For most people, buying farmland is not a realistic option. However, if one of the purposes of owning farmland is self-sufficiency, it is possible to grow fresh vegetables and fruit for your family in an urban setting. This year I am planting several fruit trees and starting a square food garden in my back yard. At a minimum, it will provide fresh, nutritious produce for my family. In a worst case scenario with food shortages or soaring produce prices, it could mean the difference between having produce or going without. I could easily see the economic situation worsening over the next year or two, so I see home gardening as an investment in the future. A lot of other people apparently feel the same way because the sale of seeds and gardening supplies has skyrocketed in the last couple of years.
No doubt about it. These kind of guys never put their money where their mouth is - a few rich guys could buy up all of ND farm land even at 10 fold the current price. I will offer an acre at a starting bid of $20,000 and see how serious they are - still alot cheaper then a 1/4 acre lot in Orange County lol. JJacksET4
So you think in a crisis in an urban setting, that all the hungry won't pick the garden clean before you get to eat it? Better question. If you leave $1000 on your doorstop for safekeeping, how long do you think it will last?
It is amazing that anytime someone discusses preparedness, someone (maybe it is you every time, TZ) states that it is worthless to prepare because that will only make you a target and everyone will steal your stuff. I guess in a Mad Max scenario you may be correct. However, there are a lot of shades of gray between our economy being great and total chaos. I can imagine high produce prices or even spotty food shortages without people jumping my locked 6 foot tall privacy fence that has a "Beware of Dog" sign on it in a private neighborhood to steal my tomatoes. Rather than criticizing everyone else, maybe you could share your thoughts on the future of our economy and explain what you plan to do if it deteriorates? Or is it your plan to simply prey upon those with the foresight to take a few simple steps to become more self-sufficient?
Here is a small example of land in ND. 120 acres for for $106,000. That was just a quick look, but I know i have seen it as cheap as $400 per acre before. http://www.landandfarm.com/properties/cass_county_farm_land_1.asp South America its even cheaper...Heres 500 acres in the amazon for $95k or about $190 per acre. http://www.landflip.com/land.asp?listing_id=19461 Interesting show I saw about these loggers that were cutting trees in the amazon and they were selling for about $10k per tree to the sawmills. I'm sure you could find at least 10 good trees on 500 acres to pay for the property. Of course hauling those huge things through the jungle is no easy task.
Yeah, here is a report from 2005 on farm land values and rental prices. My family has some land in Walsh county, which is very good farm area, but still only $600ish as of that report. http://www.nass.usda.gov/nd/crents05.htm JJacksET4
Quote from DrPepper: It is amazing that anytime someone discusses preparedness, someone (maybe it is you every time, TZ) states that it is worthless to prepare because that will only make you a target and everyone will steal your stuff. And you imagine in any way that it would be different? This is a doom and gloom thread. You think someone growing their own tomatoes to feed their family in the city should expect to see them ripen in a city crawling with starving people? Rather than be unhappy when you don't get Happy Meals and bonus points with every post, maybe you should study about the concept of debate, forums, and critical thinking...
Wasn't ND terrible for farming and it became desolate? no rain... I thought I read a terrible piece in national geographic about farmers who went up and got crushed.
No worries, chances of you living in Europe are slim to none. The Asian option sounds promising until the local rebel sniffs you and your silver. Chances of him not taking the silver, your wife and butt screwing you are again slim to none.