Need some clarification of conditions before providing advice.....is this an enclosed sewer line/pipe or a septic system or leach field? It will make a big difference on how easily the area in question can be worked and what can be grown. And even if a leach field, some edible crops can be grown. I'd just avoid any root vegetables or leaf crops but things like squashes, beans/peas, corn or tomatoes can be grown and safely eaten.

I need clarification. Is the sewer line [easement] on the 33 acre plot or on the 10 acre or 8 acre sections? Might depend on the cost of the land. You say it is next to another acreage that you also want to buy that has a water source. Any barter point in that purchase by buying acreage that is compromised by a utility easement? I would also wonder how old the sewer pipes are and what they are made of. If old, they may break. I also wonder if these pipes are subject to periodic cleaning/inspection by the utility company. Can you configure your farming use to leave the easement clear.... say use it for a roadway thru the land? Also one wonders what other "surprises" there are in this deal.

A septic system drain field or leach field would not have manholes (access to the pipes) built into them so that pipe line may be part of some means of moving a liquid from point A to point B. Check at your local governments offices to find out what it is since they will have the records on that.

Could be a line that was put in by owner in anticipation of residential development. If so it would be unused. If it is used then obviously the owner or former owner gave a utility easement. Such an easement would require upkeep by the utility; if they fail in that they would liable to damages.

A utility easement I should think would considerably decrease the value of vacant land.

why not ask the landowner what it is?

Caveat emptor aside, the easement may not have been deeded-granted over to the utility if the developer was on the hook to put it in. Regardless, the OP should be asking questions rather than speculating on a garden forum without adequate information.

Dan

like i said it is a sewer line it carries peoples poop, its a 4-6" pipe burried 5 ft under the field it comes from the west part of town and goes to a lagoon on the other side of the creek than gets treated and pumped to a near by river,problem is the manhole cover in the middle of the field was not on fully and had a bunch of garbage hangin out of it like the sewer backed up or flooded and popped the cover off, and like said it is on the 8 acre field that is part of the 33 acre farm next to the 10 i just bought i wanted to buy it because it is attached to mine but now i dnt know... i surely am not payin 2000 an acre for a sewer line

In that case, providing there are no utility easements, you can plant whatever you want. I'd be careful about using any heavy equipment over this area and no-till methods are promoted anyway for organic gardening. Avoid the manhole cover (obviously) and any plants that have roots that are deeply penetrating (very few) or water seekers (willows, poplars, some maples, etc) and you are good to go.

An enclosed, structurally sound sewer pipe poses no issues to the safety of any edible plants grown in its immediate vicinity.

This is why you go the exta mile (and cost) to purchase land using an attorney who does a title search (very important!) and scouts out property maps which show any easements on the land plus insisting on full disclosure of any problems associated with it. Did you have a survey done of the property before buying it? This would have shown the manhole cover and alerted you to the situation. If the sewer line leads to a municipal treatment plant then it must be involved in some manner and I would ask them to test the soil around the cover for signs of sewage.

There are likely easements and who knows if there are deed restrictions but the OP can go down to the Assessor's Office (or perhaps they are on-line in that state) and look at the parcel and see where are the easements-restrictions, etc. I would certainly test the soil with a good lab in several places to look for metals and other goop.

But a pipe at that depth shouldn't be an issue for farming, but an easement bisecting the parcel will make cropping and harvesting more interesting, surely.

Dan

Since you do not know the history of the property a visit or call to the local FSA and/or DNR offices should be in order. The main thing you are looking for is enrollment of the property in any programs and if the land contains or is considered wetlands. Although it is not likely, but since you apparently did not look over the land before purchasing, you would have noticed the sewer towers, you probably did not look at the paperwork carefully either. If the paperwork had a cause that you were to continue any ag practices you will liable for any penalties owed by the original owners, no matter how far back they are.

If you have not contacted the sewer company about the loose lid do so quickly. Again if the lids will keep the sewerage in and if it was known and not reported there is nothing that you can do about it without spending a very large chunk of money on a lawsuit that you would not win.