From Neglected to Beautiful: Transforming 80 Acres of Abandoned Land

[@cecilchristopher5092]

In 2014 my wife and I purchased a 90 acre farm that had been abandoned 19 the 1950's. There were the remaining of several buildings, a house a barn and a couple of sheds none were save able. 10 years and a lot of work and we have it almost where we would like it to be. To be honest I guess there is always something else you want to do. It has kept our retirement life full and rewarding.

[@livingon80]

That all sounds very familiar. It sounds like you have a great place!

[@martiblesch7865]

So wonderful to see what my heart has longed for, for 50 years!! So happy to see you making this land come back to life!!

[@livingon80]

Thank you so much for the sweet comment! We appreciate it! 💗 Allison

[@RosemarieHomeWorks]

I don't know how this showed up on my feed but I am so delighted it did! Oh my goodness! Your little family has a lifetime of work ahead of you. This is what is called "sweat equity". Your audience will be cheering you on every step of the way, via KZbin. Congratulations in finding purpose and teaching your children to work hard. I love this video! More, please?

[@livingon80]

Absolutely more to come :) thank you for your comment!

[@RosemarieHomeWorks]

Also, your Allison is a godsend! It’s hard to find a good woman who will proverbially ‘push the plow’ with you… but here she is, literally pushing the plow with you! You two have the makings of a great life ❤together.

[@lisalarouge6309]

This guy has all the toys.

[@benniebarrow348]

How fortunate you guys were to find a place that someone had previously put so much time, effort and money into. The roads, fencing, ponds, cleared areas, house and other structures puts you so far ahead. Mowing and maintenance will soon expose the beauty that once was. Good job !

[@livingon80]

It is a work in progress. Hopefully someday we can get it back to what it once was! Thanks for watching! Take care!

[@jamesa.rodriguez8598]

Beautiful piece of land. Lots of hard, satisfying work. The wildlife seem to enjoy their manicured playground. God bless you in your efforts. Thanks for sharing.

[@livingon80]

Thank you so much! We definitely enjoy the wildlife!

[@williamlavelle7786]

With all the nesting, feeding, hiding cover you riped out most of the wildlife will be gone soon.

[@livingon80]

Naa. Theres so much more that hasn't been touched.

[@robertshrewsbury5067]

I watch restoration videos. I know I get to the hope that once places are refound, that someone will inhabit them and start a new cycle of flourishing. Thank you for your video of having the courage to do the whole cycle. What is fun? Beyond reclaiming huge areas at a time, the pulling vines out of trees is good. Hauling whole tree sections with a truck also had merit. In a yard, a lawn mower might pull branches. 6:14 has a wonderful new view. Had to chuckle on your bit of "house landscaping". One of the entertainments of Landscape Archeology is under, "What in the world is there?" and also, the beauty of recovered design work. Good start on useful four-legged grass mowers. Nice firewood work. What an excellent thing for your kids to see going on.

[@livingon80]

Thank you so very much, Robert! We are learning a lot as we go! Thank you for watching!

[@pattimessenger6214]

Your farm isn’t the only beautiful place there. The surrounding properties look beautiful too!

[@livingon80]

Thank you! We love that the back butts up to several hundred acres of woods!

[@pattimessenger6214]

@@livingon80 hubby and I own a ranch that is an inholding. It is a privately owned island surrounded by National Forest. Surrounded by beauty! But the roads are terrible! Enjoy your slice of paradise! It will be a lot f work, but a lot of rewards too.

[@nelsonreau3842]

Herd of goats will do most of the work for you. They make a great freezer filler also

[@francesgrumblatt3420]

We are all stewards of this planet, you are one of the best!

[@livingon80]

I appreciate that Frances!

[@ceuser7865]

What a beautiful piece of property!! And amazing amount of hard work! Can't wait to see more and praying you will all flourish and continue to find joy in the beauty you are recovering!!

[@livingon80]

Thank you! Work in progress for sure!

[@rhondabliss4620]

Love seeing the transformation of this beautiful piece of property. What a dream for those who love the wide open space of their own property.

[@livingon80]

Thank you!

