HIGHLIGHTS

• 79 +/- acres of fields and cedar forest combine to create a recreational and farming property
• Located in peaceful Monroe County just 5 minutes to Union, the county seat
• Electricity and phone on site
• Union’s stores include grocery, hardware, auto, pharmacy, farm supply & restaurants
• Perimeter fencing is cattle tight
• Miles of trails accessing nearly every part of the property
• Interesting moss-covered limestone rock outcrops
• Everything in place to create a permaculture and experience its rewarding lifestyle
• Seasonal branch runs for a ½ mile through the heart of the farm
• Surrounded by timber tracts and farms in a nice rural neighborhood
• Superior access adjoining ½ mile paved state road on school bus route, FedEx delivery
• Dark skies with little or no light pollution for star and planet gazing
• Rich soil offers numerous garden spots and fields suitable for hay, corn, pumpkins, etc.
• 8,000 ft. new livestock fencing
• ¼-acre pond supporting native sedges, rushes, ferns, songbirds, frogs, turtles, crawdads and rabbits
• Some very ancient “Heritage” trees scattered about the property
• Excellent timber species include fragrant cedars, beautiful oaks, black walnuts, poplars, maples and hickories
• All mineral rights the seller owns will convey
• Wildlife is abundant with several fur bearing species represented
• Winged wildlife includes hawks, owls, ravens, and Neotropical songbirds
• Diverse topography of cedar forest, crop fields, wetland, meadows create an interesting natural setting
• Near Fountain Springs Golf Course
• Long views of Peters Mountain and the valley below
• Exceptional butterfly population

LOCATION

Google Coordinates: 37.590316°(N), -80.558337°(W)
Address: Bud Ridge Road, Union, WV 24983; No 911 address is assigned to property without structures.
Elevation Range: 2057 ft. to 2304 ft. +/-

FOREST/TIMBER RESOURCES

Small hardwood trees and small wooded areas are scattered about on the property.  Some areas are in early stages of regenerating to forestland.  The trees provide shade for cattle and produce acorns and hickory nuts for the wildlife.

AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES

The property has been in continuous agricultural use for well over 100 years.

The farm’s perimeter is mostly fenced and would be considered cattle tight. Up until 2018, the farm was leased to a local cattle farmer to graze his cattle on during the growing season.

The farm’s rich soil, intermittent stream, 4 seasons climate, and topography provide the necessary elements for a permaculture lifestyle. There are several acres of nice fields suitable for hay or row crops like corn, pumpkins etc.

Some brushy growth is now occurring on some areas of the farm.  The brushy growth could be removed and areas that are regenerating to forestland could be considered for converting back to pasture or for crop use.

There are a few fruit trees scattered about, some of which were part of the early homestead.  Crops of black walnuts are produced each year from the black walnut trees scattered about.

Honey bees would do well here and it may be possible to produce some maple syrup from the sugar and red maple trees growing on the property.

WILDLIFE

The mixture of some mature trees, cedars, emerging forest, farm fields, old fruit trees, coupled with the abundant water supply from the ½ mile of stream, create the perfect wildlife habitat. The “edge effect” created between, branch, field and cedar forest is the textbook habitat for the resident wildlife. The edges create long wildlife food plots. The hardwood trees produce tons of acorns, hickory nuts, beech nuts and soft mast. White tail deer, black bear, red/gray fox, bobcat, wild turkey, squirrel, raccoon, fox and many species of songbirds, owls and raptors make up the resident wildlife population. It is hard to find a property that has a better mix of wildlife as there has been little hunting pressure for many years.

The branch is a major contributor to the local ecosystem richness and diversity for both plants and animals. The creek and small pond and its surrounding aquatic plant life create a water supported community with a wide variety of wildlife. Some of creek and pond margin is fringed by wetlands, and these wetlands support the aquatic food web, provide shelter for wildlife, and stabilize the banks. The plant life associated with the wetland includes, watercress, rushes, sedges, cattails, duckweed, bee balm and algae.

There are many animals that live in the water and around the edges of the creek, springs and pond including raccoons, opossums, turtles, salamanders, newts, crayfish, muskrat, bull frogs, and redwing blackbirds. Of course there is the insect and microscopic world including butterflies, dragonflies, water skaters, water beetles, damselflies, tadpoles and various insect larvae.

WATER

An intermittent stream runs through the property for over ½ mile that would be active during periods of rainfall or snow melt.

MINERAL RESOURCES

A title search for actual mineral ownership rights is recommend.  All rights the owner has will convey with the property.

BOUNDARIES AND SURVEY

There is fencing around nearly all of the property that indicate boundary location.  A large portion of the property runs along the county road.  The property is being sold by the boundary and not by the acre.

UTILITIES

Water: water well could be drilled
Sewer: private septic could be installed
Electricity: on site
Telephone: on site
Internet:  could be available through phone line or HughesNet satellite
Cellphone Coverage: Excellent with 4G

ACCESS/FRONTAGE

The property has almost ½ mile of continuous frontage on Bud Ridge Road RT 219/6.

ZONING

There is currently no county zoning in Monroe County. All prospective purchasers are encouraged to contact the Monroe County Health Department for answers regarding installation of septic systems and water wells. Further information on county zoning may be answered by contacting the Monroe County Commission.

