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HORSE & Home: Can a HORSE FACILITY Be Eco-Friendly?

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK 209970

ashevile, NC real estate. ECO-friendly horse farm

 

 

 

You may have read my post on creating an eco-friendly barn/stables  in which I told the story of our client, the avid equestrian, "Doc" . She stopped in to visit and to talk about  "Energy"-- specifically Energy Star  Rated buildings that might work for her horse barn construction project.

That really got us thinking.  Right away, I dropped an email on over to AR's Tricia Jumonville and  Janie Coffey who commented and gave Doc's project some ECO-juice. Don't ya' just love it when the gang gets together to brainstorm about healthy living space remedies?

That got me thinking about all our horse farm clients past, present and future. Could eco-friendly farming systems  be of significant benefit to them? 

I decided to look into those benefits including reducing farm energy costs, finding ways to deal with high energy costs, and capturing energy resources available on the farm.

I found out that indeed wind, solar, and biofuel resources are a value-added feature for our clients who are on the lookout for large tracts of land for agriculture and horse-related projects.  I hopped on over to North Carolina's Piedmont Biofuels and the Center for Environmental Farming Systems web site.  I was so-pleased to discover that they offer energy management and renewable energy workshops  and free tours of the on-farm biodiesel plant. This is  something the whole family might find informative..especially the inventors and investors among you. (You'll see what I mean when you look at the photos below.)

On-farm biodiesel demonstrations even include a demo
of the famous "mobile biodiesel reactor "
(photo courtesy of CEFS.)  

 

zoopic.jpg

In fact, if the whole idea of sustainable design and cost reduction intrigues you, the Center for Environmental Farming Systems will host an all-day energy risk management workshop, "Fueling the Farm," at Cherry Research Farm near Goldsboro, NC on July 12. Will I see you there?

Resource: http://www.biofuels.coop/

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Comments(13)

ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779
REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK - Asheville, NC
CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com
Comments on eco-friendly rural and horse farm solutions are welcomed! THX!
Jun 22, 2007 01:48 AM
JudyAnn Lorenz
Bar JD Communications - Mansfield, MO
Virtual Marketing Consultant

janeAnn, eco-friendly for farming is good stewardship in action.  You inspired two posts this morning.

Mansfield Missouri - Eco-friendly horse properties Part 1

Mansfield Missouri - Eco-friendly horse propertiies Part 2

Eco-friendly construction is the way to go.  Start at the beginning and it is cost effective.

One of our favorite books is Malobar Farms.   I got a tattered paperback copy at a read/return.  I traded for something else.  DH about wore it out, so at a celebration at Baker Creek Seeds, I bought him a hard copy to keep.

Jun 22, 2007 03:28 AM
Jeff R. Geoghan
Coldwell Banker Realty - Lancaster, PA
REALTOR, Marketing Manager

I don't have any particular comments on horse farm solutions but I did want to say "cool post!"

 

Jun 22, 2007 07:18 AM
Janie Coffey
First Coast Sotheby’s International Realty - Ponte Vedra, FL
Uniting Extraordinary Homes w/ Extraordinary Lives
hi janeAnne, great topic.  You could also add manure managment to the list and even the "all-organic" concept that some barns embrace.  I have even seen vegan farms where nothing that comes to the farm, including any animal feed, medicines, etc. is not 100% organic and/or vegan.   I would love to be as diligent as that and hope one day to be there, but surely not there yet.  Many thanks
Jun 22, 2007 08:54 AM
ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779
REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK - Asheville, NC
CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com

JudyAnn~ 

Thanks for the information. Glad that this post inspired a couple more and hope  it inspires 20! (I'm smiling) As you say, if you start at the start, it's less expensive. I', going on over to read what you wrote now...and comment.

Jun 23, 2007 02:14 AM
ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779
REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK - Asheville, NC
CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com

Jeff~

WELLL...I'm glad you think this is a cool post. I am wondering if there are any farms in your part of the country? Or is it totally urban (??) I'm kidding. When you get a chance, it would be great to know what the "green scene" in farming is out your way!

Jun 23, 2007 02:16 AM
Tricia Jumonville
Bradfield Properties - Georgetown, TX
Texas REALTOR , Agent With Horse Sense

One thing I mentioned in a recent blog that applies to horse farms is the use of manure tea on pastures instead of fertilizers and weedkillers.  If the soil is healthy enough, you don't need to fertilize and weedkill in order to have good grazing and good hay production, but it doesn't happen automatically in our day of confined grazing so that the animals can't move a few miles down the road when this bit of pasture is grazed enough.  So pasture management, as well, is an important part of an eco-friendly horse farm (I feel a blog coming on!). 

As for vegan animal feed.  It depends on the animal whether or not this is a good thing - animals tend to not have issues with being politically correct (by our standards, anyway).  I have a running joke with the gentlemen in the meat department at our local Whole Foods (the flagship - the original started here, I shopped there when they were just a pup).  Having chickens myself, free range, and knowing something about their natural behavior firsthand, I've asked the buys if the higher cost for the free range vegetarian chicken that they sell is because people have to be paid to run around after the chickens pulling the bugs, grasshoppers, and occasional mice out of their beaks before they get a chance to swallow!  Organic, yes; vegan, not hardly! ;-)

 

Jun 23, 2007 03:43 AM
Jeff R. Geoghan
Coldwell Banker Realty - Lancaster, PA
REALTOR, Marketing Manager
Good suggestion, JaneAnne.  I'll keep my ears open for such a thing...
Jun 23, 2007 06:56 AM
Susan Trombley
Trombley Real Estate - Wake Forest, NC
Broker/Realtor, Raleigh, Cary, Wake Forest, Youngs
When we really want to know how to improve something, I am so glad we have the internet to do our research. Job well done.
Jun 24, 2007 04:16 AM
ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779
REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK - Asheville, NC
CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com

Jeff~

For sure keep a good eye out for "green horse" farms. In the-meantime, I'm going to do what Susan suggests (see her comment just above) and start using the WWW for some research-in this interesting-matter.

Jun 24, 2007 05:04 AM
ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779
REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK - Asheville, NC
CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com

Susan~

I am SO happy to hear from you!  I know you must be super busy, but I have missed your comments...like the one above that inspired me to find THIS!

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Welcome to horsesforcleanwater.com

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Horses for Clean Water, now in its 10th year, offers ways to care for horses that improves the farm they live on and reduces non-point pollution. Techniques such as mud management and composting manure offer a way to care for animals that benefit the animals, the farm, the owner, the community and the environment - all win-win-win solutions.


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In the June 2007 issue:

Message from Alayne: Summertime
Farm Focus: Three Sisters Mule Farm
Tip of the Month: Pasture Management
Do You Know Your Soils?
Hay stocks lowest since 1950
Free Alternative Stall Bedding
Don't Let These Weeds Take Over Your Pastures!
Weed Control Resource List
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Jun 24, 2007 05:05 AM
Tricia Jumonville
Bradfield Properties - Georgetown, TX
Texas REALTOR , Agent With Horse Sense

Wow!  Cool!  I'm going to be busy for the next little while, I can tell!  Thanks for finding this and bringing it to our attention. 

 

Jun 24, 2007 05:12 AM
ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779
REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK - Asheville, NC
CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com

Tricia~

I'm always on the lookout for interesting information...especially as it pertains to sustainable practices. This includes healthy choices not only in living spaces for the two-legged, but for our four-legged friends as well.

Jun 25, 2007 01:04 AM