Laura Bee

Rob, I'm glad you and Leah are on your land now. It looks like you're having an average February weather-wise; that's a boon for your first winter.

I didn't mention it before, but I appreciate the videos you recommended. Watching them keeps me hungry for community.

I'm looking forward to hearing about your progress, and land for sale. Best of luck this year.

Laura

Rob, thank you for your thoughtful reply. I like your thinking about community.

The more years go by, the more I reminisce about cold, snowy winters. Year-round food production in the San Francisco Bay Area gets to be a drag after awhile. There is no rest. I would like easier rhythms, and longer days in the summer.

I'm used to the gorgeous loam of the Prairie Farm in Saginaw County. I looked at properties in Alcona County on realtor.com. Excellent values, but the soil looks sandy. I suppose I could learn to work with that. We have heavy clay soil here that turns near hard as rock in the summer.

I'll be watching here for news about how well you're transplanting.

Best wishes.

I'm pumped to see several threads about people looking to homestead in MI the last week or so. I'm from central MI, living in CA, and feel responsibility to move where water isn't chronically over-harvested. I have lots of family in MI and I know how things grow there, so it's one logical choice.

High on my selection criteria are progressive community and as-moderate-as-possible USDA zone. I hadn't scouted Alcona County. I'd love to hear what draws homesteaders there.

I should also say there were less than 6 words in your manifest I didn't resonate with. Most of the friends I see day-to-day wouldn't get it, either. Hoping someday to live in closer proximity with those that do. DH is a hermit, and I'm a GDI, so I don't know if IC is for us, but we like having (and being) good neighbors.


(edited for clarity, then to say why I edited)