Dareios Alexandre

Hi Max, thanks for your message. I will probably be passing through your area the first week of October and would love to meet you!

Max Daix wrote:Hey Dareois,
I'm a 34 French-american, living in the SW of France (in the 81330 zipcode). Last year we got 1600mm and this year I'm gonna guess more like 1100-1200. So a good amount of rain but in my opinion not too much.

I'll echo what other people said... "it depends". There are regions/mairies that are quite strict and other places where you kind find mayors really bending rules to get young people to move there - and the difference can be within 10km.

So yeah, still a lot of nice spots, with ruins and opportunities especially you're willing to put in the work.

If you ever go on an exploration road trip to this area hit me.

Currently the land touching my land is for sale 37H for 95k. Forest and prairies, water, some ruins, but you're looking more at 4x4 access for the last 200m, not so bad actually. I can't afford it but would love for it to NOT be bought up by a bank and then clear cut.

Feel free to email me. maxmeniolle @ protonmail dot com

Hi Mariya,
My name is Dareios, I'm 32 yrs old, grew up on the west coast of Canada but now live in Greece. I am an avid gardener and dream of having a fully off grid, self sufficient homestead far from the urban madness. I am very much on board with moving away from screens and the emfs and towards the trees! Are you looking to stay in the US or go elsewhere?

Mariya Bee wrote:Hey nature lovers! I'm a Russian gal who grew up in NYC since age one. I've been going through a major spiritual awakening for over 10 years now and realized the city is not for me in the midst of it all. I'm not religious. I'd love to meet someone who I feel happy and at home with, someone who I'm intuitively certain about. "When you know, you know" as they say.

My interests include releasing tech addiction and spending time in nature. I'd love to create a space where others can reconnect with something simple and sacred that has been slipping away.

If a lifestyle without smartphones, computers, tv, artificial lights, power lines, electricity, clocks, calendars, and vices sounds appealing to you, then let's chat!

Hi Victoria, my name is Dareios, I'm originally from Western Canada but living now in Greece, and aspiring to grow all my own food. Everything  you wrote is basically identical to what I'm looking for in a partner(minus the bottle of wine haha). Whereabouts are you located?

Victoria Forestqueen wrote:Hey there!

Looking for a man that is also interested in homesteading or is already homesteading.

I'd like to have a family, so ideally men 28 to 38.


I’m an adventurous, grounded soul with a deep love for nature and sustainable living. I love spend my days gardening, foraging, exploring, and being in the forest whenever I can. I’m passionate about permaculture, herbalism, mushrooms, and living in harmony with the earth.

I enjoy quiet moments with a good book and the simple things, like sunsets with a bottle wine. I value honesty, curiosity, communication and kindness, and I’m looking for someone who shares a love of the outdoors, meaningful work, and hands-on living.

Hi Louise! Did you find any interesting permaculture projects in any of these areas? I'm looking to do the same as you this fall/winter, to get to know the region and see if I might like to live there. Would love to hear how your experience was!

Louise Brinkers wrote:Hi! We’re a small family with a baby (almost 6 months old) and we’re looking to visit permaculture projects in Northern Spain (Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Basque Country) and possibly in Northern Portugal to learn hands-on and in a regionally adapted way – ideally for a long weekend or a few days.

We bring genuine interest, respect, and a strong desire to learn. We’ve had a first experience with a permaculture project in Portugal, and also spent time on an off-grid farm with animals in Sweden.

If you run a project or know someone who does, we’d love to hear from you! 💚

Timón, Louise & Kian

Sounds blissful!

Nancy Reading wrote:Yes, I gather our climate is pretty similar to parts of the PNW.

Dareios Alexandre wrote:I'm curious do you choose to live there or would you live elsewhere if you had the choice.

