What $429,500 Buys You in Idaho: The Mann Farm
About an hour northwest of Boise, in the small town of Payette, this homestead includes 26 acres of fully irrigable, class-1 loamy soil.
Five of them are currently in production with heirloom pears, apples, peaches, plums, and ‘Sweet Shelly’ table grapes – a varietal developed by the current owners – Ron and Shelly Mann, in conjunction with the University of Idaho. The, 2,520-square-foot farmhouse, built in 1904, offers four bedrooms, three baths, and a wraparound porch, added in 2004. Among the outbuildings: an 840-square-foot barn, a double-chamber root cellar, a poultry house, a six-stall equipment shed, and a detached three-car garage with a walk-in cooler for storing fruit during harvest season.
The Provenance
The Manns fell in love with the place more than two decades ago, after retiring from hectic government careers in Washington, D.C. Since then, the couple has taken land stewardship to heart, working with University of Idaho scientists to test and improve the soil and safeguard the well water used on the orchards. Though a small U-pick operation currently supplies the farm’s sole revenue stream, the Manns maintain relationships with local markets and are happy to share their contacts with the new owner.
Caveat Emptor
A harsh frost devastated many of the property’s heritage apple trees in 2014, and roughly 18 acres lay fallow for the past two years because of the owners’ health issues. They intend to plant cover crops this spring to get the soil in tip-top shape, in hopes that someone with the same passion for growing heritage fruit will want to realize the property’s full potential. (premiergrouprealtywest.com)
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