Questions about rural (mostly NE) Nevada

JWK · #1 02/21/10, 10:18 AM

My wife and I are looking to relocate in the next year or so. We have enough money to buy a modest place outright. We are looking mostly right now at the mid-southern areas (MO, KY, TN, etc.) and at rural Nevada. I did spend some time in northern Nevada over ten years ago. I really liked some things about that.

It's hard to find anything much on the internet about this area. It's probably because it is so sparsely populated. Does anyone here have any experience with the great basin area of Nevada? I know there are places where you can drill a well fairly easily. That makes me wonder about other things. Can you get reasonably priced land where you could actually grow some hay? What is the growing season like (when does it begin, end)? Can you grow any kind of fruit trees?

I have a lot more questions, but I don't really know where to go for the answers. Our goal, no matter where we end up, is to find a place where we can have some typical livestock (chickens, goats, sheep, pigs, rabbits) and be able to raise some hay for these animals. We would like to grow as much of our own food as possible, so the concern for fruit trees, berry bushes, etc. is a factor.

I love rural Nevada, but I don't know if I could live there permanantly for all the things we wish to have. Can anyone help me out with some info, experience, links to more info, etc.?

We live in central NY and we can't take the long, snowy, cloudy winters anymore.

SFM in KY · #2 02/21/10, 10:47 AM

I lived in southern Nevada for a number of years ... many years ago. Years later, I was considering relocating and did look some at areas in Utah and a little in Nevada. Problems are similar ... desert and lack of water. Almost everywhere I looked, the issue was irrigation water and the water rights. I don't know about wells in any specific area, either depth or production figures, but with a very few exceptions you can not raise any kind of crops or establish permanent pastures without access to adequate irrigation.

I suspect that you would not be likely to find anyplace that you could drill a well that would provide enough water for more than household/garden use. There may also be restrictions on the drilling of new wells ... that is a fairly recent situation and I've never had it to deal with, but there are areas I understand this is happening.

If you are seriously considering the area, I'd talk seriously to several real estate agents that specialize in rural/ agricultural property ... and possibly to local County agriculture agents in the area as well.

Freeholder · #3 02/21/10, 08:00 PM

Okay, I've never lived in Nevada, but the climate where we are is pretty similar (we are near the northwest corner of Nevada). And I've corresponded with a friend who lives in Elko about that area. The Elko area does have good water that's not terribly deep. If you get away from Elko, that may not be the case. Yes, you can drill a well on your own property and get enough water for household use, but you have to get a special permit (probably expensive) for an irrigation well.The elevation is higher than here (we are at 4200 feet) so their growing season is even shorter than our short one. You can grow a few kinds of fruit trees there if they are watered; most kinds of hardy berries should grow there.

If you are having trouble with the winters in New York, you might want to keep track of the Nevada weather for a while before making a decision. They won't normally get as much snow as New York, but winters are long and can be pretty cold. Also can be quite windy.

You might want to travel out with your wife at this time of year and see what you think before making a decision.

Kathleen

pamda · #4 02/21/10, 08:54 PM

I lived in Jackpot for several years (just outside of Idaho). The water there is good,not deep. The weather is like alot of high desert areas..hot.. cold and always windy. If it stops blowing you will wake up in the night wondering what is going on,lol. One year it snowed 2 inches on..4th of July!!!

phrogpharmer · #5 02/21/10, 11:07 PM

I live near NE Nevada, it is a beautifu area, open, stark, clean, and mostly empty of people. It would be extremely difficult to have a self sufficient homestead on a small acereage there. The growing season is short and the water situation is sketchy at best. That said, if all you want is a garden, fruit trees, and some hay ground, you might look for irrigated land in Clover Valley, or Starr Valley, Beowawe, or maybe Montello.

JWK · #6 02/22/10, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueJuniperFarm

Okay, I've never lived in Nevada, but the climate where we are is pretty similar (we are near the northwest corner of Nevada). And I've corresponded with a friend who lives in Elko about that area. The Elko area does have good water that's not terribly deep. If you get away from Elko, that may not be the case. Yes, you can drill a well on your own property and get enough water for household use, but you have to get a special permit (probably expensive) for an irrigation well.The elevation is higher than here (we are at 4200 feet) so their growing season is even shorter than our short one. You can grow a few kinds of fruit trees there if they are watered; most kinds of hardy berries should grow there.

If you are having trouble with the winters in New York, you might want to keep track of the Nevada weather for a while before making a decision. They won't normally get as much snow as New York, but winters are long and can be pretty cold. Also can be quite windy.

You might want to travel out with your wife at this time of year and see what you think before making a decision.

Kathleen

Yeah, I think it's going to be too cold. I've been studying the hardiness zone charts and forgot that the Carson Valley (where I lived) is a lot warmer than out east toward Elko and Wells. The winter would be a lot easier to take because of so much more sun, but we really want to get away from long winters - BUT we still want winter! Ha ha ha ha! Isn't that weird?

Anyway, we figure we would like to be in a place where you can put the tomatoes in the ground sometime in the first half of May (hopefully toward the beginning) instead of June 1st, like we do around here.

Thanks to all for the feedback. I do miss being out west a lot of the time. I just don't want to be that cold for that long!

Makes me laugh when I read the N. Dakota thread. I'm a wimp!