Where to buy or rent farmland? (Houston, Dallas: for sale, 2015, organic)

[30_miles]

My aunt is interested in moving with me to either DFW or Houston in 2015. However, she is interested in farm land. They don't speak much English so I'm doing most of the research for them. Her husband is a certified organic farmer-he grows fruits and vegetables. I'm not sure if they're interested in having farm animals as well. They currently work on a farm now in Boston.

Where can they buy or maybe rent land to grow crops? Or, where should they start looking?

Thanks

[loves2read]

Obviously it would have to be outside the Metroplex--
DFW falls at the juncture of two geo zone--
the zone west of FTW is more for ranching although hay and cotton can be grown
East/South of Dallas is more the East TX Piney Woods type which is different soil consistency and usually more rain although much of Texas is in long term drought--

There are websites for agricultural/farming land sales
your best bet now might be to contract the state's agriculture bureau--there are agents for each county--Dallas has one, Plano, Tarrant--etc...
there are some niche farms in the area that grow produce for high market restaurants--
some that do goats for artinisal cheeses and some "truck" farms that sell to local farmers' markets--Dallas has a farmers' market and so does FTW--you might see when they are open and talk to some of the stall holders--see what produce and other products are sold...

Granbury lies along a river and has river bottom land which lends itself to pecan orchards
but they can be very expensive to operate and older trees can be liability since they need to be replaced at the end of the life=cycle---that is when many people will put orchards up for sale since they know the bearing is coming to an end...
of course pecan trees can live 50 years or more so it is a long cycle...

there is a magazine I have seen at Barnes and Noble stores--not usually supermarkets--
that is basically farm/ranch land for sale--
might look for one of those

land in the Metroplex is very expensive--too expensive for most people to use for farming since the risk/reward is pretty thin...
lots of hail storms through this area too--unpredictable and can damage crops

[30_miles]

Thank you for the info. I'll pass it along.

[Rakin]

Go south to Central Texas. Hill or Ellis county.

[ChristieP]

Look at Clyde, TX out near Abilene. A lot of vegetables are grown there because of the natural spring water there.

[RonnieinDallas]

Originally Posted by 30_miles

My aunt is interested in moving with me to either DFW or Houston in 2015. However, she is interested in farm land. They don't speak much English so I'm doing most of the research for them. Her husband is a certified organic farmer-he grows fruits and vegetables. I'm not sure if they're interested in having farm animals as well. They currently work on a farm now in Boston.

Where can they buy or maybe rent land to grow crops? Or, where should they start looking?

Thanks

What's their budget?
How many acres will they be needing?
What will they be growing?

South Texas and North Texas have different soil types, and the climate is different; Down near Houston you can probably grow citrus fruit. That wouldn't be an option in North Texas. Parker county has a lot of peach and watermelon farmers. Land west of Fort Worth is still fairly reasonable. I would say $4,000-$10,000 an acre in Parker County. Tarrant, Denton, and Collin county are probably going to be at least $10,000 an acre. Of course, there are many variables, and the closer to town the more $$$ per acre. You'll probably need to be out of the city limits to have livestock, and I would avoid being in a MUD, or your property taxes will be crazy high. You should probaly look for a piece of property with a well. There are serious water shortages in many rural areas in Texas

[DitsyD]

Originally Posted by RonnieinDallas

What's their budget?
How many acres will they be needing?
What will they be growing?

South Texas and North Texas have different soil types, and the climate is differencent; Down near Houston you can probably grow citrus fruit. That wouldn't be an option in North Texas. Parker county has a lot of peach and watermelon farmers. Land west of Fort Worth is still fairly reasonable. I would say $4,000-$10,000 an acre in Parker County. Tarrant, Denton, and Collin county are probably going to be at least $10,000 an acre. Of course, there are many variables, and the closer to town the more $$$ per acre. You'll probably need to be out of the city limits to have livestock, and I would avoid being in a MUD, or your property taxes will be crazy high. You should probaly look for a piece of property with a well. There are serious water shortages in many rural areas in Texas

Even a well is no guarantee of water. The aquifers supply the wells and the aquifers are replenished solely by rainwater. Many are digging deeper wells, but that will dry up too without sufficient rainfall.
In Drought-Stricken Texas, Hunt for Water Heads Deeper Underground | The Rundown | PBS NewsHour