Linus waited in the sacred pumpkin patch all night for the arrival of the Great Pumpkin only to wake up to a disgruntled girlfriend and no gifts. Once again, Linus missed the Great Pumpkin and Trick or Treat.  Oh, but for the children and the young at heart, this story never grows old. 

Pumpkin patches and cornfield mazes in the fall are one reason agritourism is a growing business in North Carolina.  Many of these farms offer a variety of pumpkins for sale, hayrides, pony rides, petting zoos, picnic pavilions, cornfield mazes, and pick-your-own pumpkin patches to create wonderful family memories. In addition to family fun, farms are open during the week to provide educational field trip opportunities for students to learn more about agriculture. 

According to  Annie Baggett, Agritourism Marketing Expert:

"Agritourism can be an exciting new enterprise for you. Cut your own Christmas trees, hay rides, barnyard animals, fiber animals and crafts, corn mazes, pumpkin patches, pick-your-own fruits and vegetables, on-farm dining, vineyards, farm roadside stands, country cabins for vacations, bird watching, fishing, hunting, camping, value-added products, flowers - let your imagination take you to your own field of dreams".

If your dream is to own a large cattle or poultry farm, a small hobby or family farm, or something like a pumpkin patch - a farm you can share with others - visit our website for farm and land listings. 

For more information on agritourism and farms who provide tours and other events in North Carolina, visit our Agritourism link.

Fall is here and there are more folks out looking for land now than in the summer. Through the years I have observed an interesting phenomenon; land buyers almost never hire a forester to look at their property before they buy. They often call a year or two after their purchase with questions that should have been answered before the purchase. This is always been very curious to me for several reasons.

1. Timber value - Most buyers only have a vague idea of timber values and they often get poor advice about what the timber is worth. We have seen individuals, as well as commercial buyers lose many thousands of dollars, or make bad investments due to a lack of knowledge about timber value on the properties they have purchased. We just sold the timber on a small tract of land for $4,200 per acre. Now that is the price is on the high end of the range of timber values but it is not all that uncommon either. A professional forester can help you assess the timber value on a property as part of your due diligence. The assessment of timber value can range from a quick walk through to a full blown timber appraisal.

2. Property taxes - Many wooded properties are in the forestry present use valuation program. This program is designed to encourage forest landowners to activity manage the forest on their property. Participants in the program enjoy greatly reduced county property tax bills. There is a four year ownership requirement for new owners that can be bypassed by filling out the proper paper work at closing. If the transition is not handled properly the new owner ends up paying full property taxes for four years. Many buyers find out about this when it is too late.

3. Timber potential - Many buyers have mistaken thoughts about the timber potential on their forestland. Walking the property with a professional forester can educate a potential buyer about the potential of the forest and what can be done to improve the potential. One of the most often heard statements is.... "We can cut this timber again in 20 years, can't we?" I think their "advisors" use the twenty year statement because it is a safe amount of time for them to be held liable. It takes 50 to 75 years to grow good hardwood trees. A professional forester can assist you with an accurate assessment of potential income from a property depending on forest type and where your land is located.

Getting ready to buy forestland? Luckily, we have two professional foresters available to help make sure you are well informed before you buy:

W. Andrew Casey, ACF, NCRF, NC & VA Real Estate Broker

R. Craig McClure, ACF, NCRF, NC Real Estate Broker