Farmington Iowa? (Des Moines, Keokuk, Fort Madison: for sale, insurance, movers)

[mrcountryboy]

I am looking at a piece of property in farmington and i wondered if anybody had any opinions or knowledge on the area i am a farmer in western maryland in the appalachian mountains and i am buying property for my son

[econboy]

Originally Posted by mrcountryboy

I am looking at a piece of property in farmington and i wondered if anybody had any opinions or knowledge on the area i am a farmer in western maryland in the appalachian mountains and i am buying property for my son

Farmington, Iowa . . Oldest Village in the Villages of Van Buren County

I have never been there and only heard of it. Very small place. It's wayyy down in SE Iowa. On the state line. I guess several historic buildings there.

[DMRyan]

Not sure how the great the farmland is down there compared to most of the rest of Iowa, but it's pretty in Van Buren County. Lots of timbered land (for Iowa standards) and rolling hills, with the Des Moines River passing though. It's definitely a very rural county, the locals like to advertise that there's no stoplights and no chain stores in the whole county. There's a few "villages" (as they call them in this county) that have high concentrations of Amish settlements too. On a recent visit there, I noticed the economy didn't seem to be too robust, but there's a small tourist trade that brings some dollars in. The movers and shakers in the county do a great marketing job to sell the place as a rural day trip destintation.

[mrcountryboy]

Is it a farming community

[wingit]

I've spent a lot of time just north of the Farmington area, and I would call that area more agricultural than not. As far as Farmington itself, haven't spent much time there just passed thru a few times. Seems to be a friendly atmosphere in the area. Definately a small town without any chain type stores, or eateries. Closest town with any shopping would probably be Keokuk or Fort Madison. Definately not Iowa's most fertile ground in that part of the state though.

[duster1979]

I live 13 miles from Farmington. I have several friends there, it's a nice little place but doesn't have a lot to offer besides the scenery and slower pace. It's got a couple of very good restaurants, one gas station that sells pizza and carryout sandwiches, grocery store, hunting/fishing store, couple of places to get a drink, insurance office, tax accountant, medical clinic, and a repair shop or two. That's about it for services that the locals use, for other shopping it's 20-25 miles to Fort Madison or 30-35 miles to Keokuk (closest Wal Mart if that makes any difference). There's a very nice western-themed campground that caters to equestrian campers along the river that isn't like anything you'd expect to find in Iowa.

The elementary school is in Bonaparte (about 8-10 miles west) and the middle and high schools are north of town 5 miles or so. The school district is very small, I think total enrollment is about 600 or so.

Most folks drive to Ft. Madison or Keokuk to work. Bonaparte also has a small plastics factory, and Keosauqua (county seat, 15-20 miles west) has a hospital and three factories. Kahoka, Missouri (18 miles south) also offers some retail and service jobs, they also have at least one small factory.

I've lived in the area for awhile and know most folks around here, if there's anything specific you want to know just ask. I know most of the farmers and ranchers in the area so there's a chance I might be familiar with the piece of ground you're looking at.

[mrcountryboy]

Originally Posted by duster1979

I live 13 miles from Farmington. I have several friends there, it's a nice little place but doesn't have a lot to offer besides the scenery and slower pace. It's got a couple of very good restaurants, one gas station that sells pizza and carryout sandwiches, grocery store, hunting/fishing store, couple of places to get a drink, insurance office, tax accountant, medical clinic, and a repair shop or two. That's about it for services that the locals use, for other shopping it's 20-25 miles to Fort Madison or 30-35 miles to Keokuk (closest Wal Mart if that makes any difference). There's a very nice western-themed campground that caters to equestrian campers along the river that isn't like anything you'd expect to find in Iowa.

The elementary school is in Bonaparte (about 8-10 miles west) and the middle and high schools are north of town 5 miles or so. The school district is very small, I think total enrollment is about 600 or so.

Most folks drive to Ft. Madison or Keokuk to work. Bonaparte also has a small plastics factory, and Keosauqua (county seat, 15-20 miles west) has a hospital and three factories. Kahoka, Missouri (18 miles south) also offers some retail and service jobs, they also have at least one small factory.

I've lived in the area for awhile and know most folks around here, if there's anything specific you want to know just ask. I know most of the farmers and ranchers in the area so there's a chance I might be familiar with the piece of ground you're looking at.

its a 90 acre piece right over the state line on 81 i wondered what the landscape was like because i am from western maryland and we have alot of hills and mountains

[duster1979]

Originally Posted by mrcountryboy

its a 90 acre piece right over the state line on 81 i wondered what the landscape was like because i am from western maryland and we have alot of hills and mountains

If it's on the Missouri side I don't know the specific piece of ground, but I'm very familiar with that area in general. No mountains - except a few miles west in Mount Sterling, of course - but the topography is a mixture of rolling pasture/hay ground, timber-filled ravines, and small patches of crop ground. The crop ground isn't as good as what you would find 30 miles to the north, but it's much better than what you would find 30 miles to the south. Deer hunting is fantastic. Property taxes tend to be lower in Missouri. I've always liked that stretch.

I do know of one place on 81 just north of the line that's for sale. If that's the one it's a mix of timber and pasture. I think it would be a great place to build a home. The pasture could probably be farmed but you would probably need to put in terraces to keep from losing your topsoil.

As I said, it's a nice area if you're prepared to drive a few miles for any more than the essential shopping and services.

Let me know if you come out to look at it, I'll buy you a tenderloin at AJ's.

[mrcountryboy]

Originally Posted by duster1979

If it's on the Missouri side I don't know the specific piece of ground, but I'm very familiar with that area in general. No mountains - except a few miles west in Mount Sterling, of course - but the topography is a mixture of rolling pasture/hay ground, timber-filled ravines, and small patches of crop ground. The crop ground isn't as good as what you would find 30 miles to the north, but it's much better than what you would find 30 miles to the south. Deer hunting is fantastic. Property taxes tend to be lower in Missouri. I've always liked that stretch.

I do know of one place on 81 just north of the line that's for sale. If that's the one it's a mix of timber and pasture. I think it would be a great place to build a home. The pasture could probably be farmed but you would probably need to put in terraces to keep from losing your topsoil.

As I said, it's a nice area if you're prepared to drive a few miles for any more than the essential shopping and services.

Let me know if you come out to look at it, I'll buy you a tenderloin at AJ's.

Thanks and i like to be far away from shopping places i wondered if there was a southern states or tractor supply in the area or some kind of feed and seed store. thanks again that reply was full of info

[duster1979]

Originally Posted by mrcountryboy

Thanks and i like to be far away from shopping places i wondered if there was a southern states or tractor supply in the area or some kind of feed and seed store. thanks again that reply was full of info

You can get seed and feed right in Farmington at Denly Agri-Service. Just a few miles south in Kahoka, Missouri is MFA supply which also sells farm supply items like gates, feeders, etc. For "Big Box" type farm supply stores there's Huffman's Farm and Home in Fort Madison (~20 miles), Farm and Home supply in Keokuk (~30 miles), or Orscheln's or Tractor Supply in Fairfield (~40 miles).

Kahoka also has John Deere and AGCO/Allis dealerships for implements, parts, and repairs.