Kentucky Dreaming

Hey Permies,
I'm new to the site and not as cyber savvy as I thought I was since I haven't figured out all the nuances of the site yet. I did trip over a post in Homestead/Appalachia from 5 years ago. To my delight there seem to be many people of like mind in the area, south of Lexington, I've been exploring as a place for my next adventure. I do love my solitude but having neighbors also living the au naturel life would be my first choice. I'm hoping to find neighbors who would like to have a neighbor, such as myself, they could call and say 'I could use another set of hands to get this batch of produce put back'. Not the kind who show up and eat up your time when you have work to do.

At the moment I am treading water so to speak as I wait for my home to sell here in north central North Carolina. I have loved my tiny urban farm but now it's time for my beasties and I to find more rural land. I would love to talk to those of you who are in this area of Kentucky about, which towns have few zoning regulations and lower taxes. Or what the climate and weather have actually been like in the last 2 years. Where you've found markets for you farm goods. Topics that are exciting to us and deeply boring to those who are not us.

Many of my crops should have been in by now. I don't want to put them in and have to leave them. This is making me irritated. I've missed out on TWO stone castle houses because I didn't have my house sold and cash in hand. The pandemic is very inconvenient. Who wants possible plague carrying strangers wandering through their house? I might have to make myself a hazmat suit. I've certainly made and sold stranger costumes.  So now I've begun to explore the concept of doing owner financing. This would greatly limit what I could buy.  

We'd all love 120 acres... but I could make due with 5. My wants are grand but my needs are small.  I need at least 2 acres of pasture for my goats, ducks, geese, chickens and maybe I'll add a Black English hog. I need another acre for my orchard and 2 large green houses. A stone cottage would also be lovely but I may have to forego that want for now. I can buy an Amish made shed and trick it out in a few weeks if that is my only option. An hourish from Lexington a plus. Small town with a Post Office and internet accessible to the property. I sell on line and have a YouTube channel. And my adult children would lose their minds if they couldn't contact mommy in the woods. If anyone knows of any very reasonable property please let me know. And again if any of you would like to share the ups and downs, the ins and outs of homesteading in that general area of Kentucky please reach out. You can post here or Moose me (I don't know how that works yet) or you can email me at angelinagiannamaffeo@gmail.com

wishing you a successful day
Angelina

I am 75 miles due east of Lexington. Been here a year, loving it! I don't have a feel for the weather yet, still getting settled. No garden yet, but 4 hens (Chickens are new to me).

Something to look out for is Fiber Internet in the middle of nowhere. https://kentuckywired.ky.gov/Pages/index.aspx I have access to gigabit fiber in the middle of nowhere! Although Satellite internet is 1-2 years away from opening up with the new SpaceX internet.

My taxes where $285 on 60ish acres.

Love Kentucky and neighboring Tenn and we looked at both of them real hard eight years back when we finally bought here in NW Alabama. No zoning or building department where we are and plenty of water. Yes it does get a bit hot in the summer but the growing season is looooong. We keep fresh greens almost year round. Land prices are pretty good and the people solid country folk. We have 35 acres with 6 sheep; 5 Dexter cows; rabbits; ducks, chickens and occasional black heritage pigs. We also have a 10 acre lake  filled with fish and turtle. We do eat good! Canning, freezing, drying and keeping the garden going provides us with a lot. Our land is lake, 4 acres of pasture, 2 of gardens and orchards with a small vineyard for wine making and about 15 of woods. We absolutely love it here and are also open to having a very select few join us if and when that happens. But in the meantime keep your dream alive; its a good one!

We used to live an hour east of Lexington in Morehead, Ky.
I loved the area and the people of Kentucky are great! Good luck in your land hunt and hope you find the bluegrass as delightful as we did!

Mike Creuzer wrote:I am 75 miles due east of Lexington. Been here a year, loving it! I don't have a feel for the weather yet, still getting settled. No garden yet, but 4 hens (Chickens are new to me).

Something to look out for is Fiber Internet in the middle of nowhere. https://kentuckywired.ky.gov/Pages/index.aspx I have access to gigabit fiber in the middle of nowhere! Although Satellite internet is 1-2 years away from opening up with the new SpaceX internet.

My taxes where $285 on 60ish acres.

Mike thanks for responding and posting the link. The internet info is important since I sell online and have a YouTube channel. Nice rate on the taxes. Have you made improvements to the property? If yes, did they come around to adjust your tax bill? Are they in your business about what and how you build? If you hear of anything in your area please Moose Message me. I'd like to have people of like minded people near by.

Chickens are very entertaining. I have a 6 year old Americana who still lays 3 blue eggs a week. Most of the neighbors know her. She flies over the fence and forages on joining properties. My advice is never buy a Leghorn rooster they're generally mean and Giant Black Cochin roosters are easy going and great protectors of their flock. Keep us posted on your chickens.