A spectacular 52-acre Homestead featuring a year round creek, pond on sustainably managed fertile agricultural land ready to become your Safe Haven. Main home featuring 3 bedroom / 2 bath (2,775 sqft), with additional 4 bedroom / 3 bath Guest House (2,900 sqft), Large Barn (2,560 sqft), Combined Shop, Studio, Garage and Office (1,300 sqft).
Easy commuting to either Kansas City or St. Louis, but far enough away to be safe from the roaming golden hordes during a socio-economic collapse.
This property survived a 500-year flood event in 1993 with no water damage as the buildings are built up on a small rise above the flood plain.
Looking for a property that will sustain your horses and a wide assortment of animals from sheep, waterfowl, and milking cows and of course chickens, turkeys, pheasant and such? Then this is your retreat away from the big city!
Acreage-According to the county records and the attached aerial views, there are 50 acres M/L, on the property. Approximately 45% is in wooded land that provides for all the firewood needs of the compound.
Agricultural Management-When I purchased the property, the 16.5 acres of crop/bottom land was in tall fescue pasture. The land, while flanked by Boone’s Branch and Saline Creek which have their confluence on the property then continue on to empty into the nearby Missouri River was not flooded in the 1993 flood which was designated a “500 year flood event.” The buildings are located on the hill ground so there is absolutely no danger of flooding.
The balance of the acreage is in pasture and woods. Tall fescue is a somewhat default pasture grass in this area which is excellent for crowding out other species of plants, both beneficial and of the weed variety. Prior to my acquisition of the property, the crop/pasture land was solely being used to produce hay. One benefit of this manner of utilization was there was no chemical fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides or pesticides being applied which made the soil healthy in respect to the presence of beneficial organisms and microorganisms. I determined that I wanted to do my best to restore and enhance the health and fertility of the soil by the way I chose to manage it. I am fortunate that my neighbors were interested in utilizing the land to produce forage for their sheep production operation. Since I was not ready to plant crops or graze animals, I made the criteria for their leasing the land that it increase in fertility every year, minimal and authorized use of any chemicals and no plant matter would be taken off of the land. Luckily that fit right into Andy McMurry’s farming methods.
We started in 2001 with a plan to do away with the fescue and plant field turnips for the sheep to dig up and eat. The root system of the turnips helps to break up and aerate the soil. The turnips did very well and the sheep dug through the snow to eat them. The system of Management Intensive Grazing involves the use of cover crops that are “Mob” grazed. Mob grazing is introducing the livestock to a confined area, having them consume all the palatable forage, then moving them to a new confined area. In our case, easily moveable electric fence netting powered by solar panels is utilized. The biomass left behind is integrated back into the soil by shallow tilling with a large tilling tractor attachment. This and the manure deposited by the sheep integrates all the carbon and biomass fiber back into the soil increasing the fertility and improving the soil structure. It allows the soil to retain the moisture rather than having it run off as is the problem with the compacted soils resulting from the industrial farming techniques of utilizing large tractors and harvesting equipment. Once the field is tilled it is planted to another appropriate cover crop and the process is repeated. At the beginning of our MOB grazing program we took a soil sample and had it analyzed at the State Extension Lab. On 6/6/2012 we submitted another sample to compare to the one done in 2001. Please view a copy of the 2012 Soil Sample Report.
Posted are pictures of the MOB management, The “oats” were planted with about 25 lbs Arvica forage pea and 80 Forage Plus forage oats. Clover volunteered but to a much lesser degree than it was before. The most recent planting is cowpeas + forage sorghum + sorghum-x-sudan. I suspect that some clover will volunteer again as well as curly dock but since both are readily recycled by the sheep, this I view as not a problem such as it would be if a mechanically harvested crop was the goal. The dock with its deep tap root may actually be benefiting the ecosystem / soil productivity as it brings more total soil (deep soil nutrients) into the “equation” of what we are using and keeps the deep soil aerated in much the same way as the tillage radish cover crop. Andy McMurry is the farmer who is leasing the farmland. He is very interested in continuing to manage the farming operation with the new owner. His website is www.genopallet.com
Native edible Delicacies-
Wild Black Raspberries- These are usually ready in June and are abundant on the property.
