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It sounds very good. But, doesnt Nebraska get very cold and it lasts 6 months or so? It all appears wonderful except for that. Although, i have heard of some areas in the northern states that similar to "banana belts" and are considerably warmer. I wish i could find that link.
You have to understand that it's relative. You are correct in that there are areas called "banana belts" in the northern plain states. But we're not talking literally here. As an example, let me show you some numbers for North Dakota: The average high temperature in Park River (northeast ND) for January is around 14 degrees. The average temperature in Hettinger--the western part of the state, in the "banana belt"--for an average January high temp is around 25 degrees.
Now that's quite a boost from Park River... but is that your idea of banana country? This is typical for the northern plain states. These climatically warmer areas may have a bit higher averages and they may be a bit more variable, but the entire region is cold in the winter. No two ways about it. Bottom line is that if you are interested in the northern plains, you'd better be okay with the cold and sometimes extreme cold. Personally, I'm looking forward to it, because that's exactly were I'm going.
Chris is right; the southwestern part of Nebraska is referred to by locals as "the banana belt" because its winters are milder - by 10 to 15 degrees - than the rest of the state.
"Average temps" always crack me up. To be mathematically accurate, you have to average temps for the past 100 years or so - ever since the state or comunity first started tracking their daily temps. For the past two years, we have had blizzards in May and October, snow all winter long, temps with wind chills at -40 degrees. This year - we have not gotten below 20 degrees for a nighttime low (except once when it it went down to 7). There have been no blizzards, and only one snow - less than 2 inches. One young cow had her first calf this week - on a day where the high was 60 degrees. This year is completely abnormal... but will all be averaged in to the "average temps".
Snow and ice don't bother us much; we moved here because we were sick of the endless hot and humid South. If you live out in the country, you don't have to go to town everyday, or drive back home in the dark on dangerous roads - you postpone your trips to town on days when the roads are clear, and have plenty put back for those 'blizzard days'. Throwing hay in a 60-mph steady, icy wind is a beeotch, but you can throw twice as much the day before to ensure that the animals are well-fed and have something to eat.
The tradeoffs for ice and snow 6-7 months out of the year are - no humidity, no 9 months of heat, and no one wants to come here. People who have lived here for 30 years or more sometimes want to move to TX or FL or 'someplace warm' - but many folks are happy to stay put and raise their children and grandchildren. Work is hard, it is constant, and those who don't work don't have a place to live or food to eat. KS, NE, ND, SD, OK, MT - once you get away from the "cities", it is the epitome of healthy work, healthy living, and a productive lifestyle. People pretty much don't care what you do or who you are as long as it doesn't infringe on their rights or property.
But it can be really really hard on people who dream of being self-sufficient but who, when faced with the realities of hail and sudden freezes wiping out their gardens, the hard daily work of nurturing, herding, building and maintaining structures for their animals, slaughtering and harvesting, putting back and fixing up and repairing and... and... it becomes less of an idyllic fantasy and more like long hard endless hours of dirty and difficult.
Texas is probably the only state in the union that is viable in a collapse as a separate nation. Despite the bs you read Texas Mexicans are relatively conservative and without their votes perry would not be in office. Texas has oil, energy, farmland, coastline, and is a federal tax producer with almost no government dependents and most of the state is free from nuclear powerplant contamination risk.
Texas is probably the only state in the union that is viable in a collapse as a separate nation. Despite the bs you read Texas Mexicans are relatively conservative and without their votes perry would not be in office. Texas has oil, energy, farmland, coastline, and is a federal tax producer with almost no government dependents and most of the state is free from nuclear powerplant contamination risk.
Did you know about the drought Texas had this year?
Did you know about the drought Texas had this year?
I was wondering that when I read the post too, forest beekeeper - one of our local truckers has already taken 65 flatbed-loads of Nebraska hay to Texas, and it isn't really winter yet... With current fuel prices and the new restrictions on hay as a "contaminant" , the prices - have gone up. But Texans are forced to pay them if they want to keep their cattle. Some have sold their herds rather than try to feed them; what they'll get for the cattle from feedlots and auctions won't cover their costs of the hay. It isn't a good business to be in right now in TX ... especially when the weatherguessers are saying that it will take another three years of returned rain for the soil and plants to recover.
North Dakota is sending truckers down to TX loaded with North Dakota hay - and instead of deadheading back, they are bringing up drilling equipment.
Last edited by SCGranny; 01-08-2012 at 08:08 AM..
Reason: speling ;->
I was wondering that when I read the post too, forest beekeeper - one of our local truckers has already taken 65 flatbed-loads of Nebraska hay to Texas, and it isn't really winter yet... With current fuel prices and the new restrictions on hay as a "contaminant" , the prices - have gone up. But Texans are forced to pay them if they want to keep their cattle. Some have sold their herds rather than try to feed them; what they'll get for the cattle from feedlots and auctions won't cover their costs of the hay. It isn't a good business to be in right now in TX ... especially when the weatherguessers are saying that it will take another three years of returned rain for the soil and plants to recover.
North Dakota is sending truckers down to TX loaded with North Dakota hay - and instead of deadheading back, they are bringing up drilling equipment.
On other forums I have been hearing Texans all summer long, who have been slaughtering their livestock. Due to not having enough water for them!
Complete crop failures!
Entire towns that have gone dry, municipal water treatment plants with no water. Nothing but air flowing the pipes to your kitchen faucets!
And now someone wants to suggest Texas!
As "viable in a collapse"! Texas is NOT VIABLE even now when the government has not collapsed!
You can not eat oil.
5 years out of every 10, Texas has no productive farmland.
Droughts are bad.
I can not imagine anyone 'wanting' to live in a drought-prone area.
TX may be okay economically right now, sort of, but that does not translate to a good place to survive when economics are not important. Plentiful water, etc., is more important than having an oil industry. Can't drink the oil.
P.S.: Alaska has more potential as an independent nation anyways, more resources.
Living off the land: You're better off in the continental US as opposed to the vast land area that is Alaska: if you are not familiar with really living off the land(staying to build shelter, plane access in and out, no electric, running water)
Just stick to downwind from all those nuc power plants and warheads.
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