NO LONGER AVAILABLE:
THIS PROPERTY HAS SOLD

Solar Finca with Excellent Income: 39-Acres in Colonia Gelman (San Rafael), Argentina

Vineyard & Plum Orchard with House and Work Horses Included: US$78,000

NOTE: The photos below are winter photos, so the leaves have already fallen off the vines and many of the trees.

This unique fully-working finca (including caretaker who is currently under contract to manage the farm), has a plum orchard, vineyard and peach orchard -- plus 20 acres of pasture land. The property is currently run by solar power, which produces a very limited amount of energy, and does not have electric (which can be added if desired). It includes three work horses with plows and other implements, and a 3-bedroom house.

Production figures from last year are as follows. Income (according to 2003 wholesale market prices in U.S. dollars) is reasonably estimated at US$25,000:

Plum Orchard (8 acres, 2,400 trees) - 100,000 kilos (220,000 lbs.)
Grapes - (10 acres) - 70,000 kilos (154,000 lbs.)
Peaches - (300 trees) - 8,000 kilos (17,600 lbs.)

The grapes are 10 acres of? a mixed variety (Ceresa, Muscatel Rosada, Pedro Jimenez, Criolla, Barbera Bonarda).? These are either for common wine, or for sale as table grapes.? Production averages 70,000 kilos per year. There is also about 20 acres of pasture land for the horses.

Also on the property are 2 apple trees, 3 very large fig trees, 3 pear trees, 6 quince trees, 3 pomegranate trees, 5 olive trees, and about 15 various shade trees around the house.

The house has?3 bedrooms, living room, kitchen and separate room that he uses for wine making, hanging prosciutto hams, home-made canned goods, etc.? The bathroom is outside the house, but has hot and cold running water and a shower.? The is a holding tank above the bathroom, and a handpump which the former owner (Sr. Velasquez) used to pump the water into the tank. (I have a photo of him demonstrating this.)

Included are three workhorses, and three plows plus equipment for spraying the orchard and vineyard. The orchard is plowed by tractor (which is hired out) but the vineyard is worked entirely by horse and plow and is quite lovely -- better cared for than some of the large monied wineries I have seen. A neighbor has been contracted to to take care of the finca.

We estimate that total gross production on this finca should be about US$25,000 in a good year -- but by maximizing production the figure could reach well over US$30,000.? I was told expenses would be about US$3,500 -- but I would add 50 percent to that, and figure about US$5,000 or maybe even a little more.? This is with someone else doing all the work.

The greatest value is in the plums (D'Agen variety), which this past year fetched about 60 centavos per kilo (US 22 cents) -- so you are talking US$22,000 gross if prices remain the same this next year.? These are usually sold as prunes, so if you dry them you can add another $8000 to that total.? Dried prunes sold for more than 1 peso (US 35 cents) -- and you get about one kilo of prunes for every three kilos of fresh plums.

The peach orchard is quite old, and getting less production each year.? And peaches only fetched 45 centavos per kilo last year -- so production would have been less than 4,000 pesos in total.? Figure about US$1,200 if you are lucky.

The grapes this past year averaged about 15 to 20 centavos for the common wine grape, and up to 30 centavos for good table grapes (like the muscatel rosada).? So figure 12,000 pesos in total or about US$4,000 to US$5,000.

There is a solar panel on top of the house, but it is a small one.? There is a photo of it below. The closest neighbor is about 1/2 mile away according to our odometer reading, and first photo below on this page shows the house from afar to give you an idea. To string electric to the property would cost about US$3,000 according to neighbors and the former owner, however this figure has not be verified.

This property has full water rights, and is irrigated by canals which serve the finca. It also receives a double allotment of water (more than sufficient to run the finca) because it is at the end of the line.

View of Property from Afar:

Vineyard Photos:

Plum Orchard:

Peach Orchard & Blossoms:

Large Fig Tree:

Miscellaneous House Views:

Solar Panel on House:

Photos of Inside the House:

Miscellaneous Property Views (Beehives, etc.):

Work Horses Included:

Horse Pond:

Various Implements Included:

Water Pump Which Fills Tank for Bath/Toilet:

Outdoor Oven for Roasting or Grilling Meat, etc.: