CARETAKE A FARM (AND LIVE RENT FREE)

May/June 1976
 
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share
by DALE & SANDY DERAPS

RELATED CONTENT

Are you ready to head for the country, but lack the $$ to buy or rent land? That was Dale and Sandy Deraps' situation exactly . . . until a friend suggested that theycaretake a farm.

You've probably heard of house-sitting, or living in-and looking after—a residence while its owner is on vacation (see. "Getting Paid for Living Good" in MOTHER NO. 15, "House-sitting as a Way of Life" in MOTHER NO. 37, "We Caretake 70 Wilderness Acres" in LIFESTYLE! NO. 5, and "Free Rent" in LIFESTYLE! NO. 7).

Well, farm caretaking is somewhat similar . . . except that, in the kind of cases I'm talking about, the owner is always away, so you don't have to worry about moving out in a couple of weeks or months. Plus, you get to see what farm life is all about—firsthand and close up—without having to invest thousands of dollars in your own "spread".

Sound like a good deal? We thought so, after a friend of ours explained the idea to us. At the time we had just spent weeks gumshoeing around the backwoods in search of low-rent rural housing (to no avail), we were ready to try anything . . . and caretaking sounded like just the answer.

So, at a cost of around $100, we placed the following ad in various newspapers and county journals over a two-month period:

We will protect and maintain your farm property for the privilege of living there. Caretaking includes safeguarding
adjacent outbuildings, livestock, equipment, crops, woods, roads, fields, and water systems. No utilities needed except on-site water and stovewood privileges. Must be no more than two hours' driving time from St. Louis. Reply to Box__or call collect (314) 000-0000.

We paid $10 a shot to run this classified listing in both of the two big St. Louis papers, and we also placed the notice in seven county journals that were published in the areas where we wanted to live.

The widely read St. Louis newspapers pulled the biggest response, from landowners, who lived right in town and from folks as much as 200 miles distant. (The papers' Sunday editions seem to reach small towns within a radius of at least 150 miles.) All told, we received about 60 replies to our little advertisement.

Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | Next >>
Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print
FEATURED ARTICLES
MOST POPULAR


Subscribe Today - Pay Now & Save 66% Off the Cover Price

First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here

Lighten the Strain on the Earth and Your Budget

Mother Earth News is the guide to living — as one reader stated — “with little money and abundant happiness.” Every issue is an invaluable guide to leading a more sustainable life, covering ideas from fighting rising energy costs and protecting the environment to avoiding unnecessary spending on processed food. You’ll find tips for slashing heating bills; growing fresh, natural produce at home; and more. Mother Earth News helps you cut costs without sacrificing modern luxuries.

At Mother Earth News, we are dedicated to conserving our planet’s natural resources while helping you conserve your financial resources. That’s why we want you to save money and trees by subscribing through our Earth-Friendly automatic renewal savings plan. By paying with a credit card, you save an additional $4.95 and get 6 issues of Mother Earth News for only $10.00 (USA only).

You may also use the Bill Me option and pay $14.95 for 6 issues.