Ask Gary Hubbell
This home on Rogers Mesa west of Hotchkiss is the sustainable farm that rarely comes on the market. Envisioned to provide long-term sustainability, the 14.71-acre property is designed to provide a secure home; productive fields; consistent water supply for both irrigation and domestic use; orchards and gardens; and pastures for grazing animals.
Property details at a glance—Colorado small farm for sale
This property has been carefully planned for maximum use and efficiency, so pay particular attention to the details:
• 2,640-square-foot passive solar home, 3 BR 2 BA
• built in 2019
• 14.71 acres
• in-floor radiant heat
• oversized bedrooms with large master suite
• 2-car garage with oversized garage doors for large trucks
• aerated pond with constant flow, fountain
• 400-amp electric service
• 4,000-square-foot heated greenhouses with 200-amp service
• high-producing well for domestic water & outside irrigation
• 41 fruit trees
• organic garden beds
• garden area set up for row crops
• nursery license from Colorado Dept. of Agriculture
• 5 frost-free hydrants
• 12x30 and 16x32 outside buildings
• 1,000 square feet of decking
• pad prepared for 4,000-square-foot shop, 200-amp service to the shop
• RV hookup and pad, 50-amp service with water and septic
• remote control blinds
• 150-foot diameter 5-foot deep lined pond Smith Pond Dept. of Water Resources
• seasonal tailwater pond
• 40 tons/year hay production, 2 cuttings
• area for tiny home/yurt for AirBnB
For the future farmers who can’t wait to start growing, this farm has been carefully conceived for production. Two greenhouses offer 4,000 square feet of growing space, with ample water to keep plants green. South of the greenhouses is a 1.7-acre plot that is reserved for a production truck garden. The local climate is ideal to grow vegetables and melons such as watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupes, tomatoes, eggplant, celery, carrots, squash, sweet corn, pumpkins, beets, radishes, and even artichokes. Other fields are reserved for grass-alfalfa hay production, and the farm typically produces about 40 tons a year of high-quality horse hay. As well, 41 fruit trees bearing peaches, apples, cherries, and plums are starting to become productive. The farm is currently registered with the Colorado Department of Agriculture as a licensed nursery.
The home on this property is a 3-bedroom, 2-bath custom build with oversized rooms and wide porches on both the north, west, and south sides of the home. It has many custom features, such as concrete countertops, soft-close cabinetry, in-floor radiant heat for comfortable winters, on-demand water heater, and motorized blinds.
Anybody who has recently contracted electrical work can tell you that it’s very expensive. This farm has been set up with underground power lines to strategic locations around the property to provide service for a variety of uses. As well, water lines have been extended to various points on the property for either irrigation or domestic use.
· 400-amp electrical service to the main house
· 200-amp service to site for future shop building
· 200-amp service to 2 greenhouses
· 50-amp service to RV site with septic and water
· 50-amp service to tiny home/yurt site
· 5 separate domestic water hydrants
· Underground main irrigation line
· (2) 500-gallon propane tanks
· 1,500-gallon buried water cistern
When driving onto the property, the first visual encountered is the 1.7-acre pond with its own fountain to aerate the water. It’s a lovely feature, but it’s also very practical, as the owner uses the water to irrigate the neighboring hayfield. Deeded water shares from the Fire Mountain Canal refill the pond overnight with cool mountain water. The pond is stocked with fish, as well as several species of frogs. A healthy frog population denotes a healthy ecosystem, and this property has LOTS of frogs! In addition to the 300 shares of Fire Mountain Canal water—which is an excellent water right—the property also receives, on average, .5 cubic feet per second of tailwater from upstream irrigators during the irrigation season. The east side of the property has a tall grove of cottonwood trees that is fed by a second pond that provides cool refuge on a hot summer day, as well as yet another source of irrigation water. Finally, the home’s domestic water source is one of three shares in a domestic well that pumps 12 gallons a minute.
Ask anyone in Colorado where the best fruit and vegetables come from, and the answer will be the North Fork Valley towns of Hotchkiss and Paonia. Local organic farmers raise elephant garlic, honey, wine grapes, peaches, pears, apples, goat cheese, and all manner of vegetables. Hay farms and cattle ranches are very common, and local fresh beef, pork, chicken, and lamb can be easily sourced. The climate is very conducive to fruit and vegetable production, in particular, because nights are generally cool—well below the dew point—and days are warm in the summer. This causes sugar to settle in the produce, which results in very tasty fruits and veggies with loads of flavor. Rogers Mesa is known for its many small farms and orchards, and this particular farm is smack dab in the middle of Rogers Mesa. However, many properties have frontage on Highway 92, but this property is set back from the highway for excellent privacy and security.
Do you want to have fun in the outdoors? The North Fork Valley offers outstanding recreational opportunities. 3100 Road bisects Rogers Mesa and heads north to the Grand Mesa and over 500,000 acres of National Forest lands. Just west of Rogers Mesa is the turnoff to the Gold Medal waters of the Gunnison River where it flows out of the Black Canyon. The Gunnison is known for