liberal appalachian towns? (chicken, cows, buildings, residents)
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Asheville definitely counts as Appalachian, seeing as it's only 30 miles away from the highest mountain peak IN the Appalachians... WNC is much more Appalachia than upstate NY etc. And Eureka Springs isn't part of Appalachia at all. It's int he Ozarks.
It depends on where in Upstate NY, as the Southern Tier has similar characteristics.
To cut to the chase, OP, if you want a liberal area with mountains, probably the best state to find that is Vermont. Vermont does not have a low cost of living, as others have pointed out, what passes for "liberalism" (Jefferson would not recognize it!) in the US today essentially required high taxes and a controlling government.
The only things made clear in the last election cycle is that neither the D's or R's are nearly as concerned about fixing the problems in this country as they are about winning, and that the American people are too timid to consider voting for a candidate who will consider putting the best interests of our nation first.
When I say die-hard conservatives, I'm talking about true fiscal and Constitutional conservatives; in other words, the kind of people who just want to be left alone to make their own way in what is supposed to be a free country. I believe you're talking about Republican neo-cons who, just like Democrats, are mostly concerned with playing political football.
As the rich flock to these small towns they will be transformed into gated properties, big box commercial facades, and their spirit and culture will disintegrate as a result.
Gotta live so far out in the boonies that there is nothing attractive about it to those with money. I hope I can find such a place for they are rapidly disappearing.
Organic gardening can be done by both conservatives and liberals, so I don't know where the OP go the idea only liberals are true organic gardeners. That being said, if he/she is really looking for a politically liberal area certainly this would not fit with his plans or needs. Maybe someday, but now, that entire area is pretty conservative regardless of a few progessives re-locating to the area.
Somewhere where everyone thinks like me, and I won't ever be offended by a contrarian point of view.
See Berea and Whitesburg, KY. Berea has a well established community with the first desegregated, co-ed college in the South. The area is beautiful with lots of great hiking, festivals, music. More than satisfies all of your criteria.
Whitesburg is a very small mountain town that is home to Appalshop. The area is very traditional, conservative Appalachia but Whitesburg has some pull for young progressives. It's beautiful, there are plenty of state parks close by and there are community groups that you can plug in to. The area's rather impoverished; you'd have to be open to a small degree of adversity to move there.
Western Mass and Vermont are filled with organic farmers, are incredibly liberal (AND self sufficient), wouldn't care if you are gay or straight, what color you are or what your beliefs are (something that isn't particularly true about conservative areas), have many colleges and universities of all sizes, and in general is a great area to live in. Unfortunately, I know nothing about the cost of land there, and the growing season is shorter than areas further south. The Berkshires and Green Mountains are part of the Appalachian Range.
If you can abide by the state politics and some scary social beliefs outside of the immediate area, look into Asheville, NC. Nearby Swannanoa has Warren Wilson College which I imagine is one of the best environments to be around as an organic farmer (plus the cultural benefits of being around that type of school).
So true..Western Mass, Vermont have a lot of organic famers with people who are educated and tolerant and socially responsible…..Towns like Rowe, Wendell, Amherst, Williamstown, ect..They are also very welcoming of newcomers…Not true of many rural places in the south…Coming from the Eastern Shore of MD, we found that if you didnt vote Republican, keep your mouth shut about climate change and healthcare crisis and contamination of food and invasive farming with Monsanto, you are pretty much shunned and ostracized...Very unfriendly, fear based and closed minded ..…Which is why we moved back to rural Mass…..Our neighbors couldn't be nicer and actually speak to us, which is different than Queenstown MD, where no one acknowledges you much less talk to you..Its a myth that the South is more friendly than the North..You get the best of both worlds in rural northern towns....Progressive values, educated neighbors and a rural lifestyle and culture ..Ironically we have found people in rural areas in the north much friendlier and welcoming than any place in the south and culture is pretty dead there too because people dont want to pay taxes for the pleasure of them.
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