01/06/2026
What I’m doing on the land project this week
I was out on the property early this morning—below zero—walking the entire 46 acres length and taking photos every 50 feet. Cold, but worth it.
One of the big advantages of working with open farmland is how clearly the land can be read. With no trees or canopy, subtle slopes become visible, natural drainage paths and low areas stand out, and long, gradual elevation changes can be seen across the entire site. That makes it much easier to identify the flattest, most buildable areas and make smart grading decisions early on.
Because nothing blocks the view, each photo connects naturally to the next. Taken in sequence, they allow me to visually trace elevation changes across hundreds of feet and spot ridges and swales just by watching how the horizon shifts. It’s about as close as you can get to understanding the land without a full topographic survey or LiDAR.
Next step is translating all of this into my design software by laying out a simple site grid with 50-foot intervals that match the photo locations. That groundwork helps guide building placement and overall site planning before any dirt is moved.
Cold hands, clear data, and a solid start.
