Rural areas around Springfield

[asleep0123]

Is it possible to grow veggies in the ground as is? Or would that require a Herculean effort of clearing rocks and/or amending the soil? Raised beds are always a great idea but they are not as easy to scale.

[Arrby]

The difficulty of gardening in the Ozarks depends entirely on the plot of land. There are areas where there is good black earth, others that have rocky dirt, and still others that are just dirty rocks. Almost any small acreage will have a significant portion that can support a substantial garden. These lands have raised many generations of subsistence farmers and the number and variety of market gardens is even yet quite large. About 100 years ago now this area was the largest producer of canned tomatoes in the country - probably in the world. At the same time we shipped very large quantities of strawberries in season.

Unbroken soil does often (not always) have substantial amounts of clay in the subsoil. It responds very well to mulch tilled deep.

[ClubMike]

Sure you can grow veggies the old fashioned way in the ground. I did that when I lived in Buffalo. I had good ground there hardly any rocks. Now I am in Lawrence county and it is a little rocky, but I did grow corn a few years ago, I got about 75 ears of corn so it did good I even had bean plants growing up the corn stalks. My pumpkins grew well, but they molded when I tried to save them. I grew some watermelon it was delicious. Growing food is a lot harder than it looks, when you do grow something if you do not store it properly you will lose it. I have a lot more respect for farmers now than I ever did.

[Kerguelen]

I live in north Springfield and my backyard has really good quality soil. Rocks, sure, but not hard to dig out. Soft black soil in certain parts of the yard. I dug up a plot next to the house, removed the rocks, and mixed in some of the black soil there and grew countless bell peppers over the summer.

[CoastalMaine]

You don’t mention what your professions are, so I’m left wondering why you’re interested in being within 30 minutes of Springfield. The Waynesville/St. Robert area is rural, real estate is inexpensive, they’re adjacent to Ft. Leonard Wood, so the school district benefits from the financial assistance. It’s a friendly area, lots of retired military, conservative politically, and low on crime.

It’s about an hour an a half to either STL or Springfield. Jeff City is about an hour. The Lake is 45 minutes. Lots of river floating here in the summer GREAT fishing and hunting.

[Stevemr1]

I live in Mansfield, in Southern Wright county. Baker Creek heirloom seeds is located here and their gardens are beautiful. Don't let the rocks dissuade you. Plants will grow around rocks although ploughing and tilling is kind of a pain.

I like Douglas and Ozark, Shannon, and Howell counties for the natural beauty. If you want to stay within a 45 min drive to springfield, there are alot of nice small towns East on hwy 60 like Fordland and Rogersville. There are a lot of Amish farms in and around Webster county and more every day especially around Seymour, so horses up and down the hwy are a daily occurance. All considered, I think the ozarks are the most beautiful part of the country. ( I'm very biased )

I see some negativity on these forums but dont let that influence your decision. Springfield is a beautiful small city with a solid retail base, industry, and agriculture. It has its problems but all cities do. Many metro areas today are faced with shrinking populations but this area is growing fast. If I had to list any negatives, it would be how fast its growing. There is a lot to love about SW Missouri. Here to stay.

[MOforthewin]

Originally Posted by Stevemr1

I live in Mansfield, in Southern Wright county. Baker Creek heirloom seeds is located here and their gardens are beautiful. Don't let the rocks dissuade you. Plants will grow around rocks although ploughing and tilling is kind of a pain.

I like Douglas and Ozark, Shannon, and Howell counties for the natural beauty. If you want to stay within a 45 min drive to springfield, there are alot of nice small towns East on hwy 60 like Fordland and Rogersville. There are a lot of Amish farms in and around Webster county and more every day especially around Seymour, so horses up and down the hwy are a daily occurance. All considered, I think the ozarks are the most beautiful part of the country. ( I'm very biased )

I see some negativity on these forums but dont let that influence your decision. Springfield is a beautiful small city with a solid retail base, industry, and agriculture. It has its problems but all cities do. Many metro areas today are faced with shrinking populations but this area is growing fast. If I had to list any negatives, it would be how fast its growing. There is a lot to love about SW Missouri. Here to stay.

Why do you think the Springfield area is growing fast?

I hear some say it's because a lot of retired people moving to Springfield, Branson area due to the milder climate. I mean, these sunbelt cities get cold, but it's not as snowy or cold as St. Louis for example. you get a lot of mild days in Southwest MO in the winter where you can wear t shirts outside.

I guess towns like that are good if you don't like the super high humidity and heat like South FL for example but can tolerate some cold which doesn't last long. People who want to avoid the cold but don't want to live in a climate like FL. The winters in southern MO are noticeably shorter than places like St. Louis. Amazing how St. Louis could be at 50 degrees but Branson area would be 70 degrees in Jan.