Want to start a small farm

Definitely look in AZ. Land is cheap in southeast AZ and might be an IBM office near Tucson (about an hour's drive from there from the southeast). Lots of fertile land and good climate with water and electricity nearby at reasonable rates. Good growing weather for about 7 months of the year. Good luck.

But isn't there a HUGE issue about water (or lack thereof?). I have looked extensively at properties in the Soutwest, everywhere from Ely, Nevada, Grants, New Mexico, Deming, New Mexico, San Juan Valley, Colorado, etc., etc., and in each case there were serious issues surrounding water usage. The land might be fertile, but if you cannot irrigate or water your plants, it is pretty useless.

I advise anyone looking at land in the SW to talk with the water management people in that county before making a decision. It can be a very eye-opening experience.

donsgal

It is a pity you have to be within a certain distance of Atlanta as there is land around where we bought our property in western NC.

In fact we recieved an email listing for a 1900's farmhouse on 20 acres(mostly pasture) near our land for $179,000.

It actually made me ponder for a little IF we could somehow swing the cost and buy it....

Africanner....
Constant headaches sounds like a tolerance thing. Try to give up the processed stuff, the fake sugars, etc. American companies put unbelievable things in their food and you could become allergic if you let it go on for too long. I had headaches for 2 years from a few months of Splenda, and I am American! (but I don't eat fast food or much processed food)
Go back to a simple diet, you will feel better. Most Americans don't know how to eat. AND stay out of soul food joints in ATL, they are just as bad!!

__________________
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

It is a plant that generates massive amounts of plant oil from its seed - there is one variant in Mexico and the South West that is edible - so you can use the pressed seed as feed for cattle and the oil to power 'n generator or diesel car.

afrikaner look at Commerce Georgia or BAnks County. You would have a hour commute and some land up there is still going for $2000 an acre.

Kenneth in NC

Thank you everyone for the kind advice! I will defenitely explore all the options mentioned. As mentioned earlier, I want to stay within striking distance of Atlanta - to keep my current job while wife and parents fire up the hom business - starting to look into alpaca's (LOTS of research still) and guinea fowl (had a ton of them back in Africa). This is a really exciting time for me and the family. Personally, I've never owned property (still a young lad) and the wife never got to experience farm living like I did. I remember getting up in the mornings at 4:30 to make fire under a 210 liter diesel drum full of water to heat shower water and running around the farm with my .22 after school. Also remember herding the school principal's sheep before class every morning. Ahhhh brings tears to my eyes. I don't miss the corporal punishment, but I realize without it - I'd be a little monster today!

Water might not be a big problen if he raises mostly jatropha plants for making biodiesel. From my reading I found that they have a very deep tap root and do well in dry climates.

I'm talking with some people to start a small homesteading community. That way we can split the cost of the land and all work together to build houses, barns, etc. I'm mainly looking in Oklahoma because of the low taxes and land prices. Group homesteading might be the way you could afford to move into a rural part of Georgia.