Hello everyone--After reading through some of the threads, I realized I needed to introduce myself. I'm a stay-at-home mom, married for 18 years with a 15 yo son, and this will be our first year to homeschool. We live in NW OH in an old farmhouse only 2 miles from the farm I grew up on. We only have 1.5 acres, but that's all we can afford right now, because the land is so expensive. You know, the really big farmers buy it for $5,000 an acre or city people buy 5 acres and build a trophey house in the middle of the lot and spend their free time mowing with a really huge lawn mower. I LOVE to garden. Grow almost all of the vegs we eat, but I really love the flowers and the things that come with growing them--the bees, butterflies, and finches that like to come and get the seeds. We started converting our old corncrib into a small barn for goats and at the other end will be a small henhouse. I would like to buy another half acre by the old timberframed barn to grow flowers and fall ornamentals to sell, but the lady who owns the land wants #3,500 for the land, so I guess that will have to wait.

Anyways, I enjoy reading your forum. You guys are SO interesting, and enjoyed reading the threads from the OH folks, and all the G. Logsdon fans. And just to let you know, I am Catholic, and except for really trying moments with my sister-in-law, I live my life by love and respect of neighbor and may you all have a peaceful day. I'm going out to pick the last of the peas and check out the butterflies and hummers on the butterfly bushes.

-- Anonymous, July 11, 2001

Answers

Welcome Vicki! I am also in Ohio, but at the other end. I'm in SW Ohio around Cinti. It's good to have you here. Enjoy!!!

-- Anonymous, July 11, 2001

You will be amazed at what you can do with your 1.5 and be totally worn out . We only have 1.2 acre and provide about 75% of our pantry and run a small fruit and vegetable stand. A small 10x12 greenhouse is perfect for raising bouquet flowers , mums and roses in for a little extra cash. You may want to consider a BISF garden approach like a modified Square Foot Garden for higher produce yields.

-- Anonymous, July 11, 2001

Welcome to the forum, Vicki!

I thought of another reason for these introductions -- then we know no one is missed or gets their welcome buried in another thread.

-- Anonymous, July 11, 2001

Hi vicki, You live in a beautiful part of ohio, We visited the amish area a few years back, And you have such wonderful growing conditions, You can enjoy so many beautiful flower"s. I live on the Gulf coast, and our gardening is pretty much over till fall, It"s just to hot here to do much of anything in the summer.I have been married for 54 years, Also are land down here is selling for 5,000.00 a acre, so land isn't cheap anywhere. God bless Irene

-- Anonymous, July 11, 2001

Hi Vicki and welcome!

We live in NW Ohio too - the far NW corner next to Indiana and Michigan. We only have two acres and there are times when that seems like two too many. LOL! Really we do love it though.

-- Anonymous, July 11, 2001

Howdy Vicki!

Welcome! (I think I've missed a few howdy's to other new folk. If I have, welcome to you all, too!)

Re: land prices: I live in W. Washington State and we have five acres. That's b/c we bought property a long time ago! Good land here is now going for ~$25,000 an acre. Closer to Seattle, it's even more. So it has in some ways become an area of five and ten acre manors! Last night I spent time talking to one of the local dairymen (his family owns 550 acres.) There are still serious farmers around. But a lot of the farming around here these days is for local farmer's markets (good news), or else "farms" of big lawns and managed by lots of fertilizer and big lawn tractors (not good news, I would say! Guess it's better than industry, though.) On our old deadend private road I see big SUVs and folks riding by on horses (or often walking them by b/c they've never been out of the arena!) with tack on their horses more expensive than the total of everything I own in my barns! Something for everyone (ahem!) I guess. It's a Microsoft world out here, that's for sure!

We can still have clotheslines, though! ;-)

-- Anonymous, July 11, 2001

Hi to you, Vicki! I live waaaaay up north in Maine! And yes we really do have great summers here! Lots of "lobstahs", too. Hubby and I homestead on 95 acres, mostly wooded, and raise dairy goats, chickens, turkeys and pigs. And of course a big...way too big garden!! This is a wonderful bunch of people. I'm sure you'll love it here!!

