80 acres

[Hobbyfarmer]

more of Iowa farm ground gone.

I should have moved east a tenth of a mile and shot a picture of all the total distruction of the soil and natural lay of the land.

100's of thousands of $'s being spent to ruin this 80 for anything agricultually productive.

This is OK, BUT I have all kinds of hoops to jump through to clear and slightly remodel virgin ground (not swamp) to get it into productive farm ground mode. On this same road SW of Des Moines, Iowa there is another 4 or 5 of these things that are not full of houses yet, but lets make another one.

I think the name for this one should be  ...  "Raped Rabbit Ridge".

[clayton58]

But its OKbby.  remember we have an overwhelming surplus of grain.  And this is progress

NOT

[childofthecorn]

What is the purpose of all that heavy equipment?

[sw363535]

Probably landscaping and drainage before a housing development starts.  Hobby will correct if I am way off.

[Hobbyfarmer]

Cropped the photo

large areas of gouging and scraping to the clay underneath, making hills out of gently rolling land and of course winding roads/drives.

nothing like living in the country ...then jaming yourself in 89 acres with 20 or more other families.

[kraft-t]

The market determines the best use of your property. Now you can resist for a time but eventually the top money will win out.

[kraft-t]

BTW we have alot of land clearing for housing developments here in tulsa. The lower priced homes aren't selling so great but the $350k and higher priced home are being built like they are much cheaper than that. It takes a bit of work to prepare a site for homes. So they need to prepare far in advance.

I'd say that the most prolific neghbor hoods would average $400K and higher. Maybe $450.

[Canuck_2]

See that sort of thing around Ontario too.

Big machines remove all the topsoil then dig in sewers-sanitary and storm, water lines, gas lines and telephone then gravel bed for roads, cement trucks start with curbs then 1 layer of ashphalt.

Next come the model homes at the entrance and then the lots start building up.

It takes a couple of years but when it is full of houses there is another subdivision in progress just down the road.

BTW the best land is the easiest to build houses on too.

[lln50nwin]

Happening here in NW Indiana also although been much slower. Usually the farmer will get enough money for an 80 to go buy a new 160