[@JesseDanielsPhotography]

Love it! Can't wait to see what the future holds for the property and your family.

[@livingon80]

Thanks so much!

[@stevensaxon8888]

@@livingon80 beautiful property. What state are you in?

[@livingon80]

Indiana. Thank you!

[@rickcurrent4176]

This just showed up on my feed and so happy it did….it gives me great joy to see the progress you’ve made….it’s a beautiful piece of property and a fantastic eco system confirmed by all the vibrant wildlife …I look forward to following all the progress! Thank you so much for sharing your adventure with us!!

[@livingon80]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@peggywelty5139]

Love seeing the animals on your property Sometimes there a lot of work that Go's with buying property you've done a great job bless your family

[@livingon80]

Thank you!!!

[@sharonycampbell6884]

Just came across your channel and I subscribed so I can watch you make this place beautiful again. Please get some safety glasses to wear next time you weed-eat. 😊

[@livingon80]

You bet! Thank you!

[@Oscarmd960]

@@livingon80i just hit the subscribe bottom as well. Yes we want to see more how your beautiful place turns out. Good luck

[@tomarnold995]

Even better to have a face screen and ear muffs. All kinds of stuff will hit your face. Will you share where this property is? Seems like lots of equipment available for different chores. Lots of friends?

[@johnmanto1945]

Correction, never Tell you're incredible wife anything.... Suggest it❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@williamclinton6609]

What part the country is this located in?

[@rebeccainfante1882]

Its a legacy of the family take care of it and be proud of it... 80 acres of land oh my.....

[@livingon80]

We will do our best. And yes, its a LOT of work!

[@bettycourson1691]

You’ve cleaned it up, it’s so beautiful why not buy it. I love watching you take ugly and make beautiful. I love the deer, the turtle, the turkeys all the wild life keeps it thriving. Your wife does a great job too.

[@livingon80]

Thank you so much!! We are trying! We appreciate you watching! 💗 Allison

[@kzamora2548]

This was an absolute gem to watch. Thank you and congrats!

[@willjam465]

What an amazing property with the ponds, pastures and creek. Great to see all of the wildlife. The algorithm suggested I watch this. Glad I did. Thanks for sharing your journey to bring this property back. Would love to tackle a project like this myself. Has to be so rewarding to see the progress you have made.

[@livingon80]

Thank you for watching!

[@davidsims1329]

Great property to raise children and get them out of the city now growth to be decent people that is just amazing. We are moving to a 44 acre property like that but without the houses what a blessing.

[@livingon80]

Thank you, and best of luck to you with your 44 acre property! Be safe!

[@candacemaugherman9137]

OMG! I just found you on youtube! I can't stop watching. This is a dream for me, however I am 75 now and would not be able to do it, but I will live it through you. I never want to stay inside. I have a small yard now but enjoy ever inch of it. Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us.

[@ninja1antelope]

🤔 maybe restore some property back to original prairie? Those wild flowers were beautiful and zero maintenance! Thanks for sharing.

[@livingon80]

We definitely are! Yes they are beautiful. A lot of places we are cutting still for the first time. I need to know where holes, ditches, and other things that may be out there are first, then we definitely will leave areas alone. Thank you!

[@johnfetzer9637]

had bought a farm out in ND and had 9 buildings. THe barn had 2 semi loads of crap... Tons of cross fence ,,on and on. When I converted grainery into a cabin , kept barn and burned and buried everything else... I got compliments galore

[@paula1306]

Just came accros this video of your channel right now and watching it now and can’t wait to watch all your videos and see the progress! 😊

[@michaelwinget6823]

I stumbled across your channel last night. Kept me up until 3:00 this this morning. Glad to see I'm not alone when it comes to using a riding mower as a brush hog. Please make sure Mrs. Living On 80 wears eye and hearing protection when running a weedeater. Not a bad idea to waer some hearing protection when on the tractor either. I didn't when I was your age and now I hear crickets all year long. Even in the middle of Feb. Looking forward to seeing this years progress.

[@livingon80]

You're right, you can never be too safe. We've gotten a lot better and smarter about wearing the proper safety gear.