PROPERTY TYPE/USE SUMMARY

The property is nearly all fields in various stages of repair. Up until 2018, the entire boundary was used for grazing livestock. Some of the fields are suitable for crops or hay production. Portions of the fields contain scattered brush and cedar and some areas are in the stages of regenerating to forestland.

DEED and TAX INFORMATION

Deed Information: DB 298, page 394
Monroe County, West Virginia
Acreage: 79 acres and 25 poles +/-

Real Estate Tax ID/Acreage/Taxes:
Monroe County (32), West Virginia
Union District (7)
Tax Map 10 Parcel 57; 79.15 AC. NR. UNION N.S. ST SEC RT. 219/6; Class 2

2020 Real Estate Taxes: $83.14

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Monroe County School District

Public Elementary School:
Mountain View Elementary School

Public Middle School:
Mountain View Middle School

Public High School:
James Monroe High School

SURROUNDING AREA

MONROE COUNTY

Bud Ridge Farm is located near the charming village of Union, which is the Monroe County seat, and is just a 5-minute drive. Banking, healthcare facilities, drugstore, grocery, hardware, auto parts and farm supply are readily available in nearby Union and Peterstown. There are no fast food restaurants but there are the local restaurants that are great places to meet friends and enjoy a great home cooked meal.

Some of the friendliest people in West Virginia can be found in Monroe County. Monroe County has a population of about 13,000 residents and does not have a stoplight and has more cattle and sheep than people. Monroe County is a special area with interesting folks, both “born and raised” and newer members from many different states. People from all walks of life reside in harmony in this lovely pastoral setting. Located south of Union, near Rock Camp, and west of Blacksburg, VA, the parcel offers those from urban areas the opportunity for a rural retreat well within a half days drive to Washington, DC and Charlotte, NC. Lindside and the Lindside Volunteer Fire Department is a 10-minute drive.

Shortly after Monroe County was created, James Alexander offered 25 acres of land, including a lot for a courthouse which in time became the town of Union. On January 6, 1800, the Virginia Assembly passed an act creating the town of Union. The Monroe County Historical Society preserves several historic structures in the town, including the Caperton Law Office, Owen Neel House, Clark-Wisemen House, Ames Clair Hall, and the Old Baptist Church. The Union Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

The Town of Peterstown is 30 minutes from the Bud Ridge Farm. Banking, healthcare facilities, drugstore, grocery, hardware, auto parts and farm supply are readily available in Peterstown. The town is on the border with Virginia and Virginia Tech is less than an hour from Peterstown.

Peterstown was chartered in 1803 by the Virginia General Assembly, incorporated in 1892 by the Circuit Court. Peterstown was named for Christian Peters, Revolutionary war soldier, who settled nearby and founded the town shortly after the Revolutionary War. The town is the site of the 1928 discovery of the 34.48 carat (6.896 g) Jones Diamond by Grover C. Jones and his son, William “Punch” Jones.

GREENBRIER VALLEY

Historic Lewisburg is located just ½ hour to the North with all the charm of a small town and all the amenities of a larger city. Designated the “Coolest Small Town in America” in 2011, fine dining, arts and entertainment flourish in the Lewisburg area while “big box” stores like Walmart and Lowes are also available along with the Greenbrier Valley Medical Center and other medical services.

Lewisburg is also home to Carnegie Hall, Greenbrier Valley Theatre, the WV School of Osteopathic Medicine, a community college, and is the county seat for Greenbrier County. The Greenbrier Valley Airport with daily flights to Atlanta and Washington, DC is located just outside of Lewisburg. The world famous Greenbrier Resort is 1 hour drive and Snowshoe Ski Resort is within a 2 hour drive as well.

Within an hour to two hour drive are located some of the finest recreational facilities in West Virginia. Snowshoe Ski Resort, whitewater rafting / fishing on the Greenbrier, New River and Gauley River, 2000 acre Bluestone Lake, 919,000 acre Monongahela National Forest and the 80,000 acre New River National Gorge National Park. Five other area state parks and state forests offer unlimited hiking, horseback riding, ATV riding and rock-climbing opportunities.

BUTTERFLIES

The farm is an exceptional habitat for all butterflies, especially the Monarch. The monarch is highly dependent on the milkweed plant and will always return to areas rich in milkweed to lay their eggs upon the plant. The milkweed they feed on as a caterpillar is actually a poisonous toxin and is stored in their bodies. This is what makes the monarch butterfly taste so terrible to predators.

Of course, other butterflies visit Bud Ridge Farm, including the eastern tiger and spicebush swallowtails, silver-spotted skipper, and a variety of sulphurs and whites.

One other interesting insect to visit the property is the Black Saddlebag Dragonfly, a regular guest of the small farm pond with all the frogs, salamanders, crawdads and turtles.

FOUNTAIN SPRINGS GOLF COURSE

Fountain Springs Golf Course, located along U. S. Route 219, at 93 Fountain Springs Dr, Peterstown, is an 18 hole Public course. From the back tees, the course plays over 6278 yards with a slope of 120 and rating of 70.4. Fountain Springs was designed by Russell Breeden and opened in 1998