Homesteading in Idaho? Which area of Idaho.....

rosehaven · #1 03/21/14, 02:27 PM

We are looking to move to Idaho in the fall. Homesteading is our way of life and I would like to know if anyone homesteading, area recommendations, soil, water, etc. Thanks for your time.

LisaInN.Idaho · #2 03/21/14, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rosehaven

We are looking to move to Idaho in the fall. Homesteading is our way of life and I would like to know if anyone homesteading, area recommendations, soil, water, etc. Thanks for your time.

Idaho is a pretty big place. Can you narrow it down?

rosehaven · #3 03/21/14, 02:57 PM

need info from people who have lived there and can give us pros/cons.

Thanks and God bless.

LisaInN.Idaho · #4 03/21/14, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rosehaven

need info from people who have lived there and can give us pros/cons.

Thanks and God bless.

I live in northern Idaho.
Pros: it's very beautiful

Cons:
Winters begin early and end late. Lots of snow and days with temps down to -30 at times. Summers very warm and dry with temps up to 100.
Short growing season

Extremely poor job market. If you don't bring your own job with you, employment prospects are very poor.

Land is very expensive

rosehaven · #5 03/21/14, 03:16 PM

his job with him. He works from home so that is a huge plus.

We homeschool and homestead. Thanks for any info.

Blessings

LisaInN.Idaho · #6 03/21/14, 03:21 PM

http://www.city-data.com/forum/idaho/

Lots of info here.

copperpennykids · #7 03/23/14, 01:45 AM

If you are coming up by Coeur d Alene, then I recommend that you purchase in Bonner County. Lower taxes and less government interference. Folks in Kootenai County (CDA) are fighting Agenda 21 stuff - their land is no longer going to be able to be used for livestock - even on acreage.

Homeschooling is extremely common in Idaho -

Check on areas for microclimates (I get a month on either end of the growing season that my gf 20 miles away does not get.)

If your husband uses internet for his job really find out where he gets good coverage.

MichaelK! · #8 03/23/14, 12:29 PM

I used to live in Idaho, and really resented all the Californians coming up north to buy land. So, I decided to move to California and buy the cheap land they were all vacating.

Getting back to Idaho, my personal experience is with north Idaho. Great hunting, COLD winters, and few jobs outside of the mining and timber industries.

Molly Mckee · #9 03/23/14, 02:56 PM

There are micro climates, as someone else has said. We live 8 miles from the ID border, and we have about six weeks more between last and first frost than our friends 3 miles down the road. Our elevation is 3000 feet, theirs 2200. Elevation and location in relationship to mountains makes real differences. Cell phones and hi speed internet coverage can be spotty in very short distances. Our DD lives less than a mile from us--neither work at her house, we have great coverage. If you need either you really should physically check it out before you buy anything.
Water rights are important in the west. Be sure you know what they are before you buy. You may not be able to use the creek flowing on your property.

rhaige9 · #10 03/23/14, 11:42 PM

I'm in South Central Idaho. I love it here. Summers can be brutally hot, winters can dump tons of snow and serious -0 temps, or like like last winter we never even plowed the driveway and now we're worried about water for irrigating this summer. Soil is sandy and grows lava rock like none other. The wind always blows; last week we had 18 wheelers being blown over crossing the Snake River into Twin Falls. Last year we had late frosts in the spring and early frosts in the fall so none of my tomatoes got red. The fruit trees for the second year in a row were hit and miss for fruits, sometimes even on the same street. The grass comes up lush and green in the pastures if you can keep it irrigated, make sure your ground comes with water rights. If you don't have a 4 wheel drive vehicle, get one. My neighbors are friendly and helpful, and a lot of people round here will give everything to help a stranger. A lot of people are too ignorant to talk to and you can't change their good 'ole boy way of thinking. It's beautiful wild country in a few places still and lots of open sagebrush, high desert.