Making it in the UP is possible, but you have to do your research and be prepared. To get a feel of what it will be like to live here you need to visit in January through March. Outside of the Rockies and maybe Maine the snow here is unbelievable. The snow might start in October and not leave totally until late May. Especially in the Keweenaw and Marquette/Alger snow belts. Frosts can hit as late as June. Having said that it is very possible to grow a large amount of food. Tomatoes, Potatoes and even Tobacco can be grown up here. And the bug advice is spot on. I think this has been the worst year for mosquitoes that I can remember!
FYI. There is a huge national guard military base. The largest in the United States, 148k acres, in Gaylord. Lots of military personnel and equipment, plus air support equipment flying around. There is a PFAS ground water plume problem in the area that is now spreading off the base.
One thing not pointed out is that the northern lower peninsula is very hilly and very beautiful . Many folks that live in the southern portion have places (Up North) where we go on weekends and holidays. Going "Up North" is a thing and is completely different from the southern half of the state.
Curtis, The northern lower peninsula is very sandy and will be a challenge to grow homestead crops, sure it can be done but only if you know what you are doing. Upper Michigan low population areas are often swampy and filled with biting black flies except at the windy coasts. And it's all really cold all winter with lots of snow to shovel. The Keweenaw Peninsula (the horn out into Lake Superior) during the 1800s copper mining era was a major population center of several hundred thousand people and the local foods were potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and rutabagas because that's what they could grow reliably in the short summers, everything else was imported from other states south. So what do you want to grow and eat? Miners ate a lot of baked pies of those vegetables a mile underground. If everyone is out there hunting and fishing, it will look like an orange pumpkin patch. Oh, and Traverse City is pronounced tra-Verse like you are traversing the wilds.
yes yes yes! been working hard to grow food in this sand here in mid michigan! some areas are good, but my area is SAAAAANNNNDDDD. and we have a LOT of wind here and are no where near a coast. very windy in mid michigan. black flies leave welts on my neck every year and they fly in my ears and eyes. literally.
Great video. One more piece of advice from a Michigander to others looking to be Michiganders. Make sure the property you're looking at isnt enrolled in the CFA/ Qualified forest program. Theres lots of properties that look like amazing deals but thats because you are paying for only a portion of the acreage advertised for a reduction in taxes. The rest is open to anyone and unbuildable. In some cases you can remove the entire property from the CFA but you'll be paying a certain amount of back taxes and will have an increase in ongoing property taxes.
if you live on the eastern shore or within 80 to 100 miles of an eastern great lake shore, YOU WILL GET LAKE EFFECT SNOW WHICH IS AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF SNOW THAT YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HANDLE. like Gaylord usually has 5 feet of snow on the ground all winter.
Baker has zero intention on leaving. We have a ton of freedom to homeschool etc.. Rural areas have little issue. The issue is if you want to market farm or sell and even then we all make it work here.
I'll take some exception to your "stay out" zones. You have the same size circle around Detroit as you do Traverse City. No comparison with population and infrastructure. Any place north of Bay City has woods and privacy. If you move to the UP you'd better like snow.
My entire family lineage for several generations are from Michigan and Canada. My family has considered moving back but there were several reasons we chose Arkansas instead. Besides the terrible politics the current pollution and potential pollution was a major factor. After 70 plus years these disasters (there are many) go mostly unnoticed. I knew this first hand as I grew up near a town that there was a major DDT disaster that the towns and surroundings are dealing with to this day. Pioneer was located in my hometown and did experimental ag chemical spraying on the surrounding fields. Dow chemical wasn't far from us and they are major polluters to this day. Tyson chicken dumps there waste directly into lake Michigan choosing to pay a fine rather then be responsible with there waste There was a major oil spill in the UP around where the go zone is on the Wisconsin border. I don't recall the exact location but that is something to consider. Also, the other major concern we had was the extremely disrepaired oil pipeline that runs under the Mackinaw Bridge. It is known as Line 5, owned by Enbridge that has at least a slow leak, if not several. This is a huge hazard and would completely ruin the entire area when it gives out. Michigan is beautiful and I have fond memories of visiting my family in the UP but it is a hard pass for us.
Property taxes are high, and prices are high also. When you get further north, it would be good. But it's not easy living that far in the mitt. I would take arkansas over here.
Metro Detroit is where you really want to avoid for homesteading concerns. There are very suitable places 20 miles outside of Flint and Lansing that would work though. These areas have outstanding soils, where the northern parts of the lower peninsula do not. In every direction, 20 miles outside of Flint works. "Up north" is great for hunting and scenic beauty, but your soils won't be great if you want to grow stuff.
Michigan is a wonderful state for this topic. We live in central Indiana and vacation to western and northern Michigan alot. Western and northern MI is beautiