Does anyone have any suggestions about where I can go to find out about purchasing land at a reasonable (if there's a such thing) price? I'm looking into living "off the grid", with my own ground water supply, solar energy for electricity, and growing my own garden for food. I just need to know how I would go about looking for land that has a water reservoir so I don't have to use city water.
By Loleini
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Water reservoir -bif you mean a pond, then you will need some way to purity the water. Having a well drilled is expensive, so is installing a wind generator and a sewer system. And many places have laws on all of this.
Consider also the equipment you will need to survive. In central Indiana that means a chain saw, a small tractor, a snow plow, gardening equipment, small work shop to repair what you can't buy, a source of electricity for a freezer or two.
I am not trying to discourage you, but be sure you have thought this through. We live pretty much off the grid - own water and gas well, but haven't got the generator yet due to price of unit and installation, but the water requires a softner here and a well house and a sump pump and electricity. Don't use the Amish as a model. They use enormous generators. Even non-farmable land is expensive.
My son is doing this; building a house with a composting toilet, digging his own well, heating the house with solar and wood heat. He is in Saskatchewan, and is living on land that he owns with his grandmother. They are renting out the land and growing their own garden.
It is quite a process, and it is taking him 3 years to get the house built as he is doing this all himself with his partner. Land is probably expensive everywhere. You need to do a lot of research on this to see if you are prepared to do the work that is involved in living off the grid.
You've been given good advice here but don't be discouraged. Contact state agriculture commissions and ask them if and where your desired life is possible. That's what they're there for.
A good way to start looking and feel out different areas may be to work as farm hands. In Georgia the ag dept puts out a weekly ag paper where people list jobs available/wanted.
There is an organization - WWOOF - that offers working stays on farms. I'm sure there are others, but that's the biggest.
I admire your desire to live a more self sufficient life and wish you the best of luck.
Where ever you want to end up, probably the first place to check is going to be with the area planning or zoning commission-is it legal to dig your own well, can you legally install solar panels, have chickens, grow a veg garden, build your own house or install a mobile home in the place you want to live; those would be the first questions.
Good luck! I did this several times when I lived in America (AL, FL, GA) and was always very happy. I live in Scotland now, where my new husband and I are 'mini-crofters', a variation on traditional Scottish Highland crofting:
We own our home without a mortgage, and live in a semi-rural neighbourhood, but we follow a lot of the crofting plan. It's a wonderfully satisfying way to live, we are VERY happy:)
That sounds so amazing! Do you own animals as well as growing your own veggies/fruit?
That sounds so amazing! Do you own animals as well as growing your own veggies/fruit?
I know of a great place in Oregon. Would you be interested in that part of the country?
Instead of starting from scratch, have you looked for properties that already have some of what you're looking for? Where I used to live it was pretty common for rural homes to have their own well and septic tank.
But I agree with the other poster who said maintaining these things can be expensive, so make sure you know what work needs to be done before moving in. If you're looking to grow your own food you might not need as much land as you'd think, unless you were looking to set up a farm. A well-planned vegetable garden can grow enough to cover most of the vegetables a family could eat in a year. I'd love to have a place in the country to do this!
Southern Indiana, Ohio have properties such as you might want, but you need to be far, far from cities and interstates as those are desired by those who want a place to get away from it all and that drives up prices. Some farmers will sell small plots of land that is not farmable, but local zoning can be a problem. Here is east central Indiana you can find such properties along rivers, but in my county 5 acres is the requirement to set a trailer.
I hope I didn't discourage you in my last message, but have you ever made a garden? How do you plan to till the ground? What are you doing to do for money? Taxes are a big bite, and you can't grow everything. Do you plan to keep any livestock? Again, many places have acre requirements.
We live as much off the grid as we can, but still it is easier to buy that grow somethings. Bugs eat the garden as do rabbits, groundhogs, deer, etc. It is not as easy life, but you can sleep with the windows open and listen to the night. I wish you luck.
Another option would be to live in one of those little one or two person trailers that are like tiny houses, and remain in climate-friendly locations. Maybe you would not have to purchase land. I would say areas where Katrina hit may have some fixer uppers available. Or other disaster-struck areas.
I've heard of the tiny house movement, also. Is there such thing as a water tank where water could be delivered? To be independent, you also need to keep it simple so it is do-able. Maybe move in to an ongoing farm concern where you could be a part of the operation? Or something simple, such as tending their dogs or horses.
I've heard of hippie and other "free" communities, but you would be an outsider, so that would be a nay for me, but I am sure there are lots of people who are also searching. I just don't have any hard suggestions. Teasing a garden out of nature is an art; canning, having chickens, a storage cellar. They would seem necessary if you live in a zone with cold weather. I would like to hear your followup! It would be interesting.
I know of places in the Roseburg, OR and that area that are about 15 miles from cities so you would have to have your own source of power, etc.
If you google "cheap land Oregon" you can start from there. You can also contact real estate agents, and let them know that you are looking for something that can be lived on with little or no support from the utility companies. If they baulk at you, drop them.
I would advertise just about everywhere but get ready for the scammers and spammers. While you are trying to improve your life they are trying to find one, so just scrape them off.
I think this is becoming my dream, if I can pull it off.
Good luck. PBP
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