It's woodlot, not farm country.

The steeper the land the more difficult it will be to establish and maintain good pasture. Also the steeper it is, the more wear and tear grazing animals will do to it. On fifteen acres you might have enough gentle slope for decent pasture to use in a hobby farm situation, but that needs to be around a minimum of one acre per cow or horse. Better to have enough land for rotational grazing. The acres per animal will go up as it gets steeper and more difficult to have good pasture.

It is also going to be more difficult for the hobby farmer to deal with that kind of terrain as they get older.

The land is surrounded by farms on all sides, and good grass does grow. It is just too cold in the season for it to be green. But the nearby farms are located on a much lower level. This land has a long driveway on top of the hill. We are in zone 5, north east.

We would build a shelter, put a water container.

But I guess it all comes down to this: it is wood lot not a farm lot and cutting the woods to have a farm will just kill all the charm of this land and won't do much for farming

thank you for your advice! :)

I would also look at the heap of rock in the second to last photo with concern. Was this used a a dump site from a small quarry or road building or is that shattered bedrock? Any of those might interfere with your ability to farm the land.

The view in the winter will be nice but the view in the summer will be very limited to the tops of the trees. There is a lot more to having animals than simply grazing and without knowing a location people with experience would not be able to provide accurate information. Based on what I know of the Ozarks which this looks similar there is not enough grass for more than one horse. With the shale dump there may be an old coal mine on the property and the water can be very acidic. Things to think of. Is there a well? If not is there a cistern? If there is a regional water supply has it already been piped in or will it need to be piped perhaps with an additional power pump to force the water up hill. Without the pump either there will be low pressure or you will have to dig down quite deeply to intersect the water line. Repairs to a deeply dug line are very expensive. Is there power lines run to the house already? You will have to have those redone if old or none. Depending on weather in that area you may have to park at the bottom of the hill and walk up. Are you willing and able to do this.

While having a hobby farm with cows, chickens, and a horse sounds like fun it is hard work. All three need shelters built to keep them healthy. Cows will need to be milked if you are planning on having milk. While some people have no problem sending the calf off to slaughter are you capable of doing so since to have milk a calf has to be born. For anyone thinking of having a hobby farm with all of the animals I would suggest finding a working farm that accepts guests where the guests do the chores. They are often listed as Agriculture Tourist farms or camps.

Are you planning to be self-sufficient? Even with only one horse or one cow, do you want to or plan to be sufficient in terms of hay for winter feeding? Or do you plan to purchase hay from farmers in the area?

The rocky soil would also be a consideration for your garden. How big a garden do you want?

If you have never had/raised/cared for farm animals, any sort off vegetable garden, then you are going to be very surprised if/when you take on a 'hobby farm'. I strongly suggest you take one of those Agricultural vacations suggested above. (and, yes, I have had horses, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, veggies gardens, and a greenhouse).

Have you seen the movie "The Egg & I"?. ;-)

Go down to the local feed store. Ask a couple of the farmers how many acres is required to feed a horse in this area? It's a general number. In my area it's around 10 acres per horse. Horses don't like to be alone, you will need two for their social health. If you want grazing animals, you need pasture and water. Plus, there is so much rock on the site that building will prove very expensive. Foundations are a big cost in constructions. Rock makes foundations really expensive.

I have a lot to say, I will write tonight when my baby is asleep :)

Looking at this from a hobby farmer's perspective I say keep looking. Trying to improve pasture is a long-term effort, not a quick thing. Building infrastructure for a hobby farm is really, really hard work even when the existing grounds are perfect. By purchasing land like this, you're increasing the effort enormously.

You also mentioned it had a one-room house. If you're also planning on building or renovating, it's just too much to take on. You're going to want to start gardening and raising animals right now, not years from now. I know I did, and if you also have children, the time to do the hobby farm is now, not 5 years from now when everything is finally set up for the farm.

I could see chickens and goats here. Goats are pretty good with rough terrain, and prefer other vegetation to straight out grass. But fencing is likely to be tricky (and of course, necessary). Chicken tractors (if you'd go that option) would be difficult to move around.

I'd be careful of horses - they like it flat and grassy. And horses, unless you like to ride enough to balance it out, are pretty high maintenance.

I'm breaking into farming myself - started up chickens last year and will add more animals gradually as I can see what and if I can handle them. (This year, quail and my raised beds; and over the next couple, goats and sheep. I simply don't want to deal with anything bigger than those two species...)

That pile of rock in the next to last photo - where on the 15 acres is this located? At a corner of the property, not as much concern than if more central. Are there other crumbles like it, too?

Raised beds would work... just raise one end up more than the other... and make sure you've got plenty of sun in those locations. Hot house might take a lot more work and you may have to jury rig something, rather than purchase from a catalog.

Frankly, however, I'd keep looking. If you found one spot, there's bound to be a second, better spot. How long have you been looking for your land?

I'm in the Hilltowns of western MA, farming on a gentle slope - I admit I bought my property back in 1997 or 8 with an eye to my retirement, but back then there were indeed many lots of land to look at, affordably. (I was looking for land without any structures pre-existing, however.)

*One* horse or *one* cow is cruel. They're herd animals.

A horse is a money processing machine. You pour money in the front and fertilizer comes out the back. Hobby farms are exactly the same. They cost money as a hobby. They don’t save very much on any grocery bill without a whole lot of daily work put into them.

Horses are not let roam in the open and forage only animals if you want to provide proper care. You have the once a month farrier visit, and the grain supplement to grazing, and the winter hay that needs a barn to be stored in and equipment to be cut during summer. They need saddles and bridles and halters and blankets. Those need a secure tack room. The tack needs cleaning and maintenance That hay barn needs a good sized stall below the loft to keep them up at night. That needs a wood shavings source for bedding. That barn needs a water supply or you’ll get a broken back toting from the nearest source. The manure pile from the scooping has to be managed. Its not fertilizer until it hot composts for a good while.

And the processed money aka fertilizer in the stall needs scooping and adding to that manure pile every single day.

I love horses. My sister has maintained a lifestyle and career revolving about them for 40 years. I couldn’t do it. The time commitment in my life meant hiring someone to feed and scoop. And honestly, that’s part of the connection. If that couldn’t happen by me, then I wasn’t providing. Even if it was someone else’s paid job and they weren't lacking. My guys got donated to a physical rehab program. It was better for all. And my monthly expenses went way down.

Compare to the $1,550,000 property you were interested in the other thread, this is not a good property. They are like day and night....... that property looks so lovely if it fits your budget.

"A horse is a money processing machine."

Oh, man, ain't that the truth! Add to that time-sucking. I board a couple horses so am paid for my labor, but somebody has to feed and water daily, muck the stalls, and pick up the piles from the pasture (and don't forget you need somewhere to store all that manure as it composts). Normally I find it enjoyable after a long day at work - it's mindless labor -- but barn chores are NOT enjoyable at 5:00 am when I have to hurry up and get my hind end to work, and it can be downright unpleasant in sub-zero weather (especially at 5:00 am...UGH!) or when I'm sick. But animals need to be cared for, it's not an option. Fortunately I can make arrangements for care if DH and I want to go on vacation, but that's another thing you need to consider, you can't just up and leave them without having someone else tend to them --> livestock need care 7 days per week, there is no "day off".

Like I said, I'm paid to keep the animals and do get enjoyment out of it, but you really need to be aware of not only the amount of money, but the time commitment involved, with owning livestock of any sort.

Do you really need 15 acres? Find a smaller property, maybe with a barn, some fencing, more level. The property you are looking at is going to be costly to develop for use the way you want.