Homesteader | What Life is Like on a Farm
Whether it’s a country home or more permanent abode, many urbanites have entertained the idea of owning farmland outside the city. If you find that your daily commute is routinely filled with daydreams of greener pastures, it may be time to start getting serious about making your farmstead fantasies a reality. One property located in the idyllic New Jersey countryside makes a serious case for a rural retreat.
A primary calling card for a country home is having the freedom to roam. Spread across a vast 101 acres of farmland, the sprawling grounds at this Hopewell home include five fenced pastures and well-tended gardens, with plenty of space for visiting children and pets to play. Spend summer afternoons lounging by the saltwater pool or take in the explosions of fall color during autumnal walks through the picturesque grounds.
A herd of horses grazing is a sight sure to lure even the most stubborn of city dwellers out of their urban abodes. Whether you keep horses for riding or breeding, this bucolic paradise offers everything you need to make your equestrian dreams a reality with a 10-stall stable and riding ring.
A country house is synonymous with hosting, and the range of amenities found at this property are more than enough to draw a crowd. With a detached three-bedroom guest house and staff quarters complete with a fully renovated kitchen and full bath, visitors will have ample space to themselves. When it comes time to call everyone in to dinner, choose from one of two elegant settings: a formal dining room provides an ideal setting for formal occasions, while the crisp-yet-casual kitchen offers a perfect venue for a family-style feast. After dinner, cozy up to conversation by the fire in the great room.
Whether you harvest the fruits of your own labor or retrieve your provisions from a local farmers’ market, a spacious kitchen is an essential part of country living. A mahogany island provides plenty of space for prepping the day’s market finds, while an oversized sink makes post-dinner cleanup a breeze. A customized butler’s pantry ensures you’ll always have everything you need on hand, key when you’d rather spend the afternoon baking than venturing out into the New Jersey snow.
The charms of this rural escape don’t end on the farm. One of the most historic treasures in the Garden State, the borough of Hopewell routinely ranks as “One of the 10 Best Small Towns in NJ” and one of the “25 Best Places to Call Home in the Garden State”. To take a trip into town is to access a village filled with bustling markets, antique shops, and tree-lined streets filled with Colonial and Victorian-era homes.
Making the move from a big city to a provincial lifestyle is no easy feat. But if the city grind has you contemplating a slower pace of life, a country escape could be just the breath of fresh air you need.