[@michaelwinget6823]

I tried the Cerakote trim coat on my 2005 Ford pickup and the trim looks just like when the truck was new. Thanks for the heads up. I also ordered the garden hose repair kit. Been hating those hose clamps for years. Thanks again. @@livingon80

[@livingon80]

Awesome! Glad to hear! Stay safe

[@ROSEMARY1925]

It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s going to pay off at the very end. What a great beautiful property you have actually purchased it’s amazing a dream come true for anyone who really wants land and vistas and quietness and privacy. May God bless you. Keep you safe and healthy to continue and beautify your beautiful new home and land. I just found you today, Sunday. And now I am following you and your venture . Bye for now. Rosemary🌹

[@livingon80]

Thank you so much!

[@lisafisher8081]

I'm watching what I wish I could be doing. Beautiful piece of land you have transformed. What a blessing.

[@livingon80]

Thank you very much! It's still a work in progress 😁 Take care!

[@lyndreyer7080]

Just beautiful country side and they great animals they will love this yard now that you have cleared it congratulations for showing this great transformation

[@livingon80]

Thank you!

[@mickbaker2483]

Hello from the UK I've only just started to watch your channel and my goodness from your first video I have watched you and the family have worked very hard over the last couple of years and still working hard it was the video of Allison bushhoging was the first that came on my KZbin, and I'm back to the first videos and making my way to your latest video, I absolutely love what your doing and you making a beautiful home/farm/property it looks fantastic after only a couple of years.

[@livingon80]

Thank you so much for watching! Have a great day!

[@motel581]

Man I am jealous of anyone who gets to start farming with equipment! 8 years just got my first real truck, been a long road making the ole 99 ranger get whatever done!

[@captnkarl4401]

Great job. A lot of work but worth every bit of effort. Looking forward to seeing more.

[@livingon80]

Thank you! More to come!

[@robertchautardjensen6846]

Wow, what a labour of love for you and your family. It is really lovely to see properties returned to family homes and farms.

[@livingon80]

Thank you and take care!!

[@wmomente]

The land looks amazing and the animals look happy

[@livingon80]

Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@trevordavey5196]

Good to watch, I have the same project here in Australia, not 80 acres, only 35. You are doing a great job, and protecting wildlife, cool, well done guys, maybe wear safety glasses (Lady) might be a good idea, machinery is so worth the money and keep them good condition, this will be a really nice place when you guys are done, great watch.

[@livingon80]

Thank you and best of luck to you with your 35! Stay safe!

[@jeremy1350]

Hey there. The first thing I thought when I saw this property was that, WOW you could have gone out and hired ALL of the great yard makeover folks to gather in one spot and go to town mowing, mulching, clearing, and weed eating !!! That would have been an EPIC showdown !! That was some EPIC clearing. Looks really nice.

[@livingon80]

That would have been awesome! Thank you for watching!

[@dlebreton7888]

You have done a grand job bringing this expansive property back to its former beauty. Bravo.

[@livingon80]

Thank you very much!

[@gaius_enceladus]

Great stuff! The place is unrecognisable compared to how it used to be! This would be hard work but *very* satisfying, bringing a property back to life!

[@livingon80]

Thanks for visiting!

[@DawnDBoyerPhD]

Husband and I bought a 10.8 acre bank repo in August of 2020; same journey as you. Renovated entire house and added a barn and two veggie gardens. Bought a tractor and all attachments and will add three more gardens (tea, wildflower, and rose) next year plus a gazebo.

[@livingon80]

Can't get much better than that! Best of luck to you and your husband!

[@curteighmey1156]

That poor Poulan riding mower is a BEAST :)

[@livingon80]

🤣 yes it was! I still can't believe how easily it went through some thick stuff!

[@ItzTheCattman]

i showed my lawnmower the poulan in the video and it was ashamed of itself

[@dharcarranza2090]

Wow that's also my long time dream to live a simple farm life, it's so nice to see that you rehabilate the neglected farm in a just short period of time because you have complete equipments and machineries to use. Its also nice to see that wild animals still roaming in the property, here in my country the Philippines you can no longer able to see wild animals freely roaming in a farm like that.

