The countryside has been a long sought-after place. As people look to improve their quality of life, and the awe of how far a dollar goes for a property out of the city limits, they often forget to consider all the facts.
A Sunday drive out to the country to see the beautiful colours, the wide-open spaces and the fresh air seems all too inviting.
For those looking at this beautiful space we have, it is important that you also consider that as in the city, we also work and play in this area; the local resources including churches, schools and the unique shops and the not so often understood farming practices. The local farmers who own that wide-open space around your newly found home do come with some different sounds and smells. Farmers do not work just between the hours of 9 and 5.
Consider all four seasons; not only the cost of heating, the change of scenery, and the roads to be travelled but also consider the different operations that will be happening during this time. Spring time brings the renewal of crops and with this there are loud noises from machinery, smells from manure applications, long hours of equipment in the fields, as the seed is put into the ground to bring us into the next season. Summer brings with it warming temperatures and pool side BBQ’s, oh, and there is also growth and spraying of crops, raising of livestock and hay being baled all in that same area. You may encounter large equipment on the roadways. You may hear noises of cows, chickens or even pigs. Fall brings the harvesting of crops. You will have slower oversized equipment, additional traffic on the roads to get those crops out of the field and either into the local elevator or into the feed bins.
You may be purchasing your dream home in the country but you must also remember that the area that appeals to your sense of wanting to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the country has it’s own working force and that often includes the slower equipment on the road, the late nights and possible not so pleasant smells.
The rural area as welcoming as it is, the beautiful view, the peaceful morning coffee, more value for your investment dollar, may also be interrupted by those farms that have a short window to harvest their crop so the 2 a.m. combine running may just be a reality. For most of these inconveniences to the non-farm community, it is only for a short period of time but it is a reality of living in a rural area.
When considering the size of the home or the amount of land that is coming with your new loved property, remember that your neighbours may not only live here but work the ground around you. What used to be considered normal farm practices are constantly being challenged, and farmers tend to their livestock at all hours and work with the crops in the fields when the conditions are right and not necessarily at the most convenient hours of the day. As the pressure increases on this much sought-after land and the urban sprawl causes more productive farmland to be put under housing the farmers may remove that bush to put new land into crop production.
The existing agricultural community shares your love of the wide-open spaces and forests in the rural community, so welcome to the spaces and the smells and sounds that are part of the vast area. Welcome to the country and all it has to offer!