Wild Blackberries- These are July harvest
Mulberries- Early June Harvest
Morel Mushrooms- The property is locally known for having a wealth of these sought after mushrooms.
Pecans
Black Walnuts
Hickory Nuts
Domestic Fruit Trees-
Peach (2)
Apple (2)
Sour Pie Cherry (1)
Bing Cherry (1)
Horse Friendly- Along with agricultural management and MOB grazing, (see below), this property is the perfect place to have horses. It has pasture, land to grow grain and hay, and almost unlimited places to ride. Many of the places I went to shoe horses were fancy and in areas where the only places available to ride were within the property where the horses were stabled or pastured. Here, there are many properties without fences, and the owners, if asked, would have no problem with allowing riding on them. In addition there is negligible vehicle activity. On an average day there will be between 5 and 10 vehicles pass the farm. There are levies all along the river that are wonderful to ride on. They are usually between cropland and wooded areas and the river. This is a horse-person’s Paradise. The stalls are already in the barn…two standard stalls and one oversized one.
HOMESTEAD: This energy conserving, sustainable, 2,775 sq. ft. Main Home/Art Studio was built in 2001. Three of four exterior walls on the first floor utilize straw bales finished with cement-based stucco infill for wall structure and insulation. This type of exterior wall tests out to be between R-45 and R-55 depending on the test study results utilized. A 2X4 wall is R-11 and a 2X6 all is R-19 for comparison. The “R” factor is a relative insulation efficiency value. There is a two foot roof overhang and a two foot cantilever between the first and second floor on the SE side of the house. These provide shading in the summer when the sun is high in the sky to lessen any cooling load as well as protection of the exterior finish of the home from the elements.
The Southeast wall is 2X6 construction because it is the solar gain wall and has many windows and doors. The other walls have fewer windows and doors in order to minimize heat loss in winter and loss of interior cool air in the warm months.
Ground Floor- The Art Studio was designed specifically to be a papermaking studio. Large open space can be partitioned for specific uses. There are large windows overlooking garden and wooded areas, and an elevated tub used as a work sink, with cabinetry crafted from trees harvested by our family, along with trench drains in the flooring. The fireplace/efficient wood stove heats the entire house when extremely cold and when there is little sunlight for the passive solar design to take advantage of.
The Beater Room with sink, floor drain, and exhaust fan is sound insulated with straw bale interior walls. It could be used for dark room, renovated into an additional bathroom or any other specialty room.
Downstairs Bathroom- Lavatory, toilet and shower. All surfaces, including the ceiling, are tiled and are accented by Mexican tiles.
The Office/Guest Sleeping Quarter includes built in cabinetry and a desk.
This home also boasts of a Welcome Room, which has semicircular straw bale walls with wonderful niches for artwork. This room serves as an airlock entry way.
The Utility Closet has a high efficiency central air-to-air heat pump HVAC system. It’s only used when there is extreme heat in summer and never used to heat in winter.
Upper Floor- Has 1070 square feet, and includes a Great Room, Kitchen, Master
Bedroom, Guest Bedroom, Bathroom with two lavatory sinks, and a peaceful Meditation Room. The Great Room has vaulted ceilings and ceiling fans. Most rooms in the home have ceiling fans. The doors to the bathroom, bedrooms and the meditation room are antique Chinese shutters. All interior doors except bi-fold closet doors are re-purposed doors chosen for their artistic and aesthetic interest.
The house also has a Carport/Wood storage- 27’X18’ which was built in 2012, which allows for handy shelter for a vehicle as well as sheltered wood storage. This storage area is close to the wood burning appliance. The wood storage also provides a wind break for the carport.
For pet lovers, there is a dog/cat door in the main home which allows the animals to come and go as they please. No need to “walk the dogs” as you would in a city or town. The cats use the animal door most of the time, and it only becomes necessary to use a litter box is during cold weather in the winter.
