Tonopah Rob's Vegetable Farm

The above picture is of the land I would like to purchase that sits directly north of my farm.

I’m sitting here sipping on my Amber Bock, thinking about how I can obtain this piece of land to farm. Every day for the past 15 years, I’ve watched that land do nothing. When I first moved into my parcel, that land was one entire piece.  Just over 2 1/2 acres.  Then, a brother team bought that land from an elderly man and they split it up into two parcels.  Both pieces have sold several times and each time both parcels have gone into foreclosure.  I’ve seen it sold over and over again to people who just couldn’t continue to make the payments.  Now, it’s up for negotiation again.  The current owner has become ill and his sons really cannot continue to make payments, so I’ve been talking with them about taking over the land.

In order for me to purchase that land, the titled owner of the note has decided to drop the price to 15 thousand dollars.  Keep in mind there is a shared well on the property.  In order for me to farm that land, I don’t want to share a well with another owner. There is a well agreement that entitles the west property owner to an easement, a twenty foot right of way to the well on the interested property I want to farm.  If you look at the above picture you can see a tiny brown rusty colored can, that’s the well.  Picture 20 feet of road from the well back to the west side property.  If I plant crops north and south, which is the way I want to farm that ground, more than half of the property will be split up by a road thus will lower the amount of production I could harvest per crop.  And there are several other obstacles I would inherit by having that land split up.

This picture is of the property on the west side of the land that I want to farm.  I would like to purchase this piece of property to buffer the land I intend to farm.

In order for me to obtain sole ownership of that well, I must pay another 3,000.00 dollars to the note holder of the land to dissolve the easement.  By the way, the brother team owns both pieces of land and the west side parcel is being foreclosed on as I write this blog.  The west side will be up for sale in about 90 days.  I wouldn’t say the land is worthless,  it is split up nearly right down the middle by a small wash that over the years has increased in size by the monsoon flood waters.

I’m trying to do something good for the environment, something good for so many people by farming the land all naturally.  Thousands of people have shopped my farm stand and some have found what I do very important to their lives.  I’m not the Jerry Lewis tel-a-thon nor the Salvation Army.  They ask for free donations. I’m asking for a contribution. In return, you get a gracious amount of veggies. I don’t know where a person can go to receive such great returns on their investment like the farm will give to you.  I’m not asking for free money, I’m working the land, harvesting healthy veggies in return for your charitable share.   I desperately need more families to step up and help the farm grow.  Just think, your help will do so many things.  Create a few more jobs that will put money back into our community. Allow a few young people to respectfully pay their bills, put food on their tables for their children.  I will be able to grow more melons, plant more fruit trees, harvest more carrots.  The list is endless, but I need more support.  Right now, I have commitments from five maybe six families, I’m a third of the way there.  I need more financial backing from business owners like restaurant owners, hotel chefs, families, couples, individuals whom can step up and help the farm. I need more people to support this great endeavor.

A close up view of the west side property that sits directly north of my greenhouse.  I want to buy it and plant fruit trees to create a wind break for the low growing crops I intend to plant on the east side of this property.

I’m asking for you to invest in my farm through a super duper CSA membership program. I can no longer be proud.  I wish I had the money to buy it all myself without asking, but I can’t.  This is a great opportunity to expand the goodness and the riches that this land can provide for many a person. This is the right thing to do, but I can’t do it alone.  I need help, a lot of help.  I’m asking for contributions in one thousand dollar increments.  The farm needs 20 families or individuals to make this transaction a reality.  Please, from the bottom of your heart, help the farm grow, help the farm become more sustainable, grow more food to help you and your family stay away from the large corporate box stores.

For each person or family that donates 1000.00 dollars, I will give them a year of veggies.  It’s considered a double CSA share, a revolving account until your donation is returned in full with produce. If your account has money left over, I will roll it over to the following season.  After that money is used up, I will offer each donating party a free half or full share….meaning your 1000.00 dollar contribution will turn into either 1250.00 or 1500.00 dollars.  It’s a great investment.  The only stipulation is, this share cannot be used to acquire produce for resale at another venue or organization.

About the property.  It’s about one and a third acres. There is a capped well.  The well is shared by the connecting property to the west of the interested property I want to farm.  I don’t want to share the well, so in order for me to be the sole owner of that well, the owner wants me to pay extra money to dissolve the well agreement and easement to that well.

I will have to hire a trencher to dig water lines and install two irrigation holding tanks, booster pump and electrical.  Then there are other items needed to operate the land like hoses, sprinklers, and planting equipment.  The property must have a fence. A new walk in cooler, storage sheds and miscellaneous items will be required to purchase.  Later on I would like to purchase the west side of the split property so I can have a buffer zone to protect the land from any neighbor that could contaminate the well water.

I’m asking for your support.  It’s so important to grow healthy food. It’s important to defend our food sources.  It’s important to know where our food comes from and how it’s grown.  For those of you that know me, you know I grow with integrity.  Again, I really need support as does the farm. I’ll do a cartwheel, maybe with one hand for your support!

By incorporating this land into my farm, it will enable me to grow more all natural veggies at one time, host more bee hives and harvest more raw honey and raise more poultry.  There is a need in my area for more farmers like me.  Put your support where it is really needed.

Here are some ideas about donating.  Partner up and split the cost of the donation. Businessmen and women, restaurant owners, schools, supervisors, your boss, your sister-in-law or brother come together and unite. Instead of donating to your favorite charity, give a contribution to your favorite farm.  It’s not a tax write off. It’s an investment towards your health care plan and to the conservation of land management.

I just can’t financially swing all the money needed for ownership and start up operating costs.  I’ve called the bank and they want more than 50% down.  I couldn’t believe it!  They wouldn’t take my veggies as collateral.  Put your money back into America….me!  Please call me at 623 386 3033 or email me at tonopahrob@gmail.com for more information.  From my beet bottom to your turnip top thank you in advance.  Below is the veggie list.  It’s root crop and greens season.

Over 15,000 seedlings are waiting for an open plot to transplanted.

• Watermelon Radishes
• Kaleidoscope Carrots
• Baby Beets
• Diakon Japanese Radishes
• Potatoes-red creamers and Yukon golds
• Red Sweet Salad  Radishes
• Salad Sweeties
• Red Stem Pink Turnips
• French Flat Turnips
• Gourmet Green Onions
• All Lettuce Mix
• Swiss Chard
• Collard Greens
• Russian Red Sweet Kale
• Mustard Greens
• Lemons
• Assorted Peppers
• Jalapenos
• Fresh Eggs
• at the farm stand, Chef Blockey will be cooking up breakfast so come hungry.  All ingredients are fresh from the farm. 
• Remember Tonopah Rob needs more families to contribute to the farm for the super duper CSA program.