Best areas of the country for homesteading?

Wisconsin Lisa · #21 05/13/06, 10:40 AM

I'm living in West Central Wisconsin right now, and will be moving shortly. Our place with 20 acres is going up for sale ASAP. If you're interested, let me know.

MTNwomanAR · #22 05/13/06, 09:21 PM

Qwispea, I've killed a couple of pretty good sized Timber rattlers close to my home....also, we have VERY high humidity, ticks, chiggers, mountain lions, etc....................so maybe arkansas isn't for you????????????????

ET1 SS · #23 05/13/06, 09:58 PM

MTNwomanAR-

LOL

None of those [rattlers, have VERY high humidity, ticks, chiggers, mountain lions] around here.

Just a bit of snow in the win-tah.

Obser · #24 05/13/06, 10:25 PM

MTNwoman, you may have the right idea. Let's help the "Arkansas Detractors" desuade people from moving here. I have been unfair by saying nice things about the state.

Snakes are encouraged because they constitute a substantial portion of our protein intake (since the land is so poor that we can't raise crops or livestock). None of the snakes are large enough to eat full grown humans though.

Land prices have gone up a little recently and some people are selling out and moving to California for cheaper housing.

Last winter was so cold that the outhouse froze solid. It will probably be alright come spring thaw, which usually happens in a few weeks, but it might be a little messy for a while.

To get an idea what we are really like, take a look at http://boortz.com/more/funny/redneck...ialforces.html
That's me in the middle. Click on the index then follow any of the links for more representative pictures.

MTNwomanAR · #25 05/13/06, 11:10 PM

ET, I sometimes wish we had more snow........... as a photographer I love taking pictures of the snow......
Obser, yep, we don't want TOO many folks moving here......

Actually, more homesteading type folks wouldn't be bad.............but we can CERTainly do without all those 'uber rich' type people moving here................NW Arkansas is being over run by hog fans, wally world corporate types, etc....

Land has gotten really ridiculous...and I'm SO glad that I've gotten mine paid for...................and am doubly glad that I live in the middle of the woods.

MarleneS · #26 05/13/06, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qwispea

Hi Mayfair..and welcome to Homesteading Today.

I'd suggest Michigan..but you probably already have a fairly accurate idea of Michigan's climate/habitat/land, since you mentioned Western Wisconsin.

But Oregon also is also nice..as is Missouri/Kansas. North Carolina is also very nice. There are many homesteaders in these states who don't make a big deal of their 'homesteading' adventures. They just go along each day..doing their chores..tending to their critters and their gardens..and they don't make a lot of noise about it. Take a hint..and visit several different homesteading forums. You can find others if you use 'google'. Those who boast the most may be the ones you want to avoid..as having boasters as neighbors eventually tends to become a burden.

In my opinion..Beware of Arkansas. They definitely have poisonous snakes in Arkansas..including the Western Diamondback rattlesnake, the pygmy (ground) rattlesnake, and the timber rattlesnake. Other poisonous snakes that can be encountered in Arkansas include the coral snake, the copperhead snake, and the cottonmouth snake.
Here..I am providing an informative link which provides details and pictures on all six species of poisonous snakes that can be found in Arkansas:

(Just 'click' this link) http://www.hsu.edu/content.aspx?id=3575

Again..welcome!

I think to be fair, the distribution map would show that most of those poisonous snakes are spread out over a VERY large area, and not JUST in Arkansas. I know that rattlesnakes are also found in Georgia, Louisiana, and California(just from personal experience). I'm not sure how far north they range, but I'd bet most of them don't stop at the Arkansas state line, either.

As for the coral snake, it's probably limited to the swamps in the far southern part of the state(and it's probably extremely rare there, too).

If you want to avoid rattlesnakes, that will rule out a LARGE part of the continental US.

FourDeuce

ET1 SS · #27 05/14/06, 09:07 AM

I found this map showing the 'timber rattler' habitat:

Best areas of the country for homesteading? - Homesteading Questions

Quote:

The range of the timber rattler extends from southern New Hampshire south through the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia and west to southwestern Wisconsin and northeastern Texas. Populations were once found on Long Island and in most mountainous and hilly areas of New York State, except in the higher elevations of the Adirondacks, Catskills and Tug Hill region. They are now found in isolated populations in southeastern New York, the Southern Tier and in the peripheral eastern Adirondacks.

It would seem that many state fish and game websites list rattlesnakes as being populous in their areas. tough I could not find a nationwide map showing the known habitat area of the diamond back rattler.

jnap31 · #28 05/14/06, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTNwomanAR

Qwispea, I've killed a couple of pretty good sized Timber rattlers close to my home....also, we have VERY high humidity, ticks, chiggers, mountain lions, etc....................so maybe arkansas isn't for you????????????????

