Juan and Lauren Contreras

Farming part-time for homestead

Updated Sep 23, 2024

  • 6-10 Total acres
  • 0-5 Acres of cropland or tillable land
  • 0-5 Acres of pasture
My wife, Lauren, and I caring for our bees

Juan Contreras

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Hello, my wife, Lauren and I are looking for a 5-10 acres to homestead and build an agritourism business. 

Lauren and I have dreamed of having a farm for years. Together, we hope to homestead produce crops, herbs, and medicinal plants, as well as have a barn for events. Where I was raised in Mexico, there is a special style of dance called Norteno. This style is very popular here in NC, but few places offer events. We would host Norteno dances, as well as traditional events such as weddings, birthday parts, quinceaneras, and more. Connecting with the land is our passion and we hope to keep land in biodiverse regenerative production, while allowing others to see those impacts on conservation.

  • Barn
  • Well / Pond / Other water source

Equipment and infrastructure details

We're able to build most of the infrastructure as I'm a carpenter and plumber. A barn would be great to have but not a requirement. 

  • Sale (Cash or Mortgage)
  • Sale (Owner Financed)
  • Regenerative
  • Ecological production but not certified

Practices details

We will use practices that enhance soil health, and include diverse crops, forestry, and holistic land management. We plan to have a fruit orchard, a wild flower pasture, a cut flower area, a large garden, bees, and a few livestock for personal use. 

  • Flowers / Herbs
  • Honey bees
  • Orchard / Vineyard
  • Vegetables

Years of experience

15 total years of experience

1 years employed as a worker (non-manager)

1 years as a manager

Education, training, and employment experience

  • Formal agricultural education (AA, BS, MS, PhD)
  • Farm internship / apprenticeship
  • Part time farm employee
  • Full time farm employee

Experience details

Lauren grew up on a farm in central PA where her dad was the county 4-H extension agent. She left the US to apprentice on organic farms in Argentina and then worked on an urban farm in Pittsburgh. She studied horticulture at NC State, and has a degree in Environmental Studies. For the past 8 years, she has worked connecting farmers with chefs for a produce distributor.

I grew up farming in Mexico. My family has had 30 acres in beans, oats and row crops for generations. I helped my grandfather with his livestock too - hogs, chickens, horses. I am now a carpenter and plumber. 

Desired locations

  • North Central
  • Alamance
  • Caswell
  • Chatham
  • Davidson
  • Davie
  • Durham
  • Forsyth
  • Granville
  • Guilford
  • Orange
  • Person
  • Randolph
  • Rockingham
  • Stokes
  • Surry
  • Vance
  • Yadkin
  • Northeast
  • Beaufort
  • Bertie
  • Camden
  • Chowan
  • Currituck
  • Dare
  • Edgecombe
  • Franklin
  • Gates
  • Halifax
  • Hertford
  • Hyde
  • Martin
  • Nash
  • Northampton
  • Pasquotank
  • Perquimans
  • Pitt
  • Tyrrell
  • Wake
  • Warren
  • Washington