak and cut down on the chances of frost. And, since you're probably located above a valley, you'll realize yet another plus for your crops: At night, warm air from the land below rises and creeps up the surrounding slopes. This increases the ground-level temperature and stretches the growing season. We reckon ours to be one to two months longer than that in the valley, thanks to earlier last frosts in the spring and later first autumn frosts.

One more point: If possible, get sloping land that has a southern exposure. You'll be a lot happier in the long run. We didn't think about this when we bought our place, and settled for a north-facing hillside. The result is less light for our crops in the spring and fall, and a winter with lots of cold winds and little sun to keep up our morale.

OFF BY YOURSELF

Since marginal acreage has been much less popular for development than flat tracts (especially in the West), you're likely to be somewhat isolated . . . maybe miles from the nearest neighbor. Your place might border on public lands, and could even be virgin. Such a life, of course, can be very peaceful. When you're really off in the woods—alone or with good friends—your pace is slower, you won't hear much traffic (unless there's logging nearby!) and it'll be a lot easier to commune with nature. Still, this condition does have its negative aspects . . . which become obvious fairly soon.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print