Buying Property in Kentucky

I'm not sure this was the right forum for this, but didn't see a better one.  I've been living in Eastern Oregon (high desert) for about fourteen years, and am getting ready to move to Kentucky in a couple of months to be closer to my oldest daughter and my grandchildren.  One of the granddaughters is living with me so she can be homeschooled -- she's fifteen and a big help, and has interests that are permaculture and homesteading related; she wants to keep bees (her grandpa is a beekeeper, and I have two hives for her to get started with).  She also wants to raise cut flowers and earthworms to sell. We plan to have a vegetable garden and fruit and nut trees, berries, other perennials, and poultry.  If the place we buy is suitable, we'll have a couple of dairy goats and possibly a few sheep (I've raised goats for over thirty years, though I don't have any right now, and have also had sheep).  I'm interested in forest gardening, and also want to be sure we have a good supply of firewood from our own property.  

There are several properties that I'm looking at, with anywhere from two acres (owned by a family member of my daughter's husband, so we'll look at it, though I really want more land) up to 31 acres.  The ones with wooded areas mostly are steep (except for one that has a house that may need a lot of work -- there are no interior photos in the on-line page for it).  The ones that aren't steep are mostly cleared and in pasture or possibly brushy.  The cleared, level or near-level places would be easier to work with, but we would have to buy our firewood, at least for a few years.  Also they are smaller acreages, mostly around four acres.  I'm going to look at several places the last weekend of September (Sept. 30 and Oct. 1).  Most of the properties are in south-central Kentucky, though a couple are in the eastern end of the state, and one is up near the Ohio River, SW of Cincinnati (my daughter lives between Cincinnati and Dayton, so it would be the closest to her of any of the places I'm looking at).  

Suggestions?  Would you choose the larger acreages with more woods, even though they tend to be steeper?  Or the smaller more level parcels that are mostly open?  

Also would love to talk to people who are gardening/growing in that area, as it's a new climate for me.

Thanks,

Kathleen

Hi
Have you bought that land yet?
I am a single female/home owner/truck driver. I have land and big home with everything you are looking for on it.
My dream is pretty much the same as yours but I have to be away in the truck to pay for it. For the last ten years I had a job that got me home twice a week to look after everybody but that has changed. I'm gone 5 to 10 days at a time now. Fortunately I have a good friend who will come in and feed my cats, fish and chickens while I am gone.
I even have bees.
I have a very neglected infrastructure . Home, buildings, orchards and gardens that could use more attention.
Fruit and nut trees and flowers. Day lilies and hostas are my favorites.
I have a green house that was never put up.
I have four indoor cats. One goes in the truck with me , one stays in the house when I'm gone and two are in an enclosed porch. And four outdoor cats.
I am thinking that you might be interested in joining me here if we could work out the details to everyone advantage and if not, I have another property to sell. Twenty three acres with woods and water that has been in pasture for as long as I've had it. And long before that. It could be certified organic.
Please get in touch if you are interested.
I going to put my email. I'm not sure if that is how it's done. This is the first time I've posted on here.
Susank@fastmail.com
South central Ky

Hi, it sounds like your place has a lot of potential, if you can find the right people to go in with you!  I've found some property, after making a trip back to Kentucky and spending several days looking -- it's 2.68 acres with a small old farmhouse and two barns in Green County.  Is that close to you?  We aren't moving until late March, because this place won't close until the middle of December and I didn't want to move mid-winter.  

Kathleen

(I think you can message me through the board, if you'd like to.  Something about purple mooseages near the top of the page, LOL!)

I'm further south than you but I live on a mountain and own both sides all the way to the valleys. So I have some experience with steep land.
In that area of the country you will get more snow than I do, that is one thing to be aware of.

I would go for the amount of land you want with the woods, the thing about wanting a forest garden comes along a lot faster if you already have the woods growing there at the start.
I'm happy to give suggestions and relate my own experiences with living in the mountains.

Redhawk

(where you are looking is a great spot to grow ginseng as a long term cash crop)

Hi Kathleen
Yes. You are near me. I'm also in Green Co. I would like to meet you when you move in. I am forever planting and digging and have too manyplants to take care of. I would be happy to share.
I have very good neighbors who have kept me going- helping out all these years and I am sure they would make you welcome.
The lady that looks after my cats has Alpine and Boer goats.

Susan, that's cool that you are so close!  We will definitely be in touch with you after we move.  We are going to have to do some work on the house -- gutting the bathroom and redoing it from scratch, for one thing!  But as soon as it's livable, our focus will be on planting stuff!  I will probably be looking for some Nubian goats (for both meat and milk), but will need to talk to local goat people to find out what wormers and so on will be needed, and where to buy hay, stuff like that.

Kathleen

I'm sure we will have lots to talk about and since I'm a compulsive propigator I'll be glad for homes for some of my stuff🙃