MapleCrest Farm on 48 Acres in Cabot, Ready to Reimagine
$500,000 Ripe for Reimagining
In Cabot, in Washington County — 47.96 acres of Vermont farmland known locally as MapleCrest Farm.
This property comes with a solar farm lease already generating income (roughly 12 years remaining, with room to renegotiate after), plus a local maple producer currently leasing a vacuum station and tapping about 100 of the property's trees, with potential for 400 to 500 taps total. 6 bd / 2 ba, 3,174 sq ft, built 1890, on 47.96 acres.
Listed at $500,000, down $50,000 from its original price. Listing courtesy of Cameron North, EXP Realty.
The house needs real work, but it's already set up as two apartments with room for a possible third unit — multigenerational living, rental income, or an owner-occupied duplex are all on the table here, on top of the solar and maple income already coming in.
Homestead Potential
Water & Infrastructure
The listing doesn't specify the property's well or septic details, notable for a fixer-upper this size — confirming both systems' age and condition should be an early priority for any serious buyer, not an afterthought. Cabot sits in Vermont's Green Mountain foothills, generally reliable ground for a private well, but a property with a documented maple-sugaring operation already running on it has presumably had its water infrastructure tested against real use. Given the home's two-apartment setup, confirming the septic system's capacity for potentially three units' worth of wastewater is especially important before counting on that multi-unit income. Vermont doesn't carry a Gulf Coast flood-insurance mandate, but Cabot's hill-country terrain and any nearby streams should still be checked against FEMA flood maps as routine due diligence.
Crop & Income Potential
This property's maple-sugaring potential isn't theoretical — a local producer already leases a vacuum station and taps roughly 100 of the property's trees today, real, provable income rather than a projection. The listing's own estimate of 400 to 500 possible taps total suggests significant untapped capacity for a buyer who wants to either expand the existing arrangement or start an independent sugaring operation. Vermont's maple industry is a genuine, respected regional economy, and a property already integrated into that network, with an existing producer relationship open to continuing, is a real head start most aspiring sugarmakers don't get. Between the maple trees and the acreage's broader hill-country character, this land has already proven its agricultural value before a new owner does anything at all.
Sustainability
The solar farm lease is this property's standout sustainability asset: a functioning income stream with roughly 12 years remaining and a real opportunity to renegotiate higher payments afterward, effectively a long-term annuity tied to the land itself. The maple lease adds a second proven income stream on top of that, and the multiple outbuildings — a two-car garage, a multi-bay building with a truck carport, a woodshed and equipment bay, and additional storage — mean equipment and materials already have a place. The home's two-apartment configuration, with room for a possible third unit, adds a third potential income layer through rental income. For a buyer specifically interested in a property that already generates money from multiple independent sources, this is a rare combination, even with the house itself needing real work.
The Boundaries
At 47.96 acres with an active solar lease and a separate maple-tapping arrangement, a buyer needs clear documentation of exactly which portions of the land each lease covers and how those agreements transfer at sale — this is not a property where a simple survey alone tells the whole boundary story. The solar lease's remaining term and renegotiation terms should be reviewed by an attorney before closing, since that income stream is a major part of this property's value. Washington County's zoning for a property already hosting both solar infrastructure and an agricultural lease is worth confirming directly, especially if a new owner wants to add uses beyond what's currently permitted. Given the number of outbuildings scattered across the property, a current survey remains worthwhile to confirm they all sit within the legal boundary and match what's listed.
Beyond the Property Line
Local Flavor & Small-Town Character
Cabot is home to the Cabot Creamery Cooperative, one of the most recognized cheese brands in the country, founded by local dairy farmers and still central to the town's identity today. Montpelier, Vermont's state capital, is a reasonable drive south and brings real government, cultural, and economic activity within reach. Marshfield and Plainfield, neighboring small towns, add their own general stores and community character typical of this part of central Vermont. For a property already tied into the region's agricultural economy through its maple lease, being this close to Cabot's own dairy-and-cheese heritage adds real local context.
Agricultural Resources & Neighbor Networks
The University of Vermont Extension's maple program is one of the most respected agricultural resources in the country specifically for sugaring operations, directly relevant given this property's existing maple lease. The Vermont Maple Sugar Makers' Association can connect a new owner with the broader network of producers in the area, including potentially the same producer already leasing space here. Washington County's agricultural economy still leans heavily on dairy and maple, a tradition Cabot itself embodies through its creamery cooperative. Feed, sugaring equipment, and general farm supply are available in Montpelier or through the region's several agricultural cooperatives.
Outdoor Recreation & Natural Surroundings
Trails already wind through the property itself, suited to hiking in summer and snowmobiling in winter without leaving home. Vermont's VAST snowmobile trail network, one of the most extensive in the country, connects to trails throughout this part of central Vermont. Groton State Forest, with its cluster of lakes and additional trail network, sits within a reasonable drive and adds hiking, camping, and paddling options. Between the property's own trails and the surrounding forest and trail network, outdoor recreation here is available in every season, not just summer.
This property's real story is income, not self-sufficiency — a solar lease and an active maple-tapping arrangement are both already generating money today, a genuinely rare combination for a property at this price, and that's before counting the multi-unit rental potential the house itself offers. The house needing real work and the total absence of any stated well or septic detail are honest weaknesses, so this reads as a property for a buyer excited about the land's proven income streams and multi-unit flexibility, not someone looking for a move-in-ready self-sufficient homestead.
— Your Pastures & Porches Team
Listed on Zillow
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