Virginia farm has unique price tag

Aug 04, 2015

Requires $200 and a written component

Between the machinery, support system, advances in technology, the farmland itself and other costs associated with agriculture an aspiring farmer could end up spending nearly $1 million before a seed touches the ground.

A couple who own a farm in Champlain, Virginia is offering their farm for a more modest price.

For $200 and an essay of 1,000 words, you could own the 35-acre Rock Spring Farm, located a few hours south from Washington.

Essay

The farm comes equipped with a three-story, four-bedroom house, a five-stall barn, an air conditioned workshop and a two-story cottage. Not to mention the two miles of trails and acres of loamy soil.

A diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis last year is one of the reasons why Randy Silvers and his wife Carolyn Berry are giving up the farm. Weeding and other duties take a toll on Silvers to the point where swinging a hammer for longer than five minutes can be too much.

The essays must be received by Thursday, October 1^st. After they’re reviewed, the couple will select 25 entries for final consideration. They must pass the essays to a three-member panel consisting of an educator, a hobby farmer and a horse enthusiast.

The winner will be announced on Thursday, November 26^th.

The essays must be well-written, too. Berry said no spelling or grammatical errors and that the first paragraph should pull them in.

If the farm essay contest doesn’t generate the kind of interest the couple hopes, they will put the farm up for sale, valued around $600,000.

The entry money would also be returned.

Join the conversation and tell us your thoughts about the essay contest. Would you enter the contest? What kinds of things would you put in your essay?

Video: Did Bears Win Thanksgiving, Will Bulls Get Christmas?

Did the bears win Thanksgiving (although this week had green on the screen), and will the bulls get Christmas? Bears won thanksgiving thanks to a USDA Nov crop report dud that stalled the bullish grain momentum for a brief period. But a bullish lower yield surprise in the Dec crop report could reignite the rally.
2026 U.S. winter wheat planting is nearly complete at 97% while crop conditions improved by 3 points to 48% good-to-excellent. US corn & soybean harvest is complete.
High corn demand, which is off the chart, and more Chinese soybean demand could support a Christmas rally.
Nasdaq had it’s worst November since 2011.
A U.S. Fed rate cut in December will help fund flow and sentiment.
Bitcoin held a long-term support at 80,000 and that's positive for fund flow and sentiment. It should help stock prices and Ag as we go into December.
Fertilizer prices continue to climb as we look ahead to 2026. Farmers may rely more on the nutrients that they already have in their soils.
South American Weather remains critical as the soybean reproductive stage starts from late Nov to late Feb depending on planting date.
Will a Russia-Ukraine peace deal happen by year-end?
CFTC data as of showed more managed money fund sell-off as of October 14th.