[ccarpenter2010]

Hi! I'm getting ready to head off to college, and I'm looking at different places to live post-college. (Already dedicated to college in Wyoming.) I'd like to raise rabbits, cattle or sheep, and bring my horses. I'm going to school to be an Ag teacher/FFA advisor. I want a warm place without a lot of snow, but not too hot to the point of uncomfortable. I can handle tornadoes, I'm from Michigan. Would Arkansas be a fitting place to consider? Thanks for the help! (I'm also looking at other states, if you see this thread in another forum that's why.)

[Luvvarkansas]

Yes, IMO, Arkansas would fit everything you said above. You may find the summers more uncomfortable that you're used to, but you would soon get acclimated....to my deep South body, it doesn't feel excessively hot at all (in the northern parts, that is). Lots of land available for raising animals, beautiful scenery, 4 great seasons, water everywhere, a good many other like-minded (agricultural) people. There is always something to do in Arkansas if you get tired of being at home, too, especially if you like outdoor adventures. The prettiest part of Arkansas, IMO, is the NW corner, above I40 and west of Little Rock, but there are others here who like other parts better!

Southern Missouri would also fit the bill, but it would be colder in the winter. I hate cold.

I hope you find the place you love while you're young....it's no fun being stuck in a place you hate just because that's where you started raising your kids and you don't want to uproot them.

[nmnita]

can't add to much to what luvarkansas has said. It is a great place to live with a combination of rural atmosphere and enough city conveniences to be comfortable. Yes, the summers can be a little humid for those who are not accustom to humidity. For those of us who have lived in the deep south or Texas the summers are fine.

Nita

[marmac]

----"I want a watm place without a lot of snow and not too hot to the point of uncomfortable"--

Many of us would love to find a place like that.

Finding a place like that with openings for an --Ag teacher-- makes the search even more difficult.

In most places, when school budgets get tight, Ag is the first thing they cut cuz they get the least complaints when they cut it.

I wish that wasn't so, but it usually is.

[ArkansasSlim]

I fully agree with all the posts and will add my two-bits-worth. I admit my bias, but for what you plan to do I would suggest the mountain valleys in the Ouachita Mountains in west Arkansas. They once were farm land but now they mostly raise cattle and hay crops. Being a rural area, most of the schools have Vo-Ag and depending on which area you settle, medium size towns could be nearby. Your privacy would be enhanced if you bought property that joins the Ouachita National Forest, and in most of those valleys that would be a probability. Good luck. Sounds like a great plan.

[ARDave]

Originally Posted by ccarpenter2010

Hi! I'm getting ready to head off to college, and I'm looking at different places to live post-college. (Already dedicated to college in Wyoming.) I'd like to raise rabbits, cattle or sheep, and bring my horses. I'm going to school to be an Ag teacher/FFA advisor. I want a warm place without a lot of snow, but not too hot to the point of uncomfortable. I can handle tornadoes, I'm from Michigan. Would Arkansas be a fitting place to consider? Thanks for the help! (I'm also looking at other states, if you see this thread in another forum that's why.)

In addition to Arkansas, you might also consider the northeastern corner of Oklahoma referred to as "Green Country" (referring to the counties highlighted in red, not SE corner in pink on the map on the wiki page). There are lots of choices in size of cities. Even cities surrounding Tulsa offer the lifestyle of land for livestock/horses you desire with the amenities of a good sized city not far away. For example, living just outside of a city like Claremore, OK on some acreage but still within the Claremore Public School District (excellent schools for kids) and just 30-45 minutes from Tulsa might be a nice option. There are lots of school districts in NE OK with Ag programs.

I'm not trying to dissuade you from Arkansas, just suggesting another very similar option. I spent most of my life in the Tulsa area and now live in NW Arkansas. Both are great places and suitable to the lifestyle you suggested. Other parts of Arkansas would suit you as well. I know people in both the NW quarter of Arkansas and NE corner of OK who are living just as you describe and love it.

[ArkansasSweetheart-Kris]

Well if thats what you are looking for then arkansas fits the discription pretty well