Yes, It’s Time to Sell
What a year! Back in March of this year I shared about some new medical challenges over the past two years. I did indeed make it through another year of caring for the microfarm—by scaling back and relying a lot more on volunteer help. John helped with way more than usual as well.
We made do. But we also learned this is not sustainable. It’s time to sell.
There. I’ve said it. Our goal is to get through this winter, complete springtime clean-up, then formally list the property in summer 2025. Unless… we find an appropriate buyer through word-of-mouth discussions this coming winter or spring?
It was hard and painful to come to that decision.
It was really easy too.
Yes, I’ll miss the rhythm of life here. I’ll miss the heart-and-soul connection I have with this little patch of earth. Leaving will feel like cutting off a part of my self. Because I will have to do just that.
But these past two and a half years have been far too physically painful. The vertebral instability throughout my neck and back causes pressure on my spinal cord and brainstem. Yes, that’s as painful as it sounds, and it causes all sorts of balance and coordination problems too.
Any time I do more than about ten minutes of repetitive physical work with my hands and arms (planting, weeding, shoveling, raking, harvesting, food processing, cooking), I pay for it in painful and strange neuropathic symptoms for hours or days afterward.
Imagine a life where the consequences NEVER match the action:
· If I plant out a few trays of seed starts, I have to lie down for two hours because I suddenly feel like I’ve had a major concussion.
· If I weed for an hour, I’ll have fiery pain in my face for the rest of the day.
· If I rake leaves from our front yard and heft them into our compost pile, I may struggle with my balance and motor control of my left leg for the next three days.
Live like that for a couple years, and you’ll wake up one day realizing you just don’t want to do farm chores anymore. The joy of those tasks is gone—ousted by fear and constant anxiety over “whether I can get away with this task or not”.
To complete any of the standard microfarm chores this past summer, I had to budget exorbitant recovery times—sometimes multiple days of recovery time for just a couple hours of work.
I can’t do it anymore. There is truly not enough capability in this body to care for the microfarm, keep up with my client work at Montana Coauthor (my primary job), AND continue the educational offerings at Stone’s Throw. The latter had to be completely jettisoned this past year.
An Educational Microfarm Needs a Healthy, Strong, Multi-Tasking Manager
John and I designed Stone’s Throw as an Educational Microfarm. If I’m no longer keeping up with the most basic maintenance tasks, and entirely incapable of meeting the educational goals, I am no longer the right steward for this little patch of paradise.
That’s what I mean when I say “it was a really easy decision too”. Hard emotionally and spiritually. But the easiest decision ever on a practical level.
And actually, emotionally and spiritually it’s starting to feel kind of good too. None of us know when our bodies will begin to fail us, but we’re all headed there eventually. I am dealing with some late-life challenges a little sooner than I thought I would. But at least I know what I’m dealing with. At least I can make some wise plans.
When I think of selling Stone’s Throw to the next generation of “urban yard-farmers”, that feels pretty good. This life season snuck up on me. But there’s no fighting the seasons. Life here at least taught me that! You can only embrace what each season brings you.
Are You the Next Owner of Stone’s Throw?
It is vividly clear that it’s time to sell Stone’s Throw to a younger, stronger, able-bodied, young person (or couple) with a vision for where to take it next! Could that be you? Or someone you know? If you would like to learn more about purchasing our little permaculture paradise, please contact us. I look forward to chatting with you soon!
Stone’s Throw Microfarm – Property Overview
Belgrade, Montana
2024 Tax Value: $623,000
2025 Estimated Fair Market Value: $658,000
Tri-level House: Approx 2530 square feet. 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms; plus spacious great room above garage, sitting room on main level, and den on lower level. 3 gas fireplaces (one on each level). Large back deck. Attached 2-car garage plus parking pad at side of house.
Outbuilding: Additional detached 2-bay shop with built-in workbenches; automatic garage door for one bay, barn doors for second bay; large concrete pad work area outside bay doors.
Green Energy: 14-panel, grid-tied, rooftop solar array. Provides 5.25 megawatt average yearly generation (about 60-70% of yearly electrical needs).
The Land & Planting Beds: 0.321 acres / 4 city lots. Northern Rockies Zone 4b/5a. Over two dozen perennial food and herb species already established, from fruit trees and berry bushes to culinary sage and echinacea. Two garlic varieties uniquely adapted to this plot. Full perennial crop list available on request.
· Kitchen Garden with six raised beds optimal for growing annual crops (tomatoes, peas, beans, squash, cabbage, lettuce, kale, carrots and other root crops), along with established perennial rhubarb, lovage, walking onions, and “mulch-cropping” comfrey
· Tiny Food Forest with plum tree, elderberries, strawberries, raspberries, and several culinary and medicinal herb species
· Cold-hardy Grape Arbor and decorative crab apple (early season bee magnet!) in front yard
· Apple Tree Guild with mature tree (80-100+ pounds of fruit/year) and diverse culinary herbs in under-story
Other Features: Three-bin compost system; rainwater barrels; surface irrigation hoses in Kitchen Garden raised beds; shaded backyard with century-old spruce and fir trees
