Looking for some good land...

[be11ydancer]

DH and I would love to live in the country on 5+ acres in the next 10 years or so. We are looking for something with four seasons, a decent growing season, but also a town close enough by to run errands and hang out. Anything close to either coast or near the mountains is preferable. No plains. Lots of places to take the kids like lakes and such would be good. No freeways nearby. A nice health food store would be good too. Does such a place exist? Thanks.

[mama_daba]

my partner and i are looking for something like this to, thoughw e are more picky it has to be within 8 hours of the san francisco bay area, because of work, and closer is definitly better

[knittingmomma]

We think the Northeast Kingdom of vermont is pretty good and are hoping to head up there by the end of the summer..... There is shopping close - a growing crunchy community, some culture within an hour and a half (Dartmouth area), lakes, and still affordable land.

[lunamay]

also looking...

Wish I could give you some ideas! We are also looking - for inexpensive land and a crunchy community together in the same place. Where does this exist? We live in WA state and we are having a hard time finding it!! It is beautiful out here and we want to stay close enough to see family...but it is very expensive out here. We do have some more alternative communities for sure but expensive! Oregon does have cheaper land in some areas and some crunchy communities but I am not sure if any are in the same place. I think Oregon is too far for us...at least for now.

I will be looking for any other ideas people post!! Anyone live out my way who has some ideas?

[mamajessica]

We're in Washington also and would love love love to find some land! Lunamay, have you tried in east Lewis Co, near Packwood? We have found a few things that seem pretty good out that way (but nothing that is *just right*!)

We are even willing to get some land far from here to hold onto for awhile, maybe vacation there (camp, etc). Who knows...

Until then, I will be : on what you all recommend

[mammamoon]

We are a group of young earth centered folks in south louisiana that are forming an intentional community. WE have 43 acres of beautiful pasteur land with some forested areas and ponds. It's beautiful! Louisiana is known for it's lush greenery and friendly people. We are intending to grow all of our own food organically while starting a worker owned coopertive , also we are making our own biodiesel. The village will be totally self sufficient getting all of our power from renewable energy sources (solar, wind) We are going to create an interfaith meditation center, and create a democratic unschool when the time is right. (Right now all the children are babies.)
I strongly encourage anyone interested in living off the land, living in a loving and nuturing enviorment, and creating a life of simplicity without compromise to contact us. We are always seeking like minded people to join our growing family. Contact me for more details.(pm)

[Gunter]

North Carolina

There are some great places for land, green building, small farming/organic gardening near farmer's markets or crunchy grocery stores in both Carrborro (near Chapel Hill/Raleigh area) and the Asheville area (western NC, in the mountains!).

I live outside the Raleigh area. It's about three hours to the mountains or beach, less depending on what beach you go to. Lots of outdoor parks, lakes, rivers, etc... Good concerts, local musicians, museums, outdoor festivals like the one last weekend to support the Eno River.

There is a farm tour every year where one can tour local organic farms; there are about 30 famrs on the tour. I think that says something abotu the area. One is a biodeisel co-op and you can buy bio-diesel at the pump in a few places. One comm. colllege has a sustainable agriculture program that is two years. There are Community Supported Agricl. (CSA) to join for fresh, local food.

We'd like to build a solar home in the next few years. There are intentional communities in this area and outside of Asheville. So much around the Asheville area that you could live outside of the ever-growing town and enjoy it quite nicely, I would say. See you soon!

[JesiLynne]

I wanna stay in WI for several reasons.

I want AT LEAST 40 acres in SE WI

Waukesha, Dodge, Ozakee, Washington Counties

Wooded preferably with a natural running water stream.
Zoned Agrucultural of course.

[momto l&a]

Central & Northern Idaho

[MamaMonica]

Finding land in WA State (west of the mountains) is tough if you want to be near any town with a health food store or culture. The whole countryside is sprouting McMansions/developments where farms and pastures used to be. Even if you got the land, you might have "Fir Ridge Estates- from the mid $400s" next door within a year or two.

[Jennisee]

You might consider the southern tip of Illinois. The landscape is rolling and bluffy, lots of rock formations, and the area is mostly forested by the Shawnee Forest. Most of the land is quite inexpensive.

The big downside is that it is a conservative, Bible Belt area. However, the good news is that Southern Illinois University in Carbondale has created a bit of a crunchy haven--AP'ers, coops, health food stores, organic farms. And there are several active hippy communities in the rural areas, probably less than an hour from Carbondale, including an active Pagan population.

