Purchase land in/around Junction, TX

[ChristieP]

These days, buying hay and grain to feed 7 horses in West Texas will be extremely expensive. Not to mention the upkeep on the horses, since the rocky soil will make shoes a must. And, we are talking YEARS of manure, too.

Honestly, if you want farmland, Junction isn't it. Go 100 miles east, and you will have plenty of land to choose from.

[LordyLordy]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

These days, buying hay and grain to feed 7 horses in West Texas will be extremely expensive. Not to mention the upkeep on the horses, since the rocky soil will make shoes a must. And, we are talking YEARS of manure, too.

Honestly, if you want farmland, Junction isn't it. Go 100 miles east, and you will have plenty of land to choose from.

I wonder if you even read the post you are replying to. I said we purchased a property that HAD 7 horses on it BEFORE we bought and hence that property was grazed down to rock. It took TWO years of manure and TLC to get enough soil to have a nice sized garden for veggies and a lot of nice grass growing everywhere.

As for the shoes - nonsense. Our two horses go barefoot and they are fine.

As for going 100 miles east - if a person likes a place and they are willing to put in the work, anything is possible.

[ChristieP]

I did read your post. Obviously we do not see eye to eye on this issue.

In recent years, the drought conditions in Texas have gotten worse. Even 10 years ago, we got a lot more rain than we do now. In order to do what you are talking about, you are going to need rain. Right now, that is not guaranteed. To tell someone they can turn bare rock into arable land is, IMHO, a fallacy. YMMV.

[LordyLordy]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

I did read your post. Obviously we do not see eye to eye on this issue.

In recent years, the drought conditions in Texas have gotten worse. Even 10 years ago, we got a lot more rain than we do now. In order to do what you are talking about, you are going to need rain. Right now, that is not guaranteed. To tell someone they can turn bare rock into arable land is, IMHO, a fallacy. YMMV.

I speak from experience (have done this in the last two years). Don't get me wrong, I am not advocating the "rain follows the plow" theory. That's why I asked the OP if he is hoping to just farm to feed his family or is he actually looking to have a "for profit" business. The latter would be difficult, the former pretty easy.

[atk305]

Hi everyone - thanks for all of the responses. I would only be interested in raising enough for me and the family, not more - I wasn't inquiring into the possibility of anything on a larger scale than that. Yes I know that the ground is rocky but I also know that there are patches where there is some workable soil and that some things can be done to improve the quality of what may or may not already be there. Very interesting about the seed company. I think I just need to spend some more time out there and drive around. I also started looking further north upriver in the Llano area. Thank you all!

[die Eichkatze]

As long as you don't buy the side of a hill, you'll be fine. My family along with many others were self sufficient for many years in this area. If you know what you're doing, you will be just fine in Kimble County. Mason County will work also, but I wouldn't go into Llano. More granite and the water reliability is shaky.