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The challenge with Maine will definitely be the temperature. Cold weather requires a lot of effort to deal with if you're not on the grid(extreme heat does as well, but you won't find the death level temperatures in most places east of Missouri). The cold in Maine can kill you pretty easily during a bad winter.
That's not true. People have been successfully dealing with cold temperatures and short growing seasons for thousands of years. As a point of interest, how many people die in Maine from hypothermia annually? Is the average more than one? I'd rather deal with cold than heat. Chicago, for example experienced 739 heat-related deaths during a five day period in 1995.
Cold areas are fine for root crops. My area produces excellent carrots, onions, potatoes, etc. Rhubarb grew as a perennial where I lived in Colorado at 8400'. Temperatures in that area could dip below -35. The only deaths from hypothermia I recall were of a pair of urban hikers one June who apparently knew nothing of wind chill.
Cold areas are fine for root crops. My area produces excellent carrots, onions, potatoes, etc. ]
They're fine for much more than that! We grew hundreds of pounds of tomatoes last summer, and only the least cold hardy of them were in an open-ended hoophouse. We also grew peppers, eggplants, squashes, sweetcorn, and tons of greens. Cantaloupe will take a bit more practice yet!
- too many hicks and camo wearing, shoot-anything, ATV riding folk. Much the same anywhere south (TN, North FL, MS, AL, MO, KY, KS) - the "camo crowd" can get aggressive if they don't like you and in that case they can forget about your property rights, you can lose livestock, they can get vengeful and so on.
I think this is the biggest drawback to living in a remote area where there are no zoning requirements, etc.
Colder climates tend to cut down on the percentage of such characters. Perhaps this is part of the appeal of Maine.
That's not true. People have been successfully dealing with cold temperatures and short growing seasons for thousands of years. As a point of interest, how many people die in Maine from hypothermia annually? Is the average more than one? I'd rather deal with cold than heat. Chicago, for example experienced 739 heat-related deaths during a five day period in 1995.
Cold areas are fine for root crops. My area produces excellent carrots, onions, potatoes, etc. Rhubarb grew as a perennial where I lived in Colorado at 8400'. Temperatures in that area could dip below -35. The only deaths from hypothermia I recall were of a pair of urban hikers one June who apparently knew nothing of wind chill.
This is really a matter of preference. Having lived both in Canada and South Florida, I understand the difference. Canada was nice by the way - nice people, clean air, so on and so on. But having it snow in September, ice up and thaw in April was not fun at all. Having to survive weeks of -50C (with windchill) was not fun either. Would not do it again and having lived in SoFL - would take the heat if the choice was only the two extremes. As for growing food - it can be grown in the desert if it is only grown for a small family. If you want to be a farmer and feed others - it is only then when abundance of water plays a role.
I think this is the biggest drawback to living in a remote area where there are no zoning requirements, etc.
Colder climates tend to cut down on the percentage of such characters. Perhaps this is part of the appeal of Maine.
It is just demographics - a place like WY has low population density, most of it is of German ancestry, they tend to be hardy rancher types who respect property rights and understand that the place is hard enough and they tend to be busy just living life (being hard as it is). They have also been there for generations.
In the southern states it is a cultural thing and yes, the weather allows the trash to be out. Walmart is always nearby for cheap thrills. If they don't like you, they will cut your fence lines, shoot your livestock, dump trash on your property, poison your dogs, curse you loudly as you drive by etc. etc. - it can get quite disgusting.
For example: There was a family up in North Florida that bought a place next to a state forest. They fenced it and posted "No trespassing" signs. However, hunting with loose dogs chasing deer is common there (on public lands). The local hunters did not like the fences and threatened the couple, shot above their livestock, camped outside the fence line etc. The local authorities are sadly often from the same "stock" as the offenders and do not over-exert themselves to help the newcomers.
If you are the gentle, want to be by myself "type" who is not into burning stuff, being loud, running around on the ATV tearing up the surroundings, shooting whatever comes to mind type - you will not blend in
I've been thinking about Virginia or West Virginia? We would like to stay as close to Pennsylvania as possible and they seem like a good option. Are there any good spots in the Virginias? We just want to be secluded and be left alone.
I've been thinking about Virginia or West Virginia? We would like to stay as close to Pennsylvania as possible and they seem like a good option. Are there any good spots in the Virginias? We just want to be secluded and be left alone.
I think you should look in WV, as I know there are secluded areas where people live off-grid. Here's a YouTube channel of one family doing it:
If you need more detailed info, try going to the West Virginia forum here at CD and look at the threads, or start a new one with your questions. Good luck!
I've been thinking about Virginia or West Virginia? We would like to stay as close to Pennsylvania as possible and they seem like a good option. Are there any good spots in the Virginias? We just want to be secluded and be left alone.
Look in the SW corner of VA- area around the National forests (between Roanoke and down to Blacksburg and down). Blacksburg has a university (a good one) and hence doctors and services. You could be 20 miles out and be in the middle of nothing. Watch for water table pollution due to fracking and coal mining industries. Further down there is also an issue with Christmas farms runoff. A good area in general to homestead. Roanoke is large town and gentrified so if you wanted to be an organic farmer - it would be a good market to make a living.
Illinois has a large redneck element as well; Colorado has some of the worst, but they seem to be in pockets. Illinois is now controlled by undesirable elements in the Chicago area where they have the votes. Colorado has undergone the same change; Denver has the votes. Colorado has a large population of eastern liberals as well. When I moved there in 1967 it was easy to find a piece of paradise. Today it has the worst of both worlds. We only need look at the evolution of its gun laws. The Colorado I loved no longer exists.
Wyoming draws people who have visited and fallen in love with the people, culture, and society. Stalwart Germans and Norsemen have played leading roles here. Italians here are primarily ranchers and said to be more like people in Italy than in the eastern US. It's a special place for special people. If you're one of those people you'll never leave. As a bonus, hot and humid weather is unknown. This is the cold desert.
We have no state income tax and no need to have any government permission to carry weapons either open or concealed. Teenage girls can safely walk through parks at midnight. We have no bad neighborhoods. By that, I mean we have no bad neighborhoods anywhere in the state.
Last edited by Happy in Wyoming; 01-22-2016 at 09:05 AM..
Hey there! My fiance and I want to go off the grid, but are having a hard time trying to find the best place to do that in. We want to find somewhere that doesn't have building or zoning codes and permits. First we plan on living in our Airstream on the land and slowly working on other things on the land like setting up a place for a garden to grow our food, build a chicken coop, root cellar, storage shed, etc and then build our own little cabin. Then the Airstream would become a guest house. We want to be completely off grid with the exception of internet since we run an online shop. Does anyone have any ideas on where we can find a place that will allows to do what we want? Preferably we don't want to go any further than Missouri. We live in Pennsylvania right now and would love to stay here, but I feel as though it would be too hard to do what we want to do here. Too many restrictions. Any help would be much appreciated!
If a best place existed, everyone would be there. The more people drawn to any particular area, the necessity for more codes and regulations follows.
I recommend that you ignore the stereotypes and assumptions about locations from anonymous online posters, including me. Add more to your list of priorities, then your wants and start singling out the most rural locations within your target areas. Expand the target area if it becomes necessary. You can find enough preliminary information about even the most rural locales online to pinpoint possible locations that would suit you.
If you are serious about self-sufficiency, you will discover that finding the best location for you begins with a self-sufficient search, as in needing no outside help. Good luck!
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