The search for land

My search for land has been ongoing for a long time, it seems to have turned into an epic!
It picked up pace after I returned from a Smallholding Course at Humble By Nature  delivered by Liz Shankland.
I haven't quite given up on finding some close to my village, but it is proving very difficult.

I have been talking to farmers, the Community councils City council, local poultry keepers, my allotment association and searched various property websites.

I have discovered that the ideal land is too far away at circa 9 miles, and land prices for agricultural use vary a great deal.  I have seen prices quoted at £7,000 -£10,000 per acre for 4-7 acres, I have also seen asking prices of £15k per acre.
I have not really seen any land to rent.
It's not easy!

If anyone else has tried this rather than moving home to a house with land, I would be interest to know how you approached it and if it worked for you?
If you did find land are you treating it as a hobby or trying to make some sort of living out of it?  How did you go about establishing if there was a demand for your service?

You should be able to leave a comment on this entry or if you are on twitter I am @Homer_Andrew and my facebook page is www.facebook.com/backgardenpoultryhatcher

Thank you for reading.
Next entry will have some photos of the little Wyandotte chicks.  I am also pondering whether to try and train one of my hens!!