Hi Jeremy -
Lots of land for sale out here. It is by far the most affordable area per acre I encountered in the 20,000 mile search through MT, WA, OR, and NorCal. It's like living in a postcard every day. Incredibly beautiful and peaceful, with so much to do. That said, you quickly learn why there isn't a huge demand for raw land out here.
1. It's dry and there is little relief in sight. We missed out on winter rain again. The sloping terrain provides a great canvas for a permaculture minded person, but most affordable lots don't have a well to get any ground cover started. I'm on an 8 month wait list for a well - and that's after literally offering bribes to any well digger who would actually put me on a list.
2. It's remote. I forgot a widget I needed on my last Home Depot trip to Medford, and now my entire day is going to be dealing with that. It gets old if you're a poor planner like me. Crime is a real thing - and tends to be sensational when it happens. There are areas of true rural poverty, where people have had their entire lives burned away, and are in untenable situations. However, I don't believe these are reasons to avoid living somewhere. Further, if there is a community archetype that could use permaculture, this is it.
3. The regulatory landscape is like an unsedated colonoscopy. The planning, environmental health, and building folks in Siskiyou have all been lovely to work with, but the actual processes are heartbreakingly inefficient and fractured.
If you have patience, and some starting cash, northern Siskiyou county has serious permaculture potential. Please send me a message if you'd like to chat more, and I can give you some specific areas to investigate.