[@livingon80]

We love seeing all the animals. Thank you for watching!

[@timeenuf4200]

Lots of work but it's turning into a gorgeous place to live for you, your family and obviously a lot of critters.

[@livingon80]

Thank you!

[@nanak2025]

This just pooped up and i'm already hooked! what fun but hard work! can't wait to see the progression !

[@livingon80]

Thank you!

[@johnmoore8016]

One step at a time and it will get done. good luck and e careful. Thanks for a good video. (Mississippi Gulf Coast , USA).

[@livingon80]

One step at a time is right! Thanks for watching!

[@jazs9882]

I thought it was really cool that you said what equipment you were using.

[@livingon80]

Thank you, I thought it would be helpful! I appreciate your feedback!

[@mikemccollum4521]

Satisfying and rewarding work. Love it. Thank you👍👍

[@livingon80]

Glad you enjoyed it! We really appreciate the nice comments! 💗 Allison

[@rondoemalone6857]

I was at dialysis watching your program. And the nurses and the people nearby. Rondoe what are you watching? Lol A man mowing a grass and making the world a beautiful place again.

[@livingon80]

Lol! I love it!! We hope you're doing ok! 💗 Allison

[@galekasler351]

I’m so happy to have found your channel, and I look forward to seeing all of your family’s hard work…especially when you get on to the house! Best to y’all!

[@livingon80]

Thank you so much!

[@loydacoulombe1397]

Hard work pays off. Great job so far ! It was very satisfying to watch all your work.

[@livingon80]

Thank you very much!

[@lillysave]

I love what you guys are doing. Love seeing the animals on the property.

[@livingon80]

Thank you! Lots of wildlife for sure! We love them too!

[@lorettarobertson6705]

God bless and what a wonderful work of restoration..

[@livingon80]

Thank you so much!! 💗 Allison

[@stevenbradford6824]

What a beautiful piece of property you got. Looking forward to seeing what you're gonna do with it.

[@livingon80]

Thank you so much! We appreciate it! We are excited about this journey! 💗 Allison

[@roberthocking9138]

Always been my dream here in AUS to find 50-80 acres and an old house, you hit the jackpot there with all that shedding. Great job. Although you do seem to have a number of immediate neighbours

[@kristinebailey6554]

I noticed that too. That house next door seemed right on top of them. And "the burn pile" doesn't sound like such a good idea. With all of that acreage it could have provided a shelter area for wildlife such as birds and rabbits etc. They pretty much left nothing for the critters.

[@livingon80]

Thank you. Yes, the front part of the property has a few neighbors but the majority is wide open, nothing but nature as far as you can see!

[@livingon80]

Most of our burn piles are still there, not burned because I dont like babysitting fires. Theres acres we haven't even touched yet full of critters.

[@aviansoul]

Good stuff! Love it!!! You folks are living the dream. Keep up the good work...

[@livingon80]

Thank you!!

[@jameslaw3740]

You'll never go hungry....looks beautiful, jobs well done.....

[@livingon80]

Thank you very much

[@marygrogan8292]

What a lovely place to work on and beautify. Love the critter shots and the humor.

[@livingon80]

Many thanks!

[@kathy7718]

What a massive undertaking! I just found this! The mowing/bush hogging alone was unbelievable! Can’t wait for more videos! Was the house livable?? Oh to be young again! I did this in 1975 on 46 acres and a 100 year old farmhouse! We were 24/25! It takes so much time and energy! Best of luck!❤️

[@livingon80]

Thank you! I definitely can never say I have nothing to do! The house was not livable, because trees had overtaken the gutters and downspouts causing water issues. It's been "breathing" for quite a while now and we are going to start on the house very soon! Videos to follow! Thank you!

[@tomdamon7208]

Paradise !! Best of luck in the future . You are living my dream .

[@livingon80]

Best of luck to you as well! Thanks!

[@sandraengstrand2784]

What an amazing video compilation!! Tons of work, looking good!

[@livingon80]

Thank you so much!! It's a work in progress! 💗 Allison

[@Karen-is-life]

Excellent editing. And the transformation kept me watching.

