Michial Trayler Although my knowledge is old, Texas deserves a close look as the state has some really unique homesteading laws that favor the homesteader. Oklahoma and Arkansas are also worth a second look.
38 minutes ago · ·
Rebecca Ferguson try north arkansas or the middle of the state
Sunday at 9:12pm · ·
Gabriel Swindler
I live in Texas. I've lived in multiple areas of this state my whole life.
You said: "we don't hear much about homesteading in the southern states. Any thoughts our opinions on why this is? "
- Texans who homestead - I've notice .. f
You said: "we don't hear much about homesteading in the southern states. Any thoughts our opinions on why this is? "
- Texans who homestead - I've notice .. f
or the most part, keep to themselves. The locals in the south can be pretty inexpressive - especially when it comes to talking to people they don't know on the internet. Maybe their afraid of being themselves.. who knows.
It's 100% doable to homestead in Texas.. especially in areas of the state that get more rainfall.
Did you have any specific questions? Tell me about yourself, what are you intentions / goals? Maybe I could point you to a good area to go to. (feel free to message me privately if you wish)
Best of luck to you,
It's 100% doable to homestead in Texas.. especially in areas of the state that get more rainfall.
Did you have any specific questions? Tell me about yourself, what are you intentions / goals? Maybe I could point you to a good area to go to. (feel free to message me privately if you wish)
Best of luck to you,
Katie Beard it may be that its not news for people in the south. hunting, fishing, gardening, etc... has just always been a common way of life.
Sunday at 10:39am · · 1
- David W. Reed Texas here~
Morgan Michelle How is the drought/water? We're hoping to have a pond/water source on our land but I don't know if that's rare or not.
David W. Reed right now there water but that may not always be, last year a great amount of our state parks dried up in that drought
Jesse Mabry Us western states don't get much snow either.....but we've got lotsa water up here! I'm neva eva eva leavin this place........
Jesse Mabry I live in Western Washington..I like some of Oregon too..... more temperate than the eastern side..which has the 4 seasons....I prefer to stay near water....even if it means cooler weather....but I can grow green food outside all year....lots of snow in the mountains....not so much in the lowlands...where I'm at.......I've been thinking of getting a small amount of land for an orchard in Eastern Wa...b/c it just doesn't get hot enough for long enough over here...but I am just learning about the water rights and it is crazy.....Washington doesn't require a well permit for livestock farmers so they can suck as much out of the ground as possible..and Eastern Wa only gets maybe 8 in of rain a year..so those farmers,,the ones with thousands of cattle,, are sucking .aquifers dry...SO....i dunno..so much to learn...what I do know is....water is life..Common Sense Homesteading In recent years, drought has been a big issue throughout much of the south, and this year throughout much of the country. It's difficult to homestead without reliable water in scorching temps.
I think it may be more affordable to live u
p north, too. I had a friend move south recently and she was commenting on how much more expensive everything was. Her grocery bill was over twice as high.
Personally, I'm not a fan of the cockroaches, either - two legged or six legged. The cold kills off the insects up here, but my sister said the roaches she saw when she lived in Florida were almost big enough to saddle and ride like a pony. (She may have exaggerated a little.) The cold drives the slackers south, too. Let's face it, up here, if you don't have your act together and live out in the country, you could freeze to death, get stranded, etc. Going rustic in the northwoods is not for the timid or the lazy. I think that appeals to many of the "back to the land" types. It's less crowded up here, too.
Deborah Luvin-Norton We moved from SE GA to northern Idaho and absolutly love it. Yea we have to shovel snow and plow 3 miles just to get to the road into town, but I wouldn't go back for anything. I will take the moose, deer, elk, and the occasional bear over the roaches anyday. :)
- Becoming Self-Sufficient
I guess it depends on what you consider Southern. Since you're in OH, you probably don't think KY is Southern, but me being in NY found KY to be quite Southern. Have you ever been to TX? If you haven't, *please* visit where you think you
want to live before moving. It is NOT the same environment as OH. I know you don't want a lot of snow, but I would strong suggest somewhere like Souther AR, Northern MS before heading into TX heartland. It is a grassland and acts like a grassland. And I'm not sure why we don't hear about more homesteading down south, but I know it's happening quite a bit. Maybe because they have been doing it so long, they don't know it has a name? Let me know how it goes!
