How's Caribou for farmer types? (Portland, Lewiston: for sale, mobile home, camping)

[goto10]

I currently live in PA and I am so frustrated at the prices of housing and land throughout the state. I've looked at NY for some land and some of it is very cheap but in the middle of nowhere. After searching for a few years, I've stumbled on Caribou a few times. Mostly from looking into coastal property Downeast which led me to just look for any property throughout Maine.

From what I can tell Caribou seems to have a lot of flat land that is for sale and has been used to farming in the past. I would be interested in investing in some of this land as perhaps retirement or for more immediate use like camping during the warmer months and also to get some trees established for future harvesting of apples, nuts and firewood. I might also like to build a cabin or permanent home there eventually.

And just to reiterate I'm looking at Maine for it's low prices but also the fact that I get the impression there is a little more freedom up there in what you do on your own property. For example in the rural part of PA I live in, I raise goats but I just came to discover that I am not even allowed to have goats on my one acre. Or more specifically I am not allowed to have 6 out of the 7 I currently have. There are so many rules about fence height, building sizes, looks and locations. It's ridiculous. These are just township rules, I don't even live in a development, my house is 130 years old.

That being said, although I am young(28) I am very self-sufficient and like to live off the land so that is another reason I think Maine would be good for me. I think that's a common way of thinking up there.

So any opinions? Also can anyone tell me about Caribou city center. Does it have most amenities people are looking for. I think I read the population is around 8000, the population where I live now is about 2500 so I would assume Caribou would have more than what I am used to, which is essentially a supermarket and a gas station.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

We have towns with no zoning and towns that are getting carried away by regulations. You just need to inquire. Set yourself a budget for land, well, septic, driveway, utilities and your dwelling. It can be anything form an inexpensive mobile home on up. Some of the best deals in Maine are for existing homes on larger parcels. By the time you add it all up an existing home may be your best bet.

[maineguy8888]

I live in Caribou. Land is excellent for farming and there is available land, for very reasonable prices (especially compared to southern Maine). Farming is a very important part of the city's life, be it huge operations or small hobby farms. Caribou has zoning but other than basic rules, there are few limits as to what you do on your property. Folks are very much "live and let live" here.
The thing I love about Caribou (and why we chose it) is that almost everything we could ever want or need can be found here in town.....but it still feels like a quaint, little, old Maine town. No mall, no strips, nothing like that. But to us, that's a plus.
We really enjoy living here and what it has to offer.
Hope that helps!

[PAhippo]

okay-just gotta ask-McDonalds? Burger King?

A 'no' to that one would be a plus to me.

Just curious-how long is the growing season?

[Maine Writer]

I write for a large agricultural newspaper and will be heading up that way in a month or two. If you'd like, I can track down a group of farmers working together to share resources.

[Bydand]

There's 2 small strips in Caribou. One up by Save-A-Lot (which is almost empty if I recall correctly) and the other across from McDonalds.

PAhippo, there is both a McDonalds and a Burger King in Caribou, along with a Pizza Hut, and a Subway (sandwich not train )

Farming is real big in the area, but it is mostly Potatoes without much other variety. Some other crops are slowly coming into the area though. Nuts are not going to happen up there, too short of a season for them, and too cold in the winter for the trees. Some people will tell you apples won't grow, but one look at all the old apple trees around the area that are FULL of apples every Fall will show you how wrong that statement is. Growing season is usually around 120 days.

Caribou has a fair amount of shopping, but it has really declined over the past 15 years. Most have moved just down the road to Presque Isle which has a better attitude toward their businesses than Caribou has had in the past (plus there were a lot in Caribou that closed when Loring left). As for "living off the land" as being common... not really any more than most rural areas if you mean you can make a living off your land, then yes common; if you mean granola type living off the land, then it is not as common as you might find elsewhere.

[maineguy8888]

Originally Posted by Bydand

There's 2 small strips in Caribou. One up by Save-A-Lot (which is almost empty if I recall correctly) and the other across from McDonalds.

PAhippo, there is both a McDonalds and a Burger King in Caribou, along with a Pizza Hut, and a Subway (sandwich not train )

Farming is real big in the area, but it is mostly Potatoes without much other variety. Some other crops are slowly coming into the area though. Nuts are not going to happen up there, too short of a season for them, and too cold in the winter for the trees. Some people will tell you apples won't grow, but one look at all the old apple trees around the area that are FULL of apples every Fall will show you how wrong that statement is. Growing season is usually around 120 days.

Caribou has a fair amount of shopping, but it has really declined over the past 15 years. Most have moved just down the road to Presque Isle which has a better attitude toward their businesses than Caribou has had in the past (plus there were a lot in Caribou that closed when Loring left). As for "living off the land" as being common... not really any more than most rural areas if you mean you can make a living off your land, then yes common; if you mean granola type living off the land, then it is not as common as you might find elsewhere.

Bydand, you certainly have the experience here to offer good input. But I'll respond, if you don't mind.
Growing season here is getting a bit longer, it seems. Global warming is great, if you ask me! lol
Broccoli is a major crop here. There are also other significant crops as well, including rotation crops. Then the specialty crops (like apples, blueberries, etc.). There's also significant cattle farming.
Caribou has rebounded from fifteen or twenty years ago. The mall in Presque Isle certainly hurt the retail sector. But there are a number of excellent shops in Caribou, including some awesome new ones in the downtown. The Skyway Plaza which you refer to is actually almost full. The mini mall across from McDonald's is full, but it's about to take a hit with the closure of Miller's, which is the city's only major department store. BUT I am not going to moan about it, because they've been TERRIBLE for years, and with them leaving, maybe a retailer who actually knows what they're doing can fill that space. (The only thing we'll really be missing is a big department store).
You are right about Presque Isle in one way: they have courted big box stores, and have a bunch now (along with the mall). As a result, the town now looks like HELL with sprawl. The downtown is stripped bare, and I would NEVER move back to my old hometown. You can praise their attitude towards new business, but as I said, I'd rather have the balance and beauty of a city like Caribou (and drive the ten minutes to Presque Isle if there's something I really, really need and can't find here).

Just saying.

[Bydand]

I don't see Caribou as better now than 15 years ago. It is good to hear about the Skyway plaza, it was getting kind of bare pickings there for a while. I agree with Millers leaving as no real loss, it has been slipping in quality and service for years. I agree with living toward Caribou and popping into Presque Isle if need be, PI always had a strange feel to me while I was there.

What I meant about Presque Isles attitude was geared more toward their willingness to go after different stores, not so much the way they have implemented the growth. The only real cattle farming I can think of is Pineland Farms over in Fort (which is run by a very nice couple by the way), unless someone new has opened up shop in Caribou.

The growing season length is right from the Caribou city website and sounds about right for an average to me. I know the last few years has been a bit longer though. I was seriously thinking of putting in a small Peach orchard back in 2007-08, there are a couple cold hardy types that I felt would do ok and offer a bit of something different. There are a couple of plots of land out toward Perham that would be perfect with the slope they have and they direction they face.

[Maineah]

I'd live closer to Lewiston if I were going to raise goats. The Somalian population of that area along with Portland are always looking for fresh goats.

[PAhippo]

I bet alpacas would love it there.
and/or llamas.