[@livingon80]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@answatkins4677]

Wonderful with the wildlife around. Beautiful ❤️

[@livingon80]

Thank you! They seem to be getting used to us! The deer come up pretty close! 💗 Allison

[@thomaskasperek8154]

Goats would do wonders for this. But I do hope you leave some of the land fallow for all those wild flowers, Cutting it each year after 1st major frost. It will give home to bees butterflies and everything like that and be absolutely beautiful. Gorgeous property!

[@livingon80]

We definitely could use goats! After everything gets cut once and we see the terrain and hazards, we definitely are going to have several areas left alone for nature. Thank you!

[@johnobrien5440]

LOEVED this! Fun and educational. Thank you for sharing.

[@livingon80]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@paulineproctor8399]

Looks amazing. Love seeing all the deerand other wild life. You did an amazing job.

[@livingon80]

Thank you! We love the wildlife

[@answatkins4677]

Such a beautiful place and I can just admire what you have done to it.

[@livingon80]

Thank you very much!

[@martyburd6127]

Very neat. The machinery helps a lot.

[@livingon80]

It sure does! Thanks for watching!

[@kingkong7617]

Great job of returning this farm to being a great property.

[@livingon80]

Thank you so much! We are loving every minute of it! 💗 Allison

[@Joanvlog81]

I really love watching this vlog❤️ keep updating

[@livingon80]

Thank you so much!!

[@AmanAngel126]

My first question is always "where is this?" But I read your answer to another commenter: Indiana. Beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

[@livingon80]

Thank you!!

[@TheCookster64]

Amazing! So much easier when you have the right equipment!

[@livingon80]

Thanks! So true!

[@jeannieelliott8519]

That was a fun video watching all the progress & the wildlife. Your Oregon Viewer.

[@livingon80]

Thanks 👍

[@marcybrooks3425]

Having done that kind of work, I really appreciate your work! And what a beautiful reward. Now, what are you planning on doing with it?

[@livingon80]

That's a great question. Right now we are still working on the land part of it, getting it cleaned up. We're trying to decide if we are going to remodel the house, add on to it, or build new on the back of the property. We don't really know yet. Thanks!

[@davidnazario6646]

That's a lot of work wish you and your family the best.👍

[@livingon80]

Thank you! You too!

[@E.Meyers]

Forestry mulchers are amazing machines! I love watching Jon on his Upstate Brush Control channel. Do you have salt blocks out for the deer? 😊

[@livingon80]

We don't, thats a great idea!

[@waddeym]

That appeared to have been a very nice horse farm. I can only imagine the dire circumstances that caused the previous owner to abandon it. You have a great start on restoring it.

[@livingon80]

Thank you. I can only imagine how nice this place looked when it was in its prime. Thank you for watching!

[@pamelahansen5928]

What state is this beautiful property? 💝thanks for taking us along- a lot of work but will be so worth it !

[@livingon80]

Indiana. Thanks for watching!

[@jeanmuehlfelt7942]

You may find that a 3-point chipper on the back of your tractor will come in handy in the future. Ours takes up to 5" tree branches. We use the chips all around the property ... from adding to large compost bins to pathways between garden rows. We always have one or two large piles breaking down for future use as we shredded green leaves with the chips. They heat up the piles and break down the chips faster.

[@livingon80]

Another great use for the 3pt hitch. I was looking at renting one of the big trailer hitch types but they are $400/day! I'm going to looking into buying one. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@lizmark1791]

Watching from start wow huge project well done team. Liz from Christchurch, NZ

[@daveharper5655]

Just a wonderful property that is loved again.

[@livingon80]

Thanks Dave!

[@sharonbuchanan3539]

This video just showed up on my feed and went down the rabbit hole. They are all good and I loved watching the growth. I’m curious what state you are in. The property is beautiful.

[@livingon80]

Thank you very much! We are in Indiana

[@antolinijeanfrancois7]

Bonjour bravo tip top super cool pour le boulot courage pour la suite. Good job respect c'est du boulot tout hyper chronophage

[@anuragmazumdar05]

Amazing first video....But yes, agree with the older gentleman who said you must take more safety related precautions when operating such heavy machinery....