Morgan Michelle Thank you! I'll look into both those places - yeah we were in Austin/Waco for a week in July.
Becoming Self-Sufficient
OK. Glad you visited! I lived north of Dallas for just over a year. The climate wasn't for me. I also lived in KY and have visited tons of places. I like KY. It has little snow, but still has all 4 seasons. Very few nights of 20's or
below. But since I truly don't know what you want, I'm not going to tell you it's The Only Place to be. LOL It isn't. You have to decide that for yourself. Grit magazine has a page in every month for people to write and ask questions of other readers. Pick up a copy and look. You'll see what I mean. You might get a lot more information that way.
Morgan Michelle Wow really? The little snow is good to hear. We pretty much just want to be able to garden year round and not have to cold. We're doing a lot of exploring, even looking into Central America.
Becoming Self-Sufficient Wow, I guess so! You might consider the Pacific Northwest. Aside from the fires they're having now, which is highly unusual, it is a temperate region. Never super hot, never super cold, but always sweater weather. You don't have to live right on the ocean, which will give you a bit more variety. But again, research and visit before you take the plunge.Kim Braman I would wonder about texas, with their extended drought and 109 degree NIGHTS.For myself, I made a decision today. No longer will I wait. By this time next year, I WILL have my own. Maybe in the carolinas or upper georgia or mississippi . Not sure where, but I will be there.
Mountain William you have a two fold problem with texas. the ongoing drought and the ogallala aquifer drying up..
due to these two factors,aint no way i would settle in texas or anywhere in that region.. even in non drought years there simply isnt enough rainfall for a viable small homestead without irrigation..and in a few short years water will be more precious than gold in that region..
Saturday at 8:29pm · · 2
Sarah Maike
I live in southeast Kansas. We had over 110 degree temperatures for 3 months straight and no rain to speak of. It is usually humid during the summer but it was dry and windy. We have had a burn ban for 2 1/2 months now and they are handing
$500 dollar fines for watering your lawn, washing your car during the day, etc. It has cooled down quite a bit but still no rain. A buddy of mine raises cattle near by and he has no food to feed them, he has been using liquid feed, which he had to sell a third of his herd to pay for.Saturday at 11:56pm · · 1
Cindy Naas Stapleton What do y'all think of North CArolina? I want a place where I can still grow apples, so I need a little bit of winter, but I don't like living in the North at all- cold, snow and ice, and the people aren't....Southern.
Dilli Gaff I like the NC, TN, GA triangle area, where they meet up.. Winter but not much, near a 200 day grow season and can grow all winter without much work, warm but not too, no real big worries of natural disasters like some areas, usually plenty of water, can be rural but still within a couple hours to big cities if needed.. land is not the cheapest, but not most expensive either
Kim Braman sounds good to me Dilli! Buy me a place and I will be right there!
Morgan Michelle Yeah, Dilli that sounds awesome :D Sarah Maikeare you still allowed to collect water? Apples sound great but I'd rather have avocados ;D
· 8
Elayna Donielle Watson I live in Texas and know quite a few people who homestead. We actually have a homesteading group where we meet monthly at people's houses and talk about the homesteading projects we are working on, teach each other how to make soap, or show others our coops or gardens. It can get pretty hot in the summer, and that makes it hard to be motivated to get out and work, but it must be done. It really is fun. :)
Sunday at 8:33am · · 7
Susan Smedile Berry Too hot and drought prone. Virginia and North Carolina where we lived for 9 years and homesteaded, are both wonderful.
Sunday at 8:38am · · 4
Sarah Virginia Too hot! We're in Ga but have lived in NC, TN and VA. Homestead in one of those! Chattanooga, TN or Abingdon, VA would be my pick!