[Ex Libris]

Hi be11ydancer,
We're also lookign for what you are. We're going to make a move in a year and a half. We looked around upstate NY and Vermont (including Northeast area) and couldn't find what we're looking for. The places in the mts and "crunchy" towns like Middlebury/Burlington were great but land prices too expensive. We're thinking now about looking out west in WA, OR, and northern ID, but I'm discouraged by what I hear from the others about land prices.

I know there must be some resources out there for finding a place to settle down, but I just can't find them. I keep doing searches for "green towns," "liberal towns," "outdoor-oriented towns," and the like, but have come up empty. I know there is a town out there for us, with 4 seasons, liberal, organic foods nearby, near mountains, with outdoor-type folks, but how to find it?

Anyone have search suggestions?

[lunamay]

Wa/or/idaho

To Momandmore2 - we live in WA and are trying to find somewhere too - I posted on this thread earlier. Not everywhere out here is expensive, but the key is finding someplace with outdoor oriented/liberal people. You can live just East of the mountains in WA and get more of the 4 seasons, and the mountains too. It is also cheaper east of the mtns. The big issue is whether there is a liberal community anywhere - we have been searching for just that and have not yet found it. If I do I will let you know. We tried searching online too for our area with no luck so now we just take day trips to a new area every few weeks and ask around. So far we have only been around the Puget Sound which is too expensive for us anyway - hard to get more than an acre for less than 100k it seems, although there are always exceptions I am sure. Over by the Olympic Mountains in WA I am sure is cheaper, but again I don't know if there is a crunchy community anywhere there.

I personally love the Northwest and we are going to stay around here for sure - we just have to find where. Oregon is our next move - there are lots of crunchy communities there but I am not sure if any are in cheaper areas. I would miss the liberal politics of WA state though!! I don't know anything about N. Idaho except that it is beautiful - very green.

I will let you know if I find any more out.

Emily

[lunamay]

hey!

momandmore2 - just saw your little one was born one day after mine! Neat! If you want any more info about our area you can PM me.

[Mountain Chick]

Here's a link for a community in Nevada's high desert offering 40 ac for $14k to $12K. Ad says "Solar Powered Community". Found it in Mother Earth New magazine.

www.earthloving.com

After you click the link, on the left hand side of the page that opens is a link to the Sage Valley Community. Click that link to see about the land.

[Mountain Chick]

Here's a link for a community in Nevada's high desert offering 40 ac for $14k to $12K. Ad says "Solar Powered Community". Found it in Mother Earth News magazine.

www.earthloving.com

[Mountain Chick]

Sorry about the double post. :

[Ex Libris]

Thanks for the link, Mountain Chick.

I've pm'd you, lunamay!

[ilikethedesert]

It's so great to see that there are other people like us looking for the same thing we are. We'd move tomorrow if we could find the perfect place. Our biggest drawback is the job situation. My partner has been running his own landscape business for many many years and has a great reputation where we live now. Northeast Kingdom is where we look alot, too. He has a brother that is living many of our dream lives up there now. But how do you relocate to a place where you don't know anyone and make ends meet?

Southern Utah is my dream place if it weren't so damn far from our families. There are many acres available there for cheap- but they aren't really near much.
Steph

[Earth Angel]

Just FYI re northern Idaho...Dh and I looked there a few years ago and have a friend that grew up in the area....it is beautiful country but it is my understanding (may be wrong but definately worth investigating further if you wanted to move there) that it is very white supremacist (sp?) and that if I remember correctly the headquarters (or at least a big gathering place) for the arian nation is in Cor d'Alane Idaho. Just something to watch out for.....and please....don't quote me on this one as I may be mistaken it was a few yrs ago, like I said, that we were looking at the area.

One of the towns we really like is Whitefish Montana. Still not much diversity in the area but beautiful...up and coming alternative population...glacier national park is in your backyard....farming....4 seasons etc....and most importantly semi affordable land and homes.

Taos NM is pretty nice too....affordable land outside (30 min) of town....huge alternative power movement, and alternative living movement in general ....awesome natural food store....homeschooling...waldorf school....ethnic diversity....desert land, but still 4 seasons....you have to really work the land and learn how but you can grow fabulous food as well....and the town is pretty much surrounded by national forest so there is TONS to do if you like wilderness....oh and skiing and white water rafting are big here too.