Abandoned Farms Are a Hidden Resource for Restoring Biodiversity A billion acres of old farmland—an area half the size of Australia—has fallen out of use.

Italy’s one-euro-home sales have been attracting a lot of interest over the past few years, with dozens opting to snap up abandoned properties in some of the country’s depopulated towns.

A California woman, taking advantage of an ever-increasing opportunity in Europe, bought three crumbling homes in a small Italian town in 2019 for $3.30 combined — and is now fixing them up.