Best areas in TX for houses w/ acreage for small family farming

[ognend]

The area east of I-35 between Austin and San Marcos (esp. Elgin, down to Lockhart, down to I-10) has nice soils. If you ever plan on growing for profit, you can sell your stuff in Austin. There are quite a few organic farms and CSAs in the area, you can volunteer first. Actually, there was a guy around Lockhart just six months ago looking to rent his 49 acres near Lockhart an acre at a time to people who want to grow organic stuff. He has chickens on about 10+ acres free roaming and was willing to give you their manure (which is GOLD!). I think he was asking something like $1200/year. That would be a nice way for you to start on someone else's land without the risk of buying (you can rent a place somewhere near).

My $.02
OD

[Qazulight]

Originally Posted by kodacakes

Hey everyone. I figured the best way to figure out more about what I'm looking for would be to ask people that live in Texas. I've been planning on moving to Texas for a while now and have decided to make the move around the end of May.

What I'm looking for: I'm hoping to find a house with around 20 acres. I would want a small amount of livestock (solely for milk, egg, meat purposes for myself and future family) so pasture is ideal but I also want to be able to grow my own fruits/veggies. From what I've read it seems like there's a lot of areas that're bad for growing veggies and that sort. So far I've been looking around the east due to more rain but I've also read that there's more problems with fungus, etc because of it. I've read areas in west Texas have very fertile soil where you can grow anything but you have to deal with rocks and water problems. I'm not saying I will find a perfect place with no issues or that problems can't be solved such as improving soil quality... I'm just wondering if anyone knows good cities for what I'm lookig for. Seeing as I plan on having a family, I'd also prefer that schools in the area are good and that it's a safe enough area. I'd also prefer not to live far away from job areas. I figure that shouldn't be too hard since I'm not looking for hundreds of acres.

Thanks for your time, input, and help! Also if any of these factors help: I'm hoping to find a 2-3 bedroom house (preferably 3), prefer not to go over around $150k price range.

First, Why Texas, why not western Louisiana. In many way Louisiana has some advantages over Texas.

Second, If you don't have a job, and you intend to get one, why worry, the work will drive the land.

Finally, assuming you want to work in the oil related economy that stretches from Houston to New Orleans, and you want to be in East Texas or Western Louisiana, I would think you could grab some decent land with either a late model double wide mobile home, or an older frame home for the 150K price range, if and this is a big IF, you are willing to commute an hour to a major employment center.

I have noticed that if you stay south of the Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn lakes you get a more gumbo, or blackjack clay soil that holds moisture better than the sandy soil north of the reservoirs. Also, improved pasture generally runs close to 3000 and acre, it is worth it. Land with pine timber on it tends to be a sandier soil and the soil is more acidic.

If you stay closer to I-10 you can grow the tangerines. (I think that is what they are called, my cousin had them in Orange Field under the power line right of way, they ruined me for oranges.) However, apples are tough down that close to the gulf. Further north, north of the lakes there are some breed of apples that can be grown, but pears like the weather better. Further north has less rain and humidity so water can be more of an issue. Employment is tougher also, and the land is really not much cheaper if at all.

Finally, if you start thinking about tractors and such, it would be easy to double what you have in land in equipment.

Cheers
Qazulight

[HappyTexan]

You can also look around College Station and surrounding areas. Sandy loam, pretty temperate and you could definitely find property with your budget, probably more than 20 acres and there's plenty of trees as well.