[EricG]

I have a possibility of finding a decent paying job in the Philadelphia Miss. area. From what I can tell its a pretty rural area, with a casino and some new race track going in. Is anyone here familiar with that area? What can you tell me about it as far as being a place to raise a family, climate, soil, growing conditions, hunting & fishing, availability of land / hobby farm /homestead type properties etc.. Really any info is appeciated 'cause it's all news to me.

Thanks,

Eric

 

[countrygurl]

hello & welcome
I am in sw, mississippi i think you are more central or north?
we moved from suburbs of new orleans and this was the best thing we ever did.
we have 39 acres mostly woods except around the house we have the veggie garden & farm animals chickens turkeys quail rabbits ect i also bottle raise calves
and sell them at weaning thats fun! the only thing we miss from louisiana is the great food poboys & seafood even thou we are only 2 hours away the flavor isnt here lol so we bring it ourselves!!! we get some strange looks we when sit on the tailgate of the truck by the pond in the yard and shuck oysters yum yum

the pace is a lot slower and everything stops for hunting season (mississippi has some of the best hunting and fishing around) we area are you moving from?
we enjoy the smaller school system and you really get to know your neighbors you share what you have excess of and in return you get 10 fold if not in actual then in the heart (which is better anyway) every community is different so i would suggest just get out there one weekend & drive around and introduce yourself to people
and see what happens always go with your gut feeling. contact a local realtor he/she will show you around also pick up local newspaper to get a feel of the area. ask plenty of questions


best wishes

 

[charles]

"What can you tell me about it as far as being a place to raise a family, climate, soil, growing conditions, hunting & fishing, availability of land / hobby farm /homestead type properties"

Most all of Mississippi is rural. Even the few "big" towns are less that 200,000 population. It is the best place I have lived and a great place to raise a family. There are churches on every corner and traditional values permeate everything. Here, even those that are corrupt by nature can be shamed. Thievery is small time. We homeschool without hassle from the State.

Sales taxes are about 8 percent and are applied to everything. Property taxes are cheap and there is a decent homestead exemption. Local communities still run themselves here. Local elections are important. Cops are your neighbors.

Philadelphia is a decently kept-up small town (not so small for Mississippi). The nearby Choctaw indian reservation has gambling which is bringing in bucks and industry into the area. Winters are very mild with light frosts (usually), usually enough to kill the bugs. Spring seems to quick and variable, Fall is about right. Summer - well, its the south. Hot and humidm especially July and August. Rain, probably about 50 inches or less per year in Philadelphia. Erratic drought some years for say August-September. I treat July and August like winter elsewhere - you work inside. Soil varies alot but doesnt seem to determine as much what you can grow. The summer heat is a killer for some crops more common up north. The hunting and fishing is the best anywhere I've ever been. Mostly restricted to bass, crappie (in the bigger lakes) bream and catfish. There are too many deer. Turkey have become plentiful again. Not much quail (too much forests nowadays), some dove. There is an open season on northerners (joke).

Land and property are widely available. Best prices are had by living in a place awhile and getting to know local people who will sell to you are better prices.

 

[LSL]

Not trying to be negative, but the other side of MS includes gumbo clay esp. in the winter when it seems to rain ALL the time (some areas of MS have loam--sorry don't know about Philadelphia), tornados spring and fall, snakes, high humidity which is very debilitating to some in the summer, high allergen counts most of the year including molds resulting in higher incidents of asthma, allergies and sinus problems; and one of my favorites, being an outdoors person, fire ants. Not sure if these things will be a problem, but you might want to keep them in mind. Price of land has risen a lot in the past 10 years and esp. has gone up around the casinos. but compared to the rest of the country it's often a bargain. Stay away from the areas with higher population growth like Jackson, the Coast and Vicksburg as traffic is getting pretty bad and land is out of sight. Property taxes depend on the county. On the more positive side, MS has some very interesting history and people. The growing season is about year round from middle of the state south and tomatos and melons grow great (if the blight and mold don't get 'em!).

 

[Zack]

I think Mississippi would be one of your best bets for homesteading.

Schools can be a problem in some areas but home schooling is welcomed by the state.

Finding contractors can be a problem in small towns, they want top dollar for poor work.
The guys that are good are booked and charge 30% more than a city contractor.

Some people find the white black relations hard to get used too.

Gainful Employment can be a problem.

Hunting and fishing are some of the best in the country.

Soil will support most anything that can take the heat. Tends to be on the acid side.
I have no gumbo clay in my area, SW. Its all red clay with some sand covered by 12'’ - 18'’ of top soil. Good for building.

Taxes are on the low side
land is going up in my area but still cheap by national standards.

Good family environment with church being a big part of the culture.
Most of my neighbors families as well as my family have been there well over 100 years.

http://msucares.com/

http://www.mdac.state.ms.us/Library/Published/MarketBulletin/MarketBulletin.asp

 

[countrygurl]

hello zack,
glad to hear you are still around, things are going good over here. we have been busy bottle raising holstein steers and selling when they are weaned and are about 8 weeks old. we jsut finished 19 and started over again we have 5 babies and adding. hope everything is going well for you & family

happy holidays

 

[Zack]

Hey countrygurl

Things or going slowly but ok.
We rented a house next to my place before the wife got pneumonia. We are cutting timber now and I got one pond stocked so rooman can go fishing one day.
lost most of my chickens to a bob cat but a car solved that problem for me
also have wolfs and coyotes in the area still
I am about to order some turkeys and layers for the spring.

The only problem is I am still working in Houston

How is the worm biz working out for you?
I may come pick up a few ponds from you next trip over.

 

[countrygurl]

hope you wife is feeling better, cody my youngest just got over the flu. i will have baby turkeys in spring soon as hen start laying i will be hatching the eggs. wormsa are going good had a pack of wild dogs move through killed a couple of turk, chicken and killed 2 young calves and a goose the wild dogs didnt even eat their prey just killed!
happy holidays

 

[driftwood]

I have a possibility of finding a decent paying job in the Philadelphia Miss. area. From what I can tell its a pretty rural area, with a casino and some new race track going in. Is anyone here familiar with that area? What can you tell me about it as far as being a place to raise a family, climate, soil, growing conditions, hunting & fishing, availability of land / hobby farm /homestead type properties etc.. Really any info is appeciated 'cause it's all news to me.

Thanks,

Eric

eric
quite a few years ago i worked there. i enjoyed the people & the town. the country is beautiful & the people are nice. if you need to shop in a big town meridian is only about 30-40 minutes away
hope this helps wally

 

[Reauxman]

Hey countrygurl

I got one pond stocked so rooman can go fishing one day.
.

Whats this about? Have more places to fish than I will ever use.
Roo
BTW-one happens to be in magnolia-great brim and bass-2 ponds-rarely fished