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The rub is you don't know what you're getting into, until you're already into it good luck.
This^^ This brings the story of Christopher Mecandless to light. He thought he didn't need certain things when he got to Alaska, he got in over his head rather quickly & it cost him his life. Had he took his time & the right provisions he might of walked out of there. Like you said you don't know what your getting into until your there.
I'm a recent college graduate who wants to pursue green living at one point in my life, preferably while I'm young and able to really enjoy it, but I don't know where to find affordable land with zero restrictions where I could live without hooking up any utilities if I wanted to do so. Where could I possibly find such land for a price I could afford?
As long as you have good health then life just gets better with age.
"preferably while I'm young and able to really enjoy it,"
I'm a recent college graduate who wants to pursue green living at one point in my life, preferably while I'm young and able to really enjoy it, but I don't know where to find affordable land with zero restrictions where I could live without hooking up any utilities if I wanted to do so. Where could I possibly find such land for a price I could afford?
Buy a used Schoolie and add to it. They can take the rough roads and can be purchased reasonably and the go looking. Stay at least 6 months in any area you prefer.
This^^ This brings the story of Christopher Mecandless to light. He thought he didn't need certain things when he got to Alaska, he got in over his head rather quickly & it cost him his life. Had he took his time & the right provisions he might of walked out of there. Like you said you don't know what your getting into until your there.
Jumping into 'it' with no background or experience, can be foolhardy.
In the case of homesteading, it may be a much better choice to learn from an established setup. Live there, work there, experience how it is done. In some cases, you come out owning that farm. In other cases, you have people who will help you to establish your own farm.
There are people who will hire an experienced farmers to be the Farm Manager of a farm. I see ads for this every year, mostly in the winter. I have seen 3 such ads in the past month. Farms that need a Farm Manager.
I'm a recent college graduate who wants to pursue green living at one point in my life, preferably while I'm young and able to really enjoy it, but I don't know where to find affordable land with zero restrictions where I could live without hooking up any utilities if I wanted to do so. Where could I possibly find such land for a price I could afford?
I contemplated living "off the grid" but soon realized the "grid" is just about them most useful thing ever invented. It may even buy excess solar generated electricity as well as provide a valuable backup. Just look in any Farm History Museum before you even think that farming without electric power for motors and refrigeration might be a bit difficult. Before Rural Electrification farming was not hard it was exhausting and did not pay very well.
I would also suggest you find a place that drives the bears to hibernate all winter. I would think it would be easier to grow stuff in the south than in Maine or Michigan.
I contemplated living "off the grid" but soon realized the "grid" is just about them most useful thing ever invented. It may even buy excess solar generated electricity as well as provide a valuable backup. Just look in any Farm History Museum before you even think that farming without electric power for motors and refrigeration might be a bit difficult. Before Rural Electrification farming was not hard it was exhausting and did not pay very well.
I would also suggest you find a place that drives the bears to hibernate all winter. I would think it would be easier to grow stuff in the south than in Maine or Michigan.
Grid power is very efficient. If you live in a region where the grid is available and reliable, I can see where it might be smarter to be on-grid.
Many places I looked at did not have grid access.
Our farm has grid access, though our grid is not very reliable.
Another factor to consider is price of land, property taxes, and Cost-Of-Living.
It seems to me that a lot more homesteaders focus on the South, possibly due to fear of winter. We have been looking at doing this since the 80s, and watching farm prices. Places where people flood to have higher prices.
3 to 5 acres of land is sufficient for a farmer to produce food for his/her family and to support his/her family in Maine. Among the many factors that allows for this, includes low land prices, low taxes and low COL.
The difference between a 120 day growing season, and a 180 day growing season, certainly has a role to play. But it does not stop anyone from farming.
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