George Weaver It is hard to live green when you have to pay for all the water it would take to grow produce .
Sunday at 8:48am · · 5
Stacey Ware Daniels i moved from south florida to north carolina to start my homestead. being from florida i was worried about the snow\cold but it is wonderful here and we only get snow maybe one a year for a couple of days.
Mindy Majireck-Graham i agree, i would think Tennessee, Carolinas, etc. Texas is drought prone, etc. I personally dont do well with heat. and i had to go out in 100 defree heat anf try to work, it would be the death of me. i dont like the 80s of Pennsylvania! plus i dont do bugs and if i found a a scorprion or roach in my house, id die. lol
Lou Murray Myers We live in the great state of Louisiana, and we get snow about every 5-6 years, and always less than an inch . The Southern part of Louisiana always gets less snow. Come on down.... friendly people, good cajun food .
Sunday at 9:07am · · 6
Morgan Muhlhausen South coastal Texas born and bred here. Both my family and my husband's are homesteading families and now we hs with three young children. We are in the midst of remodeling our house, so we are living without AC for the most part and it's really not that bad. You get used to the heat and humidity. As for bugs and other critters- yeah, we got em. If you'd be scared to find a bug (or a snake) in your house...Texas may not be the best choice, ha! As for water, a well (or two) takes cares of that. Also collecting rain water. This year we've had so much rain, the corn and cotton crops are the best they've been in 30-40 years, say some farmers. A blessing after last year's crushing drought. Hurricanes frequently, usually no biggie. Snow, what's that? We grow produce and collect eggs year round. As for me, Texas is in my bones and while I admire the beauty of other places in our nation and world, there's no place like my home in the Lone Star state.
Ronnie Long Tennessee is great for mini farms, etc.
Sunday at 9:49am · Like
Laughingcloud Voicelikethunder Yes it's hot. But everywhere you look at will offer a challenge of some sort. Personally, I prefer heat over taxes. I don't like to pay state income tax. I pay property taxes. Wherever you choose make sure you have access to water. Ground water, well water, check and make sure that rain water holding tanks are legal. Knowing how much land you want to work, the types of agriculture you're interested in should help define your region along with cost. Cost for the land, equipment, start-up and overall daily living expenses. Proximity to urban areas, stores, medical centers. What are the fire, EMS and police services like? Is the fire dept. a volunteer or paid force? If there is an emergency, how long is the drive to the hospital?
There's a lot to consider when contemplating your own homestead.
There's a lot to consider when contemplating your own homestead.
Kathy Kays Here in Ky we have a winter.... Snow, ice and cold but is from Dec.thru late march. A lot of homesteading and hobby farms around here.
Moon Flower I live in NC and it is a good place to homestead if you get pretty far out in the country. I live in town right now where you can't have livestock of any sort, we get letters when our grass gets beyond a certain height, and this city is quick to annex the next little town over or if a Street just outside town gets a couple new houses that are big and expensive they will annex that too. Do you research before moving anywhere, and good luck.
Sunday at 10:31am via mobile · Like
Pamela Day Look up earthships in arizona they homestead and use rain water catchment and grey water for plants
Lindsey B. Roberts So glad this question was asked. Looking to relocate myself from Utah and have not been able to decide where to go. Thank you everyone for ask the input.
Sunday at 10:44am via mobile · Like
Laura Lyon-Mackiewicz South central to southern Missouri is nice. It has the best of both winter and summer seasons. We get snow generally 2-4 inches 4 or 5 times a winter. It melts in two days. The rest is rain and maybe some ice storms, but again, the ice is gone in a day or two. The summers are in the 90's end of July to the beginning of August and then back into the 80's to the first part of Nov. This year has been and odd year with the drought and high temps. You are going to have odd years no matter where you relocate.
Sunday at 10:56am · Like
Xrene Dexxprxs i'd start researching state law before i'd move.. wvirginia is horrible.. thier laws are draconian... there are limits in many states that restrict personal freedom.. if you have kids i'd be cautious..