You forgot the bears you are 10 miles from me and you know how they get into trash cans and everything, cant keep bees unless they are on a 15ft platform or in a study electric fence.

jnap31 · #29 05/14/06, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Obser

MTNwoman, you may have the right idea. Let's help the "Arkansas Detractors" desuade people from moving here. I have been unfair by saying nice things about the state.
Your right we have been dwelling on all the positives and ignoring the negatives The ticks and chiggers are absolutly horrible, wasps/yellow jackets/hornets everywhere predators galore and Drought in the summer humidity is stiffiling makes m ewant to go back to the equator for relief. You cant grow kiwi and many things because of flunctuating temps in the winter it can be 70 in jan and then the next day 0 Lot sof times things bloom early and frost kills them, lots of nasty blight on fruit trees, horrible clay soil, forest fires on occasion. And the Bears oh My why do I even stay there I think I need to move to a better place. Dont forget the occasional snow and ice storms in the winter.And the meth drugs made in all those defunct factory chicken farms.

Snakes are encouraged because they constitute a substantial portion of our protein intake (since the land is so poor that we can't raise crops or livestock). None of the snakes are large enough to eat full grown humans though.
Maybe not humans but some of those black snakes that get about 10 ft long and as big around as my arm can do a number on the poultry
Land prices have gone up a little recently and some people are selling out and moving to California for cheaper housing.
That is an understatement my neighbor bought 50 acres for 500 an acre just 10 years ago and now a lot of it appraised at 3k an acre.
Last winter was so cold that the outhouse froze solid. It will probably be alright come spring thaw, which usually happens in a few weeks, but it might be a little messy for a while. BRRRR Kosovo does not hav eanything on the colder AR days.

To get an idea what we are really like, take a look at http://boortz.com/more/funny/redneck...ialforces.html
That's me in the middle. Click on the index then follow any of the links for more representative pictures.

Now if those pictures are in the spring they may decieve you everyone takes photos in the spring when everything is green but by the summer lack of water a lot of years causes stuff to turn brown and makes it hard to garden with out irrigation or mulch. Sure it is pretty in the fall for 2 weeks or so but a lot of places are better.
One of the worst things is the 10% sales tax on all goods really hits hard before the fuel increase I was thinking of driving 2 hours to MO or OK to stock up buty now it is a lose lose situation I may just have to be a poor AR dirt farmer making little more than a subsistence living. Sorry we led you all on ealier singing the false praises and all. This is the real AR.
p.s I saw someone in my unit who had a black necrotic finger from a brown recluse bite some people tell me they are everywhere in theri homes and cant get rid of them Black widows must be the state spiders they are everywhere.

Twogun · #30 05/14/06, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ET1 SS

It would seem that many state fish and game websites list rattlesnakes as being populous in their areas. tough I could not find a nationwide map showing the known habitat area of the diamond back rattler.

There is an Eastern Diamondback (southeast USA: from the Carolinas to Louisiana) and a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake ( Southwest USA: from Arkansas thru TX. New Mexico, Arizona to the southern part of California).

spam4einstein · #31 05/14/06, 12:09 PM

I did a little checking. The town in Polk County TN is Benton. Tons of riverfront property and right on the edge of the national forest. Will be an amazing investment as similar vacation land 40 miles away is selling for 25k. In benton it can be had for about 2k and benton is in a better location, just not discovered by the buyers.
Good luck with your search.

MTNwomanAR · #32 05/15/06, 07:18 PM

Jnap...-as I bash my head on the table-how on earth could I forget the bears??? I've had em come in my house, while I was at work....and carry off a 20 lb bag of dog food, and NOT spill a drop!!!

ET1 SS · #33 05/15/06, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spam4einstein

I did a little checking. The town in Polk County TN is Benton. Tons of riverfront property and right on the edge of the national forest. Will be an amazing investment as similar vacation land 40 miles away is selling for 25k. In benton it can be had for about 2k and benton is in a better location, just not discovered by the buyers.
Good luck with your search.

Riverfrontage adjacent to a National Forest selling at $2k per acre?

Not bad I guess.

Is this land thickly forested?

My property is not adjacent to a National Forest but it is riverfrontage forest, I got it for $900 per acre.

spam4einstein · #34 05/15/06, 07:55 PM

No, adjacent I guess would be higher.
Im ment the town is on the edge of the forest, but Im sure there is plenty bordering Nat forest available. Bordering Nt. forest tends to drive the price up here about 10-20%.
There are bears here.
If it were up to me I would sell my overpriced 7 acres and get a decent size tract somewhere else. But my wife wants to be near her mom, so were stuck paying 25k and acre when the same pretty land can be had 50 miles away in Polk county, TN for $1,500 acre. Thats just because a bunch of weathy retirees "found" this place. Even though there are areas better located and just as pretty. There isnt any logic to it. Dont be a sheep and you will do well!