As part of my study of the rural landscape and places I’ve considered purchasing to build my off grid home was one of the parcels on Woodstock Road that has been listed but I wanted to do a drive by before potentially contacting the real estate agent. They can be persistent SOBs if you give them your contact number and inquire about a property even if you’re not interested – especially the raw land, small cabin and run down properties out in the hinder lands I’m interested in that can be hard to sell – especially if they see you have assets that you could buy with cash tomorrow.

The thing is I’m not sold on 5 acre living. It’s not a lot of land and often it is a wasteful use of land – tacky vinyl houses with massive lawns that have to be mowed with power machinery. One of the greatest threats to viable agriculture and unbroken country is the 5 acre homesteads sprawling over the landscape. You can do a lot of homesteading on five acres, but many do not. Five acre plots lead to vicious consumption of land when everybody wants their five acres. And that property isn’t even a full five acres, and there is another property inset into it. Having neighbors so close doesn’t get you the true rural experience – you still have to be concerned with smoke, noise and odor complaints that you don’t have to deal with as much on a larger piece of land.

Really my vision is having more land than that far offset from other people. I want to be able to do whatever I want on my land within reason without impacting the neighbors or them impacting me. Agriculture zoning helps but it is by no means a guarantee or protection that having sufficient buffer can guarantee. Likewise a friendly political environment and keeping a low profile can help but it’s tough when you have people in close ear and eye shot. There are many 5 acre properties near the city – or within commuting distance – but true rural land without neighbors nearby is almost exclusively far more distant away.