Sunday at 11:05am · Like
Brooks Hobby Farm I have to plug the Pacific Northwest. Yes, we get some rain. But we very rarely get snow, the heat that hit the rest of the country skipped us, droughts not really a problem and our berries are the best anywhere!
Sunday at 11:07am · · 3
Shawn Rounsville Burkett We are in Texas. East of Dallas. Most years we get eggs year round. Some years the garden produces year round. Probably would more years if I didn't need a break. Things like collards actually do better on those rare years that we have snow. We have the good ol castle law. Plus there are ways to combat drought. We use our old feedbags and then a thick layer of old straw or hay to mulch heavily around the base of our plants.
Sunday at 11:16am · · 1
Lo Shmo @stacey, George didn't say their was no water. He said its hard to be green when you're using a bunch to grow crops. Wells don't change that.
Sunday at 12:45pm via mobile · Like
Susan Ashcraft Where can I find laws and limts pertaining to WV homesteading?
Sunday at 2:14pm via mobile · Like
Garilyn Bardash check out sw louisiana! we rarely see snow, but we do have hurricanes, texas is in drought! our fields are fertile with much rain! and the cajun way of life is awesome with great foods and people!
Sunday at 2:55pm · Like
Janet Gowan Mathis western north carolina
Sunday at 3:54pm · Like
Star Beaver If I still had the link that showed where the nuclear reactor sites where you'd be more prone to come to Texas. (just my personal opinion) otherwise the HIGH heat is really short lived compared to the cold season length of some other states. Here I can have a spring/summer garden and through the winter I can grow my cool weather crops like cabbage without to much prep against freezes that are not so common.
Sunday at 4:40pm · Like
Keane Schwarz NM was great- there are so many there that do it and communities that are geared to off the grid living offering classes on sustainability too- land is cheap and many of the things you need or want are cheap or free if you know where to look- and an excellent barter system and a very large area to pick from with a lerge community of individuals and businesses that prefer local goods and that offer their services... water CAN be an issue depending on where you decide (north vs south/ desert/plains/mountain) but like lo shmo said mulching and other conservation tech. make it easy... i also had local quarry rock i received for free and places like craiglist built all my pens and a good share of what i had for equip for off the grid and to build my own home for free or very little (again barter)
Sunday at 4:42pm · Like
JenMike Rodriguez Iive in San Antonio and I can honestly say that I've lost a lot of plants to the intense heat we have here. There have been many times where I have watered twice in one day in an attempt to keep some alive. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
Sunday at 6:35pm via mobile · Like
Joe Mahmah Rider We're going this weekend to look at land in Northern AZ. It's SUPER cheap and the weather is beautiful!
Sunday at 9:18pm · Like
Jasper Farm I'm a new homesteader in Central N FL, land is fairly cheap (Just saw a 40 acre place w/home, well septic 70K for sale) taxes on my 20 acres w/agriculture exemption $72, plenty of rain-for growing vegs, fruit trees-snow for an hour every15-20 years, bugs too which is okay with my chickens! I'm raising chickens for eggs, goats for meat and milk are a good way to go down here self sustaining in their own right and a good market if you want to sell. I'm just building my herd up now, fire and police within 5 minutes, shopping within 20 miles, hospital within 30 miles, I haven't been able to find other homesteaders in my area but I'm sure they are here I just need to find them! Good luck to you, keep us posted on where you end up:)
Yesterday at 10:52am · Like
Life At Purple Gate Farm Id brave the snow over the heat any day! Heat to me means drought, snow at least means moisture ;)
3 hours ago · · 1
Diehl Acres Family Farm No matter where you go, there will be challenges. From the heat to the cold. The bugs to the predators. I like living in Northern Mi. I love having 4 seasons. As soon as your sick of one, another season comes along. Making snowmen and snow-forts with the kids, X-country skiing, ect....As long as you bundle up, you'll always be warm. Good luck wherever you land!!
2 hours ago · Like
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