One 21st century tool I have made use of while looking for- and now starting- our lil piece of the dream has been google map/google earth. It's not our mothers google any more folks! In addition to the basic directions & street view functions, you can find elevations and contour, measure distances, experiment with layout of features on your farm, and in some areas, even see old views of the land.
Google earth pro has added features, and decided to no longer charge for the product. I am still exploring its features, but this first day out of the gate with it, I was able to see how a section of land I've been evaluating has been used for the last 25 years. It was fun to see the shift from paddock to tree lot and back again. And I didn't have to glean that info from a chance encounter at the feed store.
I hope the tool can help someone else with their homesteading dreams & designs, so I've included a link to the product download.
http://www.google.com/intl/en/earth/download/gep/agree.html
