If you’re like me, visualizing and organizing the information you need when planning how best to use a piece of land is a challenge. I’ve found that maps are a simple solution to gather and explore data, and online options for this are growing.
Whether making the most out of a small piece of land you already own or assuring that property you hope to buy suits your plans, here are a few ways map tools can help you make wise decisions.
Plan for possible changes
A new tool from the Maine Farmland Trust estimates climate-related changes a site and its region may see in the next 75 years. You can enter an address and draw out a boundary on the map to view data and risk calculations.
Applications like this one allow farmers to quickly compile and visualize data, which makes them “incredibly powerful tools” for taking on challenges versus looking at a spreadsheet, according to the nonprofit’s farm network director Tricia Rouleau.
Regionally, the tool shows changes in temperature, precipitation, growing days and growing season length.
It rates parcels for surface water and aquifer availability, sea level rise impacts and changes to the floodplain using Maine State Climate Office data and national sources. Individual fields are rated for their likely degree of erosion.
Explore your soil and its uses
Soil is arguably one of the most important qualities of a homestead and can determine what’s possible on your land.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Web Soil Survey shows soil type, distribution and qualities. From there, it calculates suitability for building, agriculture, forest use and more.
Start in the “Area of Interest” tab on the left hand side of the site. Using the small “AOI” button at the top of the interactive map, draw a square around the area you want to view. Once it’s set, use the tabs at the top to view and explore data. Some items work best zoomed out, but data is still available at the address level.
Discover what’s already growing
The Nature Conservancy’s Northeast Habitat map shows you the habitat and species already in your area (click “more info” after selecting a location for fact sheets), a starting point for planning tree crops, native plants or other management projects on your land.
You can track what you find with iNaturalist, which helps you identify flora and fauna and maps where you saw them.
The site has a social function too, allowing you to add friends and ask for help identifying your observations. I’ve used it for years and find it doubles as a way to strengthen your botany skills.
Understand your drainage
Topographic maps from the U.S. Geological Survey show the high and low points on your property to help you understand and plan for where water will flow and collect.
With this information, you can get a better sense of where the parcel’s wet spots are, how water will drain and where you might want to channel irrigation.
Make your own
Simple maps are easy to develop yourself. Print a map from existing surveys or online resources like Google Maps, note the features you already have and sketch out your plans.
You can use spreadsheet software like graph paper to sketch out individual projects to scale. Tori Jackson, program leader for agriculture and natural resources at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, recommended this method to estimate material costs.
Or, try drawing out your garden beds and filling them in with plant names and dates for spring, summer and fall. This will help you picture how the space will change throughout the growing season and plan your seed-starting.
Take it further
If you get the geospatial itch, there’s a lot more you can do. QGIS is free online mapping software that looks intimidating, but I got the hang of it in a day or two with the help of video tutorials. I used datasets I found online and was able to make my own simple ones over time.
Other detailed apps that require a paid subscription include farm management site farmOS, the American Forest Foundation’s Land Plan, property mapping tool Land id and make-and-draw site Scribble Maps.
To round out your free planning, look at local zoning maps on your municipality’s website, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s flood risk map and the USDA’s plant hardiness map.