Rural water district (city water) water supply. New owner will need to drill a well and arrange for water to be pumped from the stream/pond for domestic use to be fully self sufficient.
GUEST HOUSE: The Guest House boasts two floors, totaling 2,912 sq. ft. The upper floor is designed to be handicapped accessible and the lower level to have two living areas, which are paired with the Upper floor as well as a separate apartment. It boasts a circular drive and ample parking area and is well landscaped. This is a new structure that was built for an additional family member but has not had an occupant. It would be a perfect setting for retreats, or rented as a vacation home, a full time family home, etc. It is extremely energy efficient and can be heated with the abundant wood and sun.
Lower floor- Built into the hill utilizing insulated concrete form (ICF) construction. ICFs are a reinforced concrete building system clad in insulation, which combines strength of reinforced concrete with a double layer of insulation. They have a relative R-Value of approximately R-50. The Southeast R-19 wall is constructed with conventional 2X6 framing and Hardi-board concrete lap siding. This was done because it allowed for the utilization of numerous doors and windows for the optimum solar gain. The lower floor exits out onto a deck, which extends beyond the 52-foot width of the home. The deck is 8 feet by 80 feet or 640 square feet. It is excellent for social gatherings.
The Living Room has an extremely efficient wood burning Buck Stove, which has a three- stage blower system that maximizes the heat transfer into the entire home. There is a 3’ insulated door from the back deck, which keeps the elements outside and the heat or cool air inside. The Living Room has a spiral staircase, which leads to the upper floor.
The Pool Room is designed to be the correct size for a regulation 8-foot pool table. It has a switched electrical outlet in the center of the room’s ceiling for the hanging pool table light fixture. If a Pool Room is not desired, this may be a large (13X17) bedroom since it has an egress window and the ceiling outlet can be utilized to install a ceiling fan.
There is a door between the Living Room and the Apartment. A heat transfer system takes the heat from the ceiling of the Living Room with the wood stove and transfers it to the floor of the living room of the Apartment.
The 810 sq. ft. apartment has a spacious 393 sq. ft. living room, with two large picture windows, and French doors, which exit onto the rear deck. The bedroom has two egress windows, and the full bath has two vanities. The bedroom and the bathroom have baseboard heaters for supplemental heat should it be necessary. The kitchen has hand-crafted cabinets built with cedar lumber harvested on the farm and locally milled. The cabinet hardware was forged in the property’s blacksmith shop. Rather than upper cabinets, hand-forged shelf brackets were fabricated for a contemporary and rustic look and feel. There is a clothes washer and dryer closet in the kitchen as well as a utility closet that houses the water softener, water heater and electrical circuit box.
The Upper Floor-has a large great room, kitchen, two bedrooms, Master bedroom and master bath, along with one bathroom just off the great room. At the entrance there is an air-lock entry with a washer/dryer closet off of it. The great room has beautiful vaulted ceilings with three modern ceiling fans used to circulate the air. There is a rear entrance complete with a deck and stairs to the ground level. The bathroom located off of the great room, has a wide entry door and a step-in shower rather than a tub for the ease of bathing for people who have difficulty entering and exiting a conventional bathtub. With the addition of hand rails it would be legally handicap accessible. The kitchen has hickory cabinets crafted by the closest neighbor who is considered to be the best cabinet-maker in the area. The pulls on the cabinets were hand forged in the property’s blacksmith shop. All of the closets in the bedrooms, and the two closets in the great room have cedar shelves. There is also a linen closet with cedar shelving.
The Lodge’s structural uprights are “B” logs from the local oak log house company. They are logs that did not meet their rigid appearance standards, but the “blemishes” actually enhance the beauty of the timbers, which are joined by wrought iron braces that were also hand forged in the blacksmith shop.
The Lodge is wired for installation of a stereo system.
This is an excellent facility should the purchaser care to have this property as a second or third property, along with having a dwelling place for a caretaker or farm manager.
