Put pen to paper and pay $300 for a chance to own idyllic Rock Spring Farm

Carolyn Berry and Randy Silvers (left) in the horse barn on their farm (above) which they hope will find the right new owner. Photo / Getty Images

Randy Silvers has called Rock Spring Farm - 14ha two hours south of Washington - home for nearly 20 years.

It dates to the 18th century, and it was nearly barren when he took it over. Now it boasts a three-storey, four-bedroom home, a two-bedroom cottage, a five-stall barn and an air-conditioned woodworking shop. That is in addition to more than 3.2km of horse trails, hectares of loamy soil and an endless patchwork of mature trees bordered by natural streams.

And Silvers and his wife, Carolyn Berry, have decided to give it up.

"It's his dream," Berry said of the property. "It's like he's living his dream. And it's sad, but his dream needs to morph into another dream."

Silvers, 64, was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis last year, which has made farm work difficult at times. Lately, he said, he is unable to swing a hammer for more than five minutes.

Silvers and Berry have day jobs - he is a construction foreman; she is a director of a tutoring facility. And they cherish their life of solitude on the farm. So they want to find someone who will cherish it just as much. But instead of selling the farm, they are looking for people who can show them what they could bring to it.

And all anyone needs is a thousand words and US$200 ($300) to convince them.

Persuading Silvers to leave the farm at Hustle was a tall order, Berry said.

"He was adamant that he was not going to sell."

So, she researched other options, eventually deciding on an essay contest.

At first he dismissed it, but she kept pushing the idea, and he began warming up to retirement - and leaving the Virginia farm.

"I immediately launched the site so he couldn't change his mind," Berry said of the website she created to receive applications.

Berry said she was inspired by an essay contest for a bed and breakfast that was won for US$100 in 1993 by a woman named Janice Sage. Sage wrote a 250-word essay that demonstrated her culinary and hospitality savvy, and her ability to care for the inn. She recently decided to retire and give the inn away by holding another essay contest. She netted US$906,875.

A few people have raised questions about the legality of giving away homes through a raffle - especially when the owners can pull in a significant amount of money. Under Virginia law, the essay contest for Rock Spring Farm doesn't qualify as charitable gaming, said Michael Menefee, programme manager of the state Office of Charitable and Regulatory Programmes. Essex County Commonwealth's attorney Vince Donoghue said that "the matter is under review".

But, he added, he isn't treating the issue as if the family has malicious intentions.

Essays for the farm must be postmarked by October 1. The couple will select 25 finalists and pass the essays along to a panel of three judges - an educator, a hobby farmer and a horse enthusiast - who will select a winner on November 26. They're hoping to receive 5000 essays, for a total of US$1 million.

"The opening paragraph has to grab you," Berry said. "It has to say 'read me.' No spelling, writing, grammar mistakes. And they have to spell out how they'll take care of the farm."

If the couple don't receive the anticipated number of essays (or something close to it), they will list the property, valued at US$600,000 - and return the money.

So far, the dreams their entrants have for the property span a wide range: an alpaca farm, an organic garden, a wedding venue, a therapeutic horse-riding centre for people with mental health issues.

"I don't want to end up selling the farm 10 years from now, when I'm totally unable to take care of it, and it's run down," Silvers said. "Now's the time, when it's still a happy place, to let someone else start enjoying it."

The contest rules

Carolyn Berry, co-owner

In no more than 1000 words, write your story and make it a bestseller! How will winning the essay contest impact your life? Tell us about your animals, if any. Why do you love them and your hobby? How did you get started with your hobby?

Why do you want to own and live on a farm in rural Essex County, Virginia?

Provide enough details to let us know that you have the ability to care for the animals and the farm.

The rules:

Entrants must be 18 or older. Each entry must be accompanied by a bank cashier's cheque or money order in the amount of US$200 ($303).

The judges of the contest, owners, sponsors and the immediate families of those previously mentioned may not participate.

The judges:

The owners of Rock Spring Farm will select the top 25 essays.

These 25 essays will be judged by
a panel of current/retired educators, hobby farmers and horse enthusiasts.

Essays will be judged, using a rubric, on the basis of creativity, thought, passion for the animals, if any, and the land, and the conveyance of capability and desire to own a hobby farm and live in a rural area.