How We Came to Own 40 Acres of Land in an Overblown Real Estate Market

We’re still amazed that it happened ourselves. In a time when family farms are being swallowed up left and right by residential and commercial development, we were able to buy 40 lush acres in Santa Cruz county, complete with a house, lovely views of the mountains and wetlands, and almost 20 acres of prime farmland. At the time we acquired the old Cardoza dairy in 2000, we had been farming on leased land nearby for 4 years. We expected to move to someplace where land was more affordable before we’d be able to buy land ourselves.

Then we heard that a local land conservation group called the Open Space Alliance was acquiring the old Cardoza dairy in order to protect it from development. They bought the property from Mrs. Cardoza at market value. Then they set to work crafting two easements, which are bound to the property in perpetuity. The Open Space Alliance recognizes the importance of preserving farmland in addition to preserving open space for habitat. So, while one easement protects half of the property from any development or use except those that create or restore habitat for native species, the other preserves the farmland forever for organic agriculture. The County of Santa Cruz purchased the agricultural easement and the other is now being transferred to the Fish and Game department, who also owns a long strip of adjoining land along Harkins Slough. (We own the property, but these departments administer the easements.) The Open Space Alliance then offered the property for sale for one-third less than they had paid for it. They wanted it to go to a local organic family farmer. We didn’t mind the easements because they mirrored exactly what we would like to do with the land.

Now that we own our land, we can manage our farmland with a truly long-term view, investing in a healthy farm ecosystem over the long term, with management practices that don’t necessarily “pay off” during a 3-year lease. Practices such as contour planting for hills, planting native hedgerows for beneficial insects and erosion control, leaving some land in summer cover crops will help keep our farmland fertile and productive for our children and grandchildren.