Hey all! I’ve been posting on this site for a few years now and really enjoy it. Super unique and informative place, with nice helpful users.
My wife and I are
natives to the South, met in the military and now have two little ones in tow, and looking to settle down and start our own
permaculture homestead somewhere in the Piedmont Region.
We are in an interracial marriage, my wife is black and I am white, which unfortunately has presented some challenges in different parts of the rural US. We’ve had mostly pleasant experiences everywhere we’ve lived, from the PNW to a few states across the Southeast, but also some decidedly unpleasant ones.
Enough to make me cautious about where to put down
roots and raise my children.
We are in the Triad of NC right now and really enjoy it here, the cities and people are friendly and thriving, and there is plenty to do and see. But there is also a lot of development and urban sprawl unfortunately. I’m primarily hoping two things:
1) any permies on here in the Piedmont that can recommend an area that would be good for
permaculture people, and homesteading in general? I’d of course prefer a region with likeminded counterculturists like on here, but would just be happy for a spot I knew was not going to be developed anytime soon.
2) if anyone knows, if they could recommend a rural area that has good diversity or they know has good race relations?
3) And finally, any specific recommendations for NC in those regards? And if anyone knows about it, maybe Caswell County or adjacent?
We were looking at Southside VA originally, specifically in Halifax County VA. We had good experiences, seems like a really diverse and well mixed area, but I realized it’s more realistic to look for a place close to where we live and work now instead of making elaborate plans to move out to BFE and swap who has a career etc, when we could just get started now instead.
I’ve been looking at Caswell County NC because of this. I currently live in Guilford and work in Forsyth, so it’s about as far as I could realistically commute. It seems both diverse and rural/remote on paper, but I know nothing about the reality on the ground.
I’ve also considered south to Alamance, but it looks like that’s getting into development and urbanization?
Would love to hear from any Piedmont permies, and hopefully anyone has some knowledge about my questions as well! Thanks to anyone taking the time to read this and respond.