SHOP: The Blacksmith/Woodworking Shop/Studio/Office is a 1,300 square foot, straw bale constructed building. It can be used as a detached 2 car garage with an additional work area. It has two garage doors, with openers, a concrete floor, ceiling fans, a 220 outlet for welding, and a wood stove for heat. One garage door is over sized, 10′ W x 9′ H.
The 200 square feet office area has built-in cabinets and desk, with satellite high-speed internet service. It has baseboard heaters and air conditioning, along with an interior window between shop and office to enhance airflow when heating the shop with the wood stove.
About the Area
The Estate is set in the river hills just off of the Missouri River eleven miles north of Boonville, Missouri. It is 30 miles from Columbia, Missouri which is the educational, art, entertainment, and health care center of Central Missouri.
It is in Howard County which was one of the most prosperous farming counties in Missouri during the time when mixed production farms reigned. The power on the farm was draft horses and mules. Corn, wheat, vegetables, poultry, dairy cow production, hogs, etc. were the norm. The rolling hills, creek bottom land and abundant water supply allowed for a very sustainable agricultural model. I chose this area because I wanted to settle in a place that had abundant water and the capacity to be self-sufficient in the majority of the needs of myself and my family.
It is in the Boonslick Region, named after the salt business that Nathan Boone, Daniel Boone’s son, owned and operated. The site of their business is less than a mile up the road from this property and was part of the property owned by the Boones. The late Bob Dyer, a renowned story teller, local historian and folk music artist told me that Daniel Boone would come up river from his home near St. Louis and camp on our property while visiting his son. So, we can justly make the claim that “Daniel Boone slept here.” See www.stateparks.com/boonslick_state_park_in_missouri.html
The property is addressed as 460 County Road 328, Franklin, Missouri 65250-The Boonslick Region, Franklin and the property in particular is steeped in historical significance relating to the pioneers and the opening of the West. It was also the focal point of the Native American civilization prior to the coming of the white man. Because of this the land and the creeks and streams are considered a treasure trove of Native American artifacts and arrowheads. Saline Creek and Boone’s Branch have their confluence on this property and the stream beds and hills are considered some of the best arrow/artifact hunting grounds in the region. Saline Creek comes down from the Saltlick where the Brine Springs produce salt water which mixes with the water from Boone’s Branch on this property and goes to the Missouri River.
Property is located in Glasgow School District
Howard County Elementary School – Grades K-6
860 Randolph
Glasgow, MO 65254
Glasgow High School – Grades 7-12
860 Randolph
Glasgow, MO 65254
Franklin Missouri , The Beginning of the Santa Fe Trail
www.santafetrailresearch.com/spacepix/franklin-mo.html
The trail crossed over the Missouri River to Arrow Rock, Missouri on its way to Santa Fe to trade with the Mexicans.
Lewis and Clark also went right in front of the property on their epic journey. We are considered to be on the “Lewis and Clark Trail.”
Our neighborhood was considered “Outlaw Territory” because of the river hill topography making it difficult to enter un-noticed and because ambushes were so easily engineered. This was taken advantage of by numerous guerilla bands siding with the South in the Civil War to regroup and re-supply without fear that the Union Army would follow them. It is reported that “Bloody Bill Anderson” and his men were hosted on the property. They were the guerilla force that sacked Lawrence, Kansas.
Wildlife- The property has an abundance of wildlife. There are many white tail deer, wild turkey, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, squirrels, rabbits, etc. Some say that there are mountain lions and bear, but other long timers have their doubts. It is also on the flyway, which brings an amazing assortment of birds. It is especially a benefit to bird lovers. We feed the birds year-round to enjoy the amazing quantity and diversity of bird life. Our hummingbird population is especially impressive. We average 20-30 hummingbirds eating at our feeders at the peak of their visit.
We even have Bald Eagles who reside in the area.
The distance to the river by the river road and it is 1.5 miles, and the distance to the Boonslick State Historical site is .7 miles.
The Katy trail- www.mostateparks.com/park/katy-trail-state-park
Isle of Capri www.boonville.isleofcapricasinos.com 11 miles from here
Golf courses www.golflink.com/golf-courses/city.aspx?dest=Boonville+MO