Is SW or SE Small Farm, Georgia area? (Atlanta, Savannah: for sale, co-op)

[veganwriter]

Hi ...

I'm yet one more urban dweller who'd LOVE to get OUT of these cities and move to five or ten acres of land. I don't care if there's nothing but a trailer on it... I just don't want to cope with the insanity anymore.

So... I've been looking for cheap land and country living.

I've been told that SW(?) Georgia is filled with a lot of small, family farms. I did a brief search and liked what I saw. There weren't very many homes for sale ... meaning no one was trying to move. That says a lot of good things about a place.

I'm black so naturally I'm looking for places where blacks comprise at least 14% of the population or more. Yes, I've heard about all the problems black farmers are having with the Dept. of Agriculture ... but I'm just looking to grow my own food ... maybe sell a bit of produce at a farmer's market or roadside stand.

Oh ... and would you say the weather is like Atlanta's?

In short, I'm asking for some names of places outside of small towns ... some very remote and some within an hour of a larger city. (Midsize city is fine.)

Thank you.

[bgnzsavnh]

I do not think that there is any county in Georgia south of Atlanta that has less than 14 percent Black population and quite a few are Majority Black
see the map at this link

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...26as_qdr%3Dall

In SE Ga I would suggest Bulloch County, Statesboro is a College town
1 hour from Savannah and 1.5 from Augusta or Macon. The soil there is very fertile and the population less Rednecky, the drawback would be the land a little more pricy but any thing within an hour of a midsize city is within commute distance

[veganwriter]

Thank you bgnzsavnh...

..but when you wrote:

In SE Ga I would suggest Bulloch County, Statesboro is a College town
1 hour from Savannah and 1.5 from Augusta or Macon. The soil there is very fertile and the population less Rednecky, the drawback would be the land a little more pricy but any thing within an hour of a midsize city is within commute distance

... well ... the URL you included information about Georgia being the fastest growing state in the south, and the area you mentioned being "more pricey".

I may be looking for something a bit more remote ... something that hasn't "come up" yet. (But I'm doing a wikipedia search on Bulloch County as we speak.)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've learned not to expect TOO much from anybody ... black, white, yellow, red, or brown. My travels have taught me that "rednecks" can be cool too, if you don't mess with them or try to take or make them anything than the people they want to be.

That means self reliance, and being authentic on my part. The suburbs has more "new racism" insanity than some quasi-integrated rural areas. Like I said, I don't plan to run for mayor. Just live and let live. Be as friendly and real as I can be ... and keep some big dogs in the yard and a shotgun by the door. (smile)

Maybe it's a combination of minding my own business, and not getting too isolated.

[photrix]

I am checking into Statesboro and Bulloch County since I had a job interview there recently. I currently live in Beaufort, SC and really, really want to leave beautiful Beaufort by the sea (beautiful place but very, very corrupt). From the 2000 census, Statesboro has about a 40% African American population. However, the demographics change once outside of Statesboro to a greater proportion of Caucasians versus African Americans. From what I can tell the Bulloch County area is very rural and primarily agrarian, although there is some industry including Briggs and Stratton, Viracon and a Wal-Mart distribution Center. You will find lots of open space because the development in West Chatham County (Savannah is the county seat I think) is only starting to creep up to Bulloch. Have you checked into Saint Helena Island, SC? There are still rural sections on this island which has a greater percentage of black to white with some hispanic in the population mix. Beaufort County could definitely benefit from a vegan farmer, especially if you farmed using organic methods. You will not have a problem finding big dogs in Beaufort, nor shotguns. (smile.)

[ellie]

Hey Vegan,
I hope you do move to the area and grow organic produce. There are a few people in the Savannah area who trying to build a network of local small farmers doing exactly that. In fact, I was talking to a friend there a couple of weeks ago who is thinking of subdividing his property and creating some sort of organic co-op community. PM me and I'll try to find his email address for you.

[goose1]

Toombs, Montgomery and Tattnall County might be of interest to you.
Any questions or concerns I'll try to answer for you.

[small town south]

Check out Greene County (Greensboro, GA). Lots of country life still here and it meets your other requirements. Also, just over an hour from Atlanta and Augusta, and just under an hour from Athens. I, too, would love to have local produce farm stand to shop! Let me know if you need/want more info...

[Padgett2]

One thing to remember that the farm land in South Georgia has been farmed since the 1700s. Cotton and Tobacco have worn out most of it. Kudzu and fire ants are a BIG problem. There are small farms, but they are not very productive ones. I would think that trying organic farming in such an area would be quite difficult. However, it could be done. I wish you well.

The middle of the State around Macon is supposed to be much better farmland. I wish I could give you more exact information, but I don't know that much about it. I think they call it the Piedmont section. It might be a much better choice for what you want than the South Georgia Area.

[edoc]

"Cotton and Tobacco have worn out most of it. Kudzu and fire ants are a BIG problem."

Wow, this is a broad an powerful statement!

Would you define the area between Statesboro and Savannah "South Georgia"?

Would that also be an area "farmed-out?"

How many years do you suppose it takes for the land to lay fallow and to recover, two
or three or more?

Here in FL it seems as though we have billions of fire ants per acre, are they primarily
in the more sandy areas of Georgia?

Is it the wetter sections of South Georgia that suffer most from kudzu or anywhere?

Thanks for any specific information as we will be relocating to the Stateboro-Savannah
area in July and looking at land.

doc

[indianmama11961]

I think I like you I am from an area where its all racism the police even ask if what race and sex you are when a tree falls down