Homesteading in Maine? (Portland: 2014, job market, to buy)

[Nord Firebrand]

I'm a first time homesteader and I was looking into good northern states in which to homestead and Maine has repeatedly come up as a good option, but the biggest objection I keep hearing is that y'all have very rocky soil which can make it difficult to grow on. I know people farm out there, so I don't know how serious of an issue this is or if there are methods for working around it? Is it actually that large of an issue? I'm mostly interested in growing heartier vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and winter squash with some fruit trees (apple, pear, cherry) and some berry bushes. For geographical reference I'd most likely end up somewhere in the northern, central, or eastern parts of Maine. Definitely not ending up anywhere near Portland. I understand that's a pretty broad area so there might be some stark differences, but I appreciate any and all insight you have.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

In Northern Maine we had 6,250,000 acres of pasture and cultivated ground in 1940. Today we have just over a million. The forests are taking over. Maine is tough ground to plow, but it is excellent pasture. Look at a map and focus on the latitude 45 degrees north and above. Old farms waiting to come back, homes and just plain land is easier to buy up here.

[maineguy8888]

Northern Maine has excellent soil and a long history of farming.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Nord Firebrand

I'm a first time homesteader and I was looking into good northern states in which to homestead and Maine has repeatedly come up as a good option, but the biggest objection I keep hearing is that y'all have very rocky soil which can make it difficult to grow on. I know people farm out there, so I don't know how serious of an issue this is or if there are methods for working around it?

Nationwide there is fewer farms each year. Bu tin Maine we see more farms every year. Farming is growing in Maine.

Big Ag with 5,000 acres focuses on tilling huge areas and spraying it all in poisons. That is NOT the face of farming in Maine.

... I'm mostly interested in growing heartier vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and winter squash with some fruit trees (apple, pear, cherry) and some berry bushes

Do some fiddleheads, tap a few maples, etc, you do not need 1,000 acre of corn to succeed in Maine.

... For geographical reference I'd most likely end up somewhere in the northern, central, or eastern parts of Maine. Definitely not ending up anywhere near Portland. I understand that's a pretty broad area so there might be some stark differences, but I appreciate any and all insight you have.

Welcome to Maine.

[kevin5098]

We live in southwest Maine and our soil is very rocky. We rely mostly on raised bed gardens. There are tons of ideas online such as straw bales, mound gardening etc. Our animals (goats, poultry, llama) provide plenty of compost. We are not exactly self-sufficient, but probably could come closer with a little more effort.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Like most river valleys and deltas around the world, the St. John Valley has much sandy loam. That is potato country. As the elevation rises above the 100 year flood level, the ground gets much more rocky. I have canoed the upper St. John from Baker Lake down to the Canadian border at St Francis. The shoreline is rocky with some very course gravel.

[Maine Writer]

I chose the least rocky spots for root crops and don't worry about the rest. As long as there's soil and you water properly the roots will find their way down.

[Nord Firebrand]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

In Northern Maine we had 6,250,000 acres of pasture and cultivated ground in 1940. Today we have just over a million. The forests are taking over. Maine is tough ground to plow, but it is excellent pasture. Look at a map and focus on the latitude 45 degrees north and above. Old farms waiting to come back, homes and just plain land is easier to buy up here.

Originally Posted by maineguy8888

Northern Maine has excellent soil and a long history of farming.

I appreciate everyone who's replied so far. Sounds like there's a lot of great, usable land up there then. As long as I'm careful about where I end that should be fine. What's the job market up there like? Incidentally, I'm a pharmacy technician and I can usually assume that there are pharmacies wherever there are people or hospitals. Any idea if there's much work in the rural north (not just for pharm techs, but in general too?)

[maineguy8888]

Originally Posted by Nord Firebrand

I appreciate everyone who's replied so far. Sounds like there's a lot of great, usable land up there then. As long as I'm careful about where I end that should be fine. What's the job market up there like? Incidentally, I'm a pharmacy technician and I can usually assume that there are pharmacies wherever there are people or hospitals. Any idea if there's much work in the rural north (not just for pharm techs, but in general too?)

The unemployment rate is around 5%. Some kinds of jobs are more readily available than others....same as anywhere.

[slyfox2]

Originally Posted by maineguy8888

The unemployment rate is around 5%. Some kinds of jobs are more readily available than others....same as anywhere.

Actually its dropped below that now. It was 5% in December of 2014. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has it now below 3.8 %. Google it. It came up right away for me.

Pretty much if you are capable of work now, you can get some kind of job.