This is a question for Geoff or anyone who wants to answer.
I live in MN and there is a lot of inexpensive land available in relatively rural areas northern MN. I signed up to get emails from the Government (state/county) when they sell land.
Here's an example of what they list at the DNR Website:
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lands_minerals/landsale/index.html
A lot of counties do the same thing, so there's really a lot to choose from.
Most of what I've seen for sale is at least partially, if not almost totally, wetlands. A lot of parcels border on state parks land, with restrictions not to build certain size cabins, etc. Other lots border on farmland.
So here's my question: If I were to purchase a parcel with the intention of creating a self-sustaining food forest, what should I look for in the parcel (i.e., running or standing water, highlands/lowlands, what type of vegetation/previous use - there may also be restrictions on what I can do with it for better or worse)? What should I make sure of when I walk the land before purchase? What should I do with the land, and what should I plant to create a stable food forest/ecosystem? How would I reduce the amount of maintenance needed over the years so that I can visit and take advantage of the forest (camp/hike, etc.) instead of living there?
I've been interested for a long time in doing this but am not sure it's practical considering the intense weather patterns here. Sometimes it seems there's more winter than summer (though this year has been beautiful!). Also my husband requires living in the city with public transportation, so visiting up north would be pretty much for weekends only, if that.
Thanks for any help or brainstorming you can provide.
Jody
Also very interested in getting the Geoff Lawton Food Forests book!