A North Carolina woman wants to give her 13-acre organic farm away to a couple who wins her essay contest.

Architect-turned farmer Norma Burns has owned Bluebird Hill Farm in Bennett for 18 years, but says she is ready to return to Raleigh for a more urban life.

Before she does so, she wants to leave her farm in the hands of a 'committed couple,' which is why she is calling for 200-word essays from people about why they want to own the farm.

The owner of an organic farm in North Carolina is giving it away to the winners of a 200-word essay contest

'To me, there's no better calling in life than raising organic food,' Burns said. I’m looking for a like-minded couple who have experience and training in organic farming and are willing and able to put in the long days and hard work that farming requires.'

Norma Burns has run the farm for 18 years, but is moving back to Raleigh

Burns said that she's looking for a couple to run the farm because 'experience has shown that Bluebird Hill Farm can't be operated successfully by a single individual'.

Burns ran the farm with her husband, North Carolina State University Professor Bob Burns, until his death in 2005.

'When my late husband [NCSU Professor Bob Burns] and I purchased the farm, it was a derelict property,' she said, 'a barn without a roof, a neglected house, and abandoned gardens. After nearly 18 years of work, love, and care, the farm has become what we envisioned it to be. It would mean so much to me to see it in the care of someone committed to its continued improvement.”

The winning couple will get the title to the farm, worth about $450,000. A $300 entry fee is required and a panel of judges - including an attorney, a conservationist and an agricultural professional - will choose the winners. Burns herself will not be involved in the selection of the winning couple. The deadline is June 1 and the winners will be announced June 30.

More information is available at http://www.bluebirdhillfarmessaycontest.com/