Obviously the farm should be on an all weather road.

If you grow anything to sell you will need markets nearby. If you plan to sell fresh vegetables or whole milk, for example, you should be close to a town or city.

Look for a farm in a neighborhood of well-kept homes. There are slums in the country as well as in the city. Few rural areas are protected by zoning. A tavern, filling station, junk yard, rendering plant, or some other business may go up near enough to hurt your home or to hurt its value.

Check on the schools in the area, the quality of teaching, and the provision for transportation to and from them.

Find out whether fire protection, sewage system, gas, water mains, and electrical lines are available in the locality. If these facilities are not at the door, getting them may cost more than you expect. You may have to provide them yourself or get along without them.

You cannot get along without an adequate supply of pure water. If you are considering a part-time farm where the water must be provided by a well, find out if there is a good well on the farm or the probable cost of having one drilled. A pond may provide adequate water for livestock and garden. Pond water can be filtered for human use, but most part-time farmers would not want to go to so much trouble. The following amounts of water are needed per day for livestock and domestic uses.

Is the land suited to the crops you intend to raise? If you cann't tell, get help from your county agricultural agent or other local specialist. Soil type, drainage, or degree of slope can make the difference between good crops and poor ones. Small areas that aren't right for a certain crop may lie next to areas that are well suited to that crop.