-- Anonymous, July 11, 2001

Hi Vicki! Sorry I'm late, I've been trying to catch up here. I have a "way too big" garden too, lots of critters and love Kentucky where land is 3K an acre. Welcome.

-- Anonymous, July 12, 2001

Hi Vickie, Fellow Ohio person here, I am southeast of you in Fairfield county. boy, does Ohio breed homesteaders or what! We should plan an Ohio get together some time! I know exactly what you mean about loving what growing things brings to your yard. We had a beutiful new butterfly this year, looked it up and found out that it likes Nettle, so my Nettle brought it in. Yeah! We have about 2 acres and boy does it keep me busy! Just wish that I had a woods and a stream! Have a good day! TRen

-- Anonymous, July 12, 2001

Thread drift warning:

Mr. S. set me straight on land prices around here. He always sets me straight! Sheesh. We don't have a lot of agriculturally-priced land available around here much anymore. The ag guy who was here last week told me our land was priced at $25k/acre b/c that's the going price. Mr. S, OTOH, said that prices are impacted by whether or not properties are "buildable." So for example, a buildable one-acre property (or even as little as 7000 sq. ft.) can be priced around $80k (unless waterfront or view, then +++++) but a five-acre property "might" be priced the same, if zoned five-acre (thus only one dwelling per five acres.) I guess, pricing is based more on how many houses you can eventually put on it, instead of how many cows, or rows of beans. Guess we have officially declined to be an agricultural community. I'll tell that to the sheep when they get a little older...

Land that is unbuildable goes for much less (unless timbered, then it's worth a king's ransom.) Unbuildable goes for around $10k here. So, he said that in theory $25k is probably an average of some kind. But you can find stuff for less, and also for a whole lot more, depending on what you are looking for and how lucky or unlucky you are as well.

Anyway, getting crowded and more expensive all the time.

-- Anonymous, July 12, 2001

Hi Vicki - I'm in NE Ohio and thank goodness - it has finally cooled down a little this evening!

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2001

Hi Vicki and welcome to the forum. The forum people have a wealth of knowledge to share. Glad to have you aboard. I'm not an "OH folk" or a Catholic but I have had some trying times with my sisters-in-law also, so I'm sure we'll have a lot in common.

Wishing you enough.

-- Anonymous, August 10, 2001

Hi vicki, WELCOME. If it makes you feel any better, we have only 1/5 of an acre. BUT we signed an ernest money agreement last night so we can head back to the COUNTRY. Goats....henhouse...I like the picture you paint.

-- Anonymous, August 10, 2001

Hello Vicki,

Your description makes me want to come over and sit in your garden and watch the wildlife. I spend every morning in the summer sitting on the back stairs watching the bees, butterflies and what have you visiting all the plants I've planted just for them. There is a butterfly bush in each corner and other goodies like purple coneflower sprinkled throughout. The veggies love having all those pollinators around.

I no longer have a front yard, its a cottage garden with flowers and herbs. The swallowtail butterfly worms have just about finished off the dill, but that's ok I'd rather see the butterlies they'll be than eat the dill.

Nice to meet you!

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2001

Welcome Vicki!

I can't believe the prices of land you guys are talking about! I'm selling my farm for 1,000 dollars an acre, plus about 60 for all the buildings (two houses, dairy barn in good shape and three large sheds). The soil is unbelievably rich, and it is not good for development we have recently discovered cuz it doesnt perc well, so not so much danger of numerous neighbors. Land prices still very good in Wisconsin I guess! Course we are an hour and a half from a city (Mpls/St Paul).

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2001

Only a $1000.00 per acre Earthmama and you are near the Twin Cities.... holy cats... my neighbor paid $5500.00 per acre for worthless land... he bought 15 acres too!!!! and that was a over a year ago...

<<>>> and farmers are paying that too!!!! well, a bit less...

see that is why I want to move out of the area...

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2001