Stevens County Area? (Seattle, Spokane, Colville: for sale, low crime, how much)

[billionsxbillions]

Hi all, I am hoping that some of you can give me some information about the Stevens county area. My husband and I are looking to start a small farm and have found that Stevens county has some unbelievable land prices. So what's the drawback? I have driven through Washington through Idaho on my way to Seattle but that is my only experience with the area.

-Is this land unsuitable for farming?
-What are the winters like?
-I have seen hints of land usage laws like water and timber rights. Can anyone illuminate this for me?
-Are there any strange building codes and restrictions? (We want to build from cob)
-Is the market for for being able to sell goods in a CSA or farmer's market over-saturated?

My husband is a welder. Is there any type of job market for this in the area? Spokane included.

I am quite ignorant of the area but intrigued by the low land prices for such a beautiful area. Any information would be appreciated. Thank you!

[NWbyNW]

Stevens County is rural county, and relies heavily on Spokane for commercial needs. The two commercial centers of Stevens County are Chewlah and Colville, both of which are very small towns. Without the big box stores driving out small businesses, the county has been able to retain a lot of it's original charm, and sense of community in towns.

"I am quite ignorant of the area but intrigued by the low land prices for such a beautiful area. "

No ignorant. People use that term too much, and they don't really mean it. You just don't know about the switch there, Uneducated about it if you will. People can't know everything! Sorry, thats just a pet peeve of mine. Carrying on.

-Is this land unsuitable for farming?

Yes and no. It really depends where. Some of the small, narrow valleys between the mountains will have some farms on them. The best farming regions would not be in Stevens County though. But you can still have your own farms and personal gardens here. It just isn't the best area for farming. You will have to deal with lots of trees and clearing of stumps. Not 100% sure about the soil here. Not as fertile as parts of the Palouse or Columbia Basin.

-What are the winters like?

Similar to Spokane's. Cold, wet, and snowy.

-Is the market for for being able to sell goods in a CSA or farmer's market over-saturated?

Like anywhere, it will always be hard to get your first crops done, but once you find some customers and word spreads, it is always possible. There are plenty of farmers markets you could visit throughout the summer, spring, and fall, in this area to sell your goods.

-I have seen hints of land usage laws like water and timber rights. Can anyone illuminate this for me?

I do not know, sorry.

-Are there any strange building codes and restrictions?

As well, no idea.

My husband is a welder. Is there any type of job market for this in the area? Spokane included.

In Spokane probably. Since Stevens County is such a rural county, it is hard to get answers unless you visit towns, get to know people, or ask the "people in the know" in such towns.

If you want to live close to Spokane, but still be in Stevens County, Suncrest is an up and coming area, and farming could be down around the town, about 5 miles out. Clayton sits on the county line, but is in a legitimate farming district. South of Springdale is a valley that has farmland, but I'm not sure how good it is. I don't have experience with that area.

Further from Spokane, between Colville and Kettle Falls is a decent sized farming region as well.

Best of luck, and I you have further questions, I can certainly try. Happy Easter too.

[WendyK]

You might also consider the Williams Valley area of Deer Park that's in Stevens County. There are quite a few farms in that area and it's very scenic. This would be a convenient location to the incorporated part of Deer Park, and also close to Nine Mile Falls where the Suncrest community is located. This is not a hugely populated area, so it's probably tough to make a living by selling through farmer's markets, etc. but it could be good seasonal income.

Should clarify that this area is on the western side of Deer Park along Swenson Rd. which is west of Hwy 395, if you look at a map.

[billionsxbillions]

Great information, thank you! We have previously lived in a very small, rural farming town in California and it was an hours drive down the mountain to the nearest (small) town. So having a bit of a drive to Spokane would not be a problem for us.

One more question. I noticed in my searching that many of the towns in Stevens county are unincorporated. We have a small son. Where do the children go to school?

[Walkaboutcda]

Plenty of schools in the area:

Onion Creek SD 30

Orient School District | Serving the students of Orient, WA | Orient School District

KFSD212

Colville School District 115 / Overview


Chewelah School District / Overview

Mary Walker School District / Overview

Northport School District / Overview

[NWbyNW]

Even though the towns are incorporated, there are a lot of schools, as Walkaboutcda says. They just have schools in those unincorporated communities.

[oldfisherman]

I was thinking about moving to Stevens County when I retired. It is a beautiful area. I made 4 ten day trips just to explore that area and look at homes for sale. Here are my impressions to some of your questions.

I have seen hints of land usage laws like water and timber rights. Can anyone illuminate this for me?
Water rights can be an issue, especially if you use a lot of water for farming. Some properties include water rights; others share rights with other properties. Be sure to check into this issue careful. I believe you can drill a well most anywhere in the county, with the proper permit. However, there maybe a limit to how much acreage you can water. For a home the limit is not an issue, but for a farm, the limit very well could be an issue.

If you are going to harvest timber, state regulations come into play. The regs are way too complicated to try to explain here.

What are the winters like?
One of my 10 day trips was made in January to check out their winters. It did snow several days I was there. I was very impressed with how quickly and how often they plowed the roads. They know how to deal with winter weather.

Are there any strange building codes and restrictions? (We want to build from cob)
One of the reasons I did not move to Stevens County was because of the building codes, or rather, lack of building codes. Far too many of the homes for sale I looked at would not pass inspection in most other WA State Counties. I believe they recently started to enforce the WA state building codes for new buildings. The best way to find the answer to your question is to contact the Stevens County land services dept.

Is the market for for being able to sell goods in a CSA or farmer's market over-saturated?
Another reason I did not move to Stevens County is they will not support a new business that moves into their area from another area. If the locals think you may be taking business away from an established business, many of them will not buy your product. Even new restaurants have a very difficult time getting started, no matter how low they drop their prices to attract customers.

As a side note, Chewelah was my favorite town in Stevens County. Chewelah is a nice small town with a low crime rate. It is an easy drive to Spokane for supplies.

[wyrbell]

I just purchased land in the colville area. The biggest concern is water .... Be careful of water rights and where you may have to drill a well. Washington state has water regulations to help but also control water use age. Do your homework. It is a poor county, so the prices are low. There is good health care and it is gorgeous. County extension office, dept of ecology are places to start.