Katie Bailey
Less than 3 years experience
Focus Homesteading
Updated September 17, 2026
Seeking
- Farmland
- 0-5 acres
- Lease
Couple seeking a long-term lease/housing setup. Eager to steward land, build a niche around food, & support your vision.
Farming experience
Less than 3 years experience
Currently farming
No
Highest level of farming experience
Gardening
Description of farming experience
While early in our farming journey, we bring practical skills that make us reliable stewards. I have a background in cooking and household gardening—including growing lemongrass, peppers, beans, and herbs (using the Hugelkultur method)—and want to build a small food-focused niche (I also love flowers). My partner and I are looking to bring energy to the land while supporting a landowner's existing vision. We are handy, physically active, and comfortable with property maintenance, gardening upkeep and tending, tree work, clearing brush, and daily chores. We are eager to learn from experienced growers, offer reliable hands-on help, and care for the space.
Farming plans
Tenure arrangement desired
Lease
Tenure arrangement description
Seeking a collaborative model or flexible long-term land/housing lease where we can contribute hands-on support to an existing property while developing our own small, food-focused niche. We want to build a supportive, mutually beneficial arrangement. We are eager to assist with landowner projects, daily chores, property maintenance, tree work, and cooking or harvest preservation. In exchange, we are looking for a flexible setup—whether that is an existing cottage/cabin, an off-grid structure, or space to site our own tiny home/camper. While our focus is collaborative stewardship, we are open to standard leases or work-trade arrangements that offer stability and clear expectations.
Planned farm enterprise: Primary
Homesteading
Planned farm enterprises: Others
Perennials/Orchard, Vegetables
Farm enterprises description
Our goal is centered on small-scale homesteading and collaborative land stewardship. Rather than launching a large-scale commercial farm on Day 1, we aim to build a self-sufficient footprint that integrates directly with the land and supports the property’s existing needs. Very interested in permaculture practices and learning more about how farmer/farmer families utilize methods like this or the like.
Our primary focus:
- Culinary & Homestead Production: Growing herbs, vegetables, and fruits for personal use, cooking, raising ducks, and local harvest preservation.
- Low-Impact Integration: Creating a quiet, manageable system that complements existing farm infrastructure.
Written business plan
No
Business planning description
Our priority is providing reliable support to the landowner—handling daily chores, land maintenance, and property needs—in exchange for affordable site access.
- Immediate Support: We offer reliable hands for brush clearing, infrastructure care, and routine upkeep to lighten the landowner's workload.
- Low Financial Risk: We operate on a lean, step-by-step model funded by stable personal income, taking on zero debt and requiring no large upfront investments.
- Future Growth: Over time, as trust builds, we hope to utilize extra space (like kitchen or high tunnels) for small homestead goods, growing at a pace that directly aligns with the land's needs.
Farmer housing needed
Yes
Water source needed
Yes
Farm infrastructure needed
Description of infrastructure needed
- Living Setup: Basic housing (cabin, ADU, or farm dwelling) or pad space with hookups for a camper/tiny home, plus room for two vehicles.
- Basic Outbuildings: Access to any kind of space for storing tools or potential equipment.
- Property Access: Water source and standard electrical access suitable for daily household use.
- Future/Shared Facilities: Access to an existing high tunnel, garden plot, or kitchen space down the road as we explore small-batch food projects.
Access to equipment needed
Yes
Description of equipment needed
- Primary Needs: Shared access to basic land-care equipment (riding mower, tractor with attachment/loader, or brush hog) for ongoing site maintenance.
- Property Care: Access to standard utility tools, wood-splitting equipment, or garden tillers for upkeep and plot preparation down the road.
- Hand Tools: We carry our own personal hand tools and smaller maintenance gear.
- Responsible Use: We treat all borrowed machinery with respect, handling routine upkeep and fueling costs for anything we operate.
Additional information
We are a reliable, self-sufficient pair seeking a long-term living arrangement on land in VT. We bring strong practical maintenance skills, adaptability, and two vehicles. Our main priority is supporting a landowner by helping with daily chores, brush clearing, and property upkeep in exchange for cheap, flexible housing or land lease space. Long-term, we are eager to learn from experienced growers and explore small, low-impact homestead projects using existing farm infrastructure. We treat every property with immense respect and care. We are also open to stepping up and taking over a small farm setup to keep an owner’s existing vision and legacy alive.