Which is the best place for a tiny "Farm"? (Baton Rouge: low crime, house)

[veganwriter]

Okay ... my father's side were all from Lake Charles, Alexander, and West Lake. I grew up in Berkeley, California. I've worked at everything from truck driving to technical writing. I'm 58 and retired so employment isn't an issue.

It may sound crazy, but I have this STRONG desire for a few acres and a small house. I want to grow my own food, raise some dogs, chickens.... and maybe a pig or two... perhaps a little Dexter cow, a few goats, and a horse.

I've seen some cheap places. I'm a veteran so I have a G.I. Bill to help with. The triangle area I've targeted is:

• Alexandria to the North
• Bayton Rouge to the East
• Lafayette to the West

I don't have a lot of info, but from what I've been reading, Lake Charles has too much pollution due to environmental racism, that BP oil spill, and refinery pollution.

Racism?
I don't really care, but of course that plays some part of it because I'm black.
I'm also single. (I was ... um ... er... "quite impressed" with those Louisiana ladies whenever I drove though. Uh ... not the "Gurl Thugs" ... but the ones who can charm new paint off an old barn.)

The Northern California Bay Area is FULL of people from Louisiana, and I have those Creole genes. So I'm not totally "foreign" to the culture.

I ain't coming South trying to be no big shot at my age. (But I hear that life in those small towns will be much like small towns everywhere ... people wanting to know your business .... guys hating on you if you pose any kind of threat to their share of the ladies attention... and yes, "ya gotta feed 'em" to keep peace with my fellow man.)

I no longer drink.
But I do like the idea of shooting anything that threatens my critters on my land.
So... I might need an unincorporated area. ((chuckle))

I think I also like what I've read about Opeleousas too.
And yeah ... I also like the idea of waving and hollaring "Hi Y'all" out the window as I dive slowly past too.

I need low crime and low drama.
I ain't rich so I need the small house and land to be cheap. (About 110k and less.)
I like diversity and good coffee, bookstores and all that... but I can let all that go for just some peace and quiet.
I'm thinking any house good enough to pass VA inspection ... on maybe 2 or more acres. (Hey ... maybe even one acre if everything else is right.)
(No ... I don't need all those animals ... just thinking hypothetically. Dreaming really.)

Any suggestions based upon all what I've said??

[annie_himself]

I mention it alot, but I really like St. Francisville.

[veganwriter]

Hi "Annie_Himself",

Thanks for the recommendation. I looked it up and yes... that does look like a very pretty town. Haven't been able to get a look at the country area outside of town, but the town itself looks like time has stood still--which says that the people who live there love the place and keep it up.

Can you say a bit more about why you like it so and why you feel it would work for me based upon what I wrote?

Many, MANY thanks.

fred

[annie_himself]

I haven't spent much time there but I love the hills and the way it looks with the homes, plantations, and the fact that it isn't a disconnected town with no road infrastructure. You could have a house with a couple acres and be close to the great small city of Natchez, Mississippi and that beautiful area plus be close enough to Baton Rouge for any city amenities.
I'm black too, never encountered problems up there but there are bad eggs everywhere.

[veganwriter]

That's deep.
I wasn't going to say anything ... but ... um ... those pictures of slave plantations ... and even slave quarters!

And you say that you're black and that doesn't bother you any. I didn't grow up in the South so it's good to hear how things get normalized in different regions of the country.

I'm so tired of everything that all I'm really looking for is a place to build some high fences, raise some food, create a friendly distance from everyone except somebody's auntie who somehow resonates within the same frequency as I do, and live out some peaceful days.

Those places with unincorporated roads... dirt roads I take it?
Well, those sound GOOD to me. I've had it with listening to my neighbors getting dressed and dealing with all their precious fears and insecurities.

Americans ain't gonna change no time soon. So I might as well study some Buddhism, chill out, and learn how to be as happy as possible.

[annie_himself]

Deep? Haha, if you say so.

Unincorporated areas within the parish? Only dirt roads I remember is the private road leading to my dads hunting camp near St. Francisville. Roads are paved.

[pandorafan5687]

Lake Charles itself has alot of rural land as well, like along LA 397 and definitely the south east part of the city, like going south down hwy 14. Gautheir Road and anything further than that, you will likely find what you are looking for. If you want to be a bit further out, you can go to LeBleu Settlement which is between Lake Charles and Iowa along hwy 3059, and also includes some unincorporated areas of the Jeff Davis Parish. There are other areas in the Calcasieu parish that are very rural such as Dequincy (which is the most northern town in the parish, north of Sulphur) and if you wan't to go further southwest of Louisiana, check out Vinton. I'd avoid Starks at ALL COSTS if you are a black man. That's racist rednecks all around!

Lake Charles has a few coffee shops, there is one on common street that I like called the Porch, and then there is Stellar Beans downtown. We also have a books-a-million bookstore.

If you want a rural parish all together, try Beauregard, for a place like Longville,Merryville, or Singer.

P.S. LC does have some pollution problems b/c of the plants in the neighboring town of Westlake.

[veganwriter]

Thanks both of you. You know, when I originally called it, "environmental racism" that really wasn't the right phrase was it?

It's really about class and economics.
What has happened to southern Louisiana and the rest of those "South Coastal" states is far worse than horrible. It's all been about money, hasn't it?

--> The levies prior to Katrina

--> BP dumping all those pollutants in the ocean after they cracked the earth's crust... and the rich allowing them to cover it up.

--> The plants pouring pollutants into the air and ground water around Lake Charles ... and due to the cycle of rain... that stuff returns to the earth as far as Wisconsin and further.

I want to thank both of you. We have similar problems right here in the Bay Area with all the Chemical plants and big oil refineries (Standard Oil, Shell, and Tosco are the biggest).

I guess I can't run or hide... but I sure want to try!

I want to thank both of you and ask you not to consider it ungrateful when I post those suggestions with questions intended to gather more information.

pandorafan5687, thank you for your honesty and candid, intuitive response.
annie_himself, every time you write something, I learn a bit more.

I can see what I'm gonna have to do with you two...
I'm jus' gonna have to meet both of y'all at one of them coffee shops and buy you a cup or two. (Yep... nobody can call ol' Fred "cheap". The cup is on ME!)

God/Goddess bless you both and I'm looking deeper into what you've said.
(And yeah ... I know I'm gonna have to put a sock in the "preachin'".)

[veganwriter]

Hey ... neither of you mentioned Opelousas.

What you two think of areas in and around it?

[Innotech]

Check around Breaux Bridge, north to Arnaudville.
That whole area is decent for farming, close to everything, and full of cheap land and friendly people.
(Arnaudville is east of Opelousas by the way)

The Cajun cities and areas tend to be more rural in nature to begin with.

Oh, I forgot to mention there is a shooting range up there near the farmland. I am a member of it and it is a well kept, well maintained area.
People think nothing of you lugging a 50 caliber gun to the range or having guns in the back of your pickup.