We're mostly here for financial reasons. Land, even poor arable land is pretty expensive in the UK if you want to live on it. And we love the Scottish Highlands - clean air and dark skies, distractingly beautiful. I like to live near the sea too.
I always think 'be careful what you wish for' - I might wish for a very little more warmth in summer, but then our soil is so shallow that it wouldn't take much for us to go into drought. Our winters are so mild that many mediterranean plants are quite happy here (given a well drained spot!). There are other aspects that suit me, like lack of streetlights and quiet roads (relatively speaking) so no, I wouldn't want to move

It's a tough decision!

Riona Abhainn wrote:Pro for warmer winters = more of a growing season.  Con of warmer winters = the bugs don't always properly die off the way they do in places with colder winters.

Thanks for the ideas. UK and Ireland are too expensive and Portugal has too much bureaucracy.

Riona Abhainn wrote:Also consider the southern part of Ireland or England, possibly Wales?  And maybe parts of Portugal.

Thanks Nina. Yes the northwest coast of Spain is at the top of my list. I have been thinking about France as well. What do you think about the Atlantic Coast, anywhere between Brittany and Hendaye? Are properties more expensive there? Also, what about the bureaucracy in France? Here in Greece it's really bad, and I've heard France is known for having a lot of rules and regulations on what you can and can't do with your land, etc. Is this true, and if so, is France still worth considering?

Nina Surya wrote:

Dareios Alexandre wrote:
1. I prefer a mild climate...mild winters above freezing , mild summers, with precipitation throughout the year.

2. I have Canadian and EU citizenship, so am looking in these two areas specifically.

3. I eat a plant based diet and want to focus mainly on fruit growing, with food forests, so the climate needs to be at least zone 8 or higher to support a wide range of fruit species.

4. I'm looking for min. 5 acres, close to water and trees, ideally with some elevation, in a rural area but with good access to at least one small city.

Hi Dareios,
Welcome to Permies!
Greetings from the southern tip of the departement Cher in France.
I don´t know if there's a place that fits your criteria - perhaps the Finisterra (end of the pilgrims route to Santiago de Compostela) in NW Spain? I know it rains relatively much there.

Here where I live we have a microclimate with zone 8a-8b.
We've had mild winters with 1-3 days of freezing temperatures. Last year was very rainy and relatively cool, this year has been dry and hot. I find it difficult to say what's "normal" with the weather patterns we're having.
But: we're at 300+ meters elevation, there's lots of water around in the form of natural lakes and ponds, and in our own garden all kinds of fruit have been growing for a loooooooong time, judging by the old orchard (we've been here only for 2,5 years now); grapes, peaches, apples, pears, cherries, plums and I planted a fig tree and an almond tree that are thriving. There are also hazelnuts and walnuts. The soil is mainly clay, with patches of sandy soil in the surrounding areas where the Romans used to plant their vineyards - it's an old and still-going-strong wine region as well here around Chateaumeillant (18370).
Prices are relatively low for France, because it's "in the middle of nowhere", with bigger cities at comfortable distances to do the shopping etc. at.

Nancy Reading wrote:There are so many factors that affect the climate as well as the lattitude. I'm 57 degrees North here but in a mild maritime climate - so no penetrating frosts and rain anytime of year. I love the long days of summer when it never really gets dark, but we do different things in winter in long dark nights (!). Nothing grows much though between October and April, so we can harvest root crops and some perennial greens, but need to rely on storage for many fruit and vegetables.

Thanks Nancy. I imagine your climate must be similar to Vancouver Island where I grew up. We were at 50 degrees north though so  bit less extreme. It was great for growing greens and most veggies,but the damp conditions were often a problem, and makes it hard for storage as well. I'm curious do you choose to live there or would you live elsewhere if you had the choice.

Anne Miller wrote:I cant say that I have experienced both as I am in sunny Texas.

A homestead has more than just plants though being to have longer days to harvest is one benefit.

What about having to get out in 6 inches of snow to feed the animals?

If we're just talking about fruits and vegetables though, which would you prefer?