[ex-springfielder]

Originally Posted by sgs123

We are looking at some land in Virginia at the moment, but honestly, I would rather move to Vermont. I am sick of looking at the sun, and being hot.

Moving to vermont will definitely cure you of looking at the sun and being hot!! By the end of February you'll be praying for the sun to come out and the temperature to get above freezing.

However this past winter has been mild and short. If I have a choice between global warming and global cooling I vote for warming.

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by ex-springfielder

Moving to vermont will definitely cure you of looking at the sun and being hot!! By the end of February you'll be praying for the sun to come out and the temperature to get above freezing.

That is true for some, but I question predictions of what "definitely" will happen to people who move to Vermont. Over 22 years here (moved from South Florida) and winter can't last long enough for me. I'm hardly the only person I know who fits this description. You couldn't pay me enough to go back to the sunny south.

[GypsySoul22]

I think you see a lot of Vermonters skiing because 1) they get discounts from work or some other way (if you work at a resort or ski area you get this as part of your 'benefits), 2) They LIKE to ski and make room in their budgets for it.

Farming is ??? for me...I guess if you are raised in it or really have a calling, great...but how profitable is it, really? Isn't the growing season quite short up here?

If you really want to trade Orlando for Vermont, go for it. No one can tell you EXACTLY how your life will be. As far as the weather, it will be much more pleasant, at least in summer...no need for an a/c (we haven't used one in 3 years). Can't do that in Orlando, can you?

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by sgs123

We really want to move to Vermont too but are having a problem with what to do for a living up there (stuck in hot miserable Orlando). There seems to be very few jobs. What about farming? Can anyone support themselves if they buy farmland? How much money a year do you suppose you need to live on, providing you can pay off the place you are living and have no mortgage?
We are looking at some land in Virginia at the moment, but honestly, I would rather move to Vermont. I am sick of looking at the sun, and being hot.

To get an idea for how farming has been going in Vermont, look at some old photographs of the state from, say, 50 to 100 years ago, and compare them to what is seen now. 50 to 100 years ago most of the state was full of farms, today its full of forestland. Most farmers I know are barely hanging on by a string. Many have gone under. I remember areas when I was growing up that were farm fields, and are now young forests. My own family farmed for over 200 years in this state. It just didn't work anymore. The "eat local" movement has helped a bit but it came way too late for many farms that couldn't compete with the midwest and west. Our best crop is probably rocks, the hilly land is not very good for today's heavy farming equipment, land is expensive and taxed heavily, there's too many regulations to deal with, etc. On top of that, the growing season is short and never really predictable, if you have livestock you need to feed them for up to 9 months a year or so, we're fairly distant from most markets, transportation isn't the easiest up here...

In short, it's a recipe for failure. Agriculture in New England is dying a slow, painful death. By all means buy some land so you can grow your own food, have a woodlot for firewood, etc., but don't count on making a living by farming here.

[jackmccullough]

There are jobs here, and there may even be jobs in your field, but there is also competition for the jobs that exist, and they may not pay as much as you are used to getting.

Disregard the fantasies you're hearing from some posters: the majority of people who live in Vermont are employed and self-supporting, not living on trust funds or family money.

Like every other place on earth, choosing to live in Vermont involves considering both positive and negative factors and deciding if the positives outweigh the negatives enough to make it worth the move. My wife and I made that choice in 1983 and we are glad we did. It's been a great place to live and raise our kids. They're both out of school and employed in their fields, one in Vermont, one not.

I would be very reluctant to move here and try to support yourself by farming. No matter what you think, it might not be quite as glamorous and lucrative as it appears from the outside. I don't think I know what you're doing for work now or what your education is, but there are lots of people who wind up doing something other than what they started out doing because they like being here.

By the way, the Vermonters you see at Stowe aren't paying the day rate. All the ski areas have season passes (http://http://stowe.com/tickets/season_passes/ - broken link). We've never been able to afford to ski here, and it's definitely not cheap, but lots of people do decide that that's where their discretionary spending will go.

[sgs123]

Originally Posted by Sherylcatmom

There are few jobs. And farming is one of the most labor-intensive yet least income-producing gigs around, all being done on land that is taxed very highly. There are fewer and fewer farms every year.

Organic and artisan food production are doing better than some areas of farming, but still are extremely hard work with no guaranteed income. For more info about this:

Rural Vermont

Northeast Organic Farming Association -- Vermont



There's no way to answer this without knowing where in Vermont you'd be living (costs vary around the state) and what your expense wants & needs are. E.g., children, insurance & medical expenses, skiing, travel, cable/satellite TV, etc. I've heard figures quoted here with people claiming you "can't" live in Vermont without making at least that much, yet my husband and I enjoy our lives here while managing to save money, while earning far less money than the "must-earn" quote. There are many ways to live in Vermont, some more expensive than others.

Thanks for the info! Yes, organic farming of some sort is what I had in mind. Maybe producing something and selling it, like ?! not sure what yet. I am at the moment experimenting with wine and soap making

Our needs: I don't need much. I do like skiing, but it doesn't have to be in Stowe , don't need tv/cable, don't have it now. I would like an internet connection of some sort. It seems like a lot of our money here now is spent on transportation, and stuff, just to get to and from work. I added this up once, and it is the largest amount of expense you have over a lifetime, the way we are living. Then you have to buy the clothes you wear, pay for child care ( well, not too much of that anymore), and so on. It's like 75% of your income goes to just "maintaining the job".

[sgs123]

Originally Posted by ex-springfielder

Moving to vermont will definitely cure you of looking at the sun and being hot!! By the end of February you'll be praying for the sun to come out and the temperature to get above freezing.

However this past winter has been mild and short. If I have a choice between global warming and global cooling I vote for warming.

I know what that's like, grew up in Northern Europe. You just go on vacation once a year..to FLORIDA
I miss skiing

[sgs123]

Thanks everyone for your input , especially about the farming. We have come pretty much to the same conclusion ( that you cannot support yourself being a farmer in Vermont) and have started looking elsewhere ( looking at 56 acres in Virginia at the moment). Might be a crazy idea to start, we have never been farmers. We have looked to see if there are any jobs in Vermont and haven't seen any. Money is not that important to me, it does not seem to add to my happiness, and I hate shopping, lol! I just don't want to live here anymore doing what I am currently doing, but you do have to have at least a minimum amount of money to live

[sgs123]

By the way, the Vermonters you see at Stowe aren't paying the day rate. All the ski areas have season passes (http://http://stowe.com/tickets/season_passes/ - broken link). We've never been able to afford to ski here, and it's definitely not cheap, but lots of people do decide that that's where their discretionary spending will go.[/quote]

I hadn't thought of that. I like Bolton myself, less crowded and the slopes are ok also, not Stowe, but my second favorite

[Why_Am_I_Here]

Originally Posted by sgs123

how can Vermonters afford skiing at Stowe for Christmas, if they are so poor? We went there, and I would say the majority of vehicles had Vermont tags on them. At least 60%.

Those were mostly employees and silver spoon UVM students in rental cars. No really!