[@livingon80]

We are much better with safety now. Thanks!

[@karenr67]

Like the way you filmed every section. Looking forward to more. Hope see the house.

[@livingon80]

Thank you! We will definitely do house videos soon!

[@peterwinkworth4461]

Watched the whole video and can honestly say I would love every second of everything you have done 😁 it would be amazing to bring a place like that back to life …amazing job guys ..if you ever need help il work for free haha

[@livingon80]

Thanks Peter!

[@busterhyman6633]

The lifetime of memories you will share during the transformation will be well worth the hard work. Put some safety glasses on when running a weed wacker as god only gave you two eyes and you will want to see them kids grow up and this property come to life. Great Job thus far.

[@livingon80]

Thank you and good call on the eye protection!

[@Wakeywhodat]

Nice job! I look forward to looking over some more of your videos. When you find a turtle have the kids put a number on the shell with fingernail polish and keep a journal with the date and where you found it.

[@livingon80]

Thats a really neat idea, I think the kids would like doing that.

[@MikeL-vu7jo]

Perfect your living my dream thanks for sharing !

[@livingon80]

Thanks for stopping by!

[@Rachel-ul8et]

That property looks like a wonderland to keep bees on. They love all those wildflowers, especially the yellow.

[@livingon80]

Good info on the bees! I don't know anything about beekeeping, but I am very interested in it. Thank you!

[@DavidGibbs-n3k]

Thank you for sharing, looks beautiful

[@livingon80]

Thanks for watching!

[@john110960]

New to your channel, just subscribed. Love seeing the transformation. Lot's of hard work along with blood, sweat and tears. But the final outcome is well worth it. Great job so far.

[@livingon80]

Thank you!!

[@allikendall]

Love this! So excited to see the progress!!

[@charlie9901]

What a beautiful piece of land. WOW..... you've done an excellent job bringing it back to former beauty.

[@livingon80]

Thank you!

[@mmsbhogal290]

Watching from India. What an incredible transformation. Just mowing down the wild growth gave it a new look. Hope you only brought down the dead trees. Wildlife around the property is surely going to give you a good company.

[@livingon80]

Thank you. Yes, we only take down trees if there is a good reason to do so. Thank you for watching!

[@Oscarmd960]

I love that country lifestyle. So peaceful and the fresh air. You did a wonderful job cleaning them up. ❤❤❤

[@livingon80]

Thank you!

[@PaulJHershey1]

Bella is not a Falcon, (she?) is a Red-Tailed Hawk. Handsome property you are bringing back from abandonment. Best of luck... be safe, and have fun.

[@livingon80]

You are exactly right! It threw me off because he was a "falconer". Amazing creatures and so much fun to watch them fly and hunt! Thanks for watching!

[@Insert_Screename_Here]

@@livingon80 Curious to know where you are, possible that I might know who that is... :D

[@livingon80]

@@Insert_Screename_Here we are in Indiana.

[@Insert_Screename_Here]

@@livingon80 I might have to send this video to a friend of mine on the west side of Michigan, he might know him. 😂

[@tommygoldman05]

Great intro video I can’t wait to see more progress

[@livingon80]

More to come!

[@LeonardCooperman]

So nice to watch this transformation thank you!

[@livingon80]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ashleighjaimaosborne3966]

Amazing undertaking. Well done to all involved.🇨🇦

[@livingon80]

Thank you very much!

[@nancyestes7506]

Great video it looks like you all have a beautiful farm and home.

[@livingon80]

Thank you!

[@christinegerard4974]

Thank you for this so nice video .I do the same in France .But it is satisfying to see other people do it too !

[@livingon80]

Thanks for watching!

[@jalaliasad]

Wonderful job done............ WOW. Stay blessed

[@livingon80]

Thank you!

[@elainejones8636]

This came up in my feed from watching goat videos. You could do with a herd of goats to help clear some of those weeds. Lovely to see all the wildlife.

[@livingon80]

We got a pair of Nigerian Dwarves, but they are still pretty young! Once we see how we can handle them over the winter, we'll likely get more in the spring. They've been pretty entertaining and are starting to eat more brush and weeds as they get older 😁