Are they rural liberal areas in Washington? (Seattle, Spokane: hotels, to buy)

[SwssMiss]

Thanks CD, but it's a little too rich for our budget.

[StealthRabbit]

any ag use, be very picky of lay of land / sun. For westside (and normally) you avoid north face and shadowing of tress (Especially from neighbors). Also depressions / 'draws' and topography that harbors cold air.

County Extension has soil maps for each region, equally important.

I takes 10 yrs to develop soils / orchards. 3- 5 yrs to add barns, fences, water systems, erosion control...
btdt 3x (Chased away from farm use by taxes, zoning, and urban sprawl, and 'lefty' legislation)

Most of WA Dairy farms have had to move to ID during last 20 yrs.
I have bought 2 dairies and had to put to other land use. DoEc would not even let me use existing wells for nursery stock.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by SwssMiss

Thanks CD, but it's a little too rich for our budget.

I pretty much figured that, but thought I'd throw it out there as something that, while costing more on the frontend, might be economic on the backend. Ultimately, you're going to pay one way or the other.

[TrueTimbers]

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

I pretty much figured that, but thought I'd throw it out there as something that, while costing more on the frontend, might be economic on the backend. Ultimately, you're going to pay one way or the other.

Honestly NO!
You do not got to pay one way or a other...lol
Man you gotta get out of your Fancy Ballard bubble a bit more... Make the.trip over to the OP and see how..

Swiss, buy land, good land, as .much as you can....!!
The world can go to hell in a hand basket and you will be fine with good land.

[SwssMiss]

Appreciate the thought CD but we are dealing in cash...and cash is not expendable, regretfully. I get the idea though.

A little Doomsday-ish TT, but I am with you on that. Self sustainability and leaving something for the kids when we keel over. Land is the most wholesome measure of wealth to me.

Thanks SR for the advice, didn't consider the depressions and didn't know about county extension's maps.

Lot's of good stuff. Thanks

[TrueTimbers]

Ya sorry.. Got that self sufficiency blood in me..

Yep frost pockets abound. Many on the best soil. USDA has me in zone 9A... Yet I get light frost September to May. Always at least 10/degrees warmer and colder than the weatherman says.

Won't matter with chickens.... Good soil, good bugs.! Makes for good happy hens.

[SwssMiss]

TT which breeds of hens to you have?
I had two Javas and one Golden Laced Wyandotte. The Wyandotte got snatched by a bobcat in my suburbian backyard!. I saw the whole thing, quite a NatGeo moment for me. Ran after the bobcat to get my chicken back,but she was already dead. So the bobcat's meal was on me.
Really loved my Javas. The Wyandotte was the pretty girl, but not as resourceful as the Javas.
Thinking about getting Australops, Plymouth Rocks, Javas (miss them), La Fleche for meat. I have several other breeds in mind, but I'll have to figure availability into my wish list. All heritage ones. I am not familiar with hybrids that much.
We'll get the battery rehab ones as well of course.
Thinking about heritage turkeys as well. Any experience with these birds?
Cannot do DM, so posting here.

[TrueTimbers]

I will send you a DM? Wonder why it don't work?

Never did turkeys but those that have a market do well. Turkeys love kale..! Kale is full of omega 3s. I did a trial batch of 25 meat chickens. (Freedom Rangers, from the Mennonites) Fed lots of kale, nice yellow fat and meat! Visually set your eggs or meat apart.

Chickens.. (Had, and will have again). BBS Marans and Easter Eggers, nice dark eggs to offset the blue EE eggs.

As Stealth stated.. It takes quite a bit of time to build/rebuild a farm.

[snatale1]

Originally Posted by SwssMiss

I think what I mean is that we would appreciate a place that is mostly progressive, creative with a "live and let live" attitude. We live in a very religious, conservative area where conformism is prized and we are really feeling like the odd man out.

You realize the "live and let live" attitude is NOT a Liberal mindset right? Liberals would say something more like "Live the way we and the government tell you to live". I'm not a Lib or a Con, I'm a Libertarian which I'm sure you know is a weird mix of both. But who cares what your neighbors do? Isn't THAT what live and "let live" is about? I'm with you on the overly religious though, I can't stand when people shove it down your throat. I was at a store once and some lady said happy easter to me and as I went to say it back she starts on a rant about Jesus and giving thanks, and more Jesus this, Jesus that so I said Happy Zombie day to here which stopped her dead in her tracks with a look of fear. She goes "what do you mean" I said Jesus died, came back, walked around, that's a Zombie, she couldn't even find words, It was hilarious. I'm Catholic and don't go to church much but I believe all the stuff I was taught, just don't believe in shoving it in peoples faces.

[PS90]

Originally Posted by snatale1

You realize the "live and let live" attitude is NOT a Liberal mindset right? Liberals would say something more like "Live the way we and the government tell you to live". I'm not a Lib or a Con, I'm a Libertarian which I'm sure you know is a weird mix of both. But who cares what your neighbors do? Isn't THAT what live and "let live" is about? I'm with you on the overly religious though, I can't stand when people shove it down your throat. I was at a store once and some lady said happy easter to me and as I went to say it back she starts on a rant about Jesus and giving thanks, and more Jesus this, Jesus that so I said Happy Zombie day to here which stopped her dead in her tracks with a look of fear. She goes "what do you mean" I said Jesus died, came back, walked around, that's a Zombie, she couldn't even find words, It was hilarious. I'm Catholic and don't go to church much but I believe all the stuff I was taught, just don't believe in shoving it in peoples faces.

Excellent post.

The OP might have lived in a conservative area where "conformism is prized", but if she thinks a liberal area is any different, try driving through Pioneer Square in Seattle with a bunch of bumper stickers that say things like "Romney 2014" or "Bikes should be on the bike path, not the road" or "Gregoire was not my Governor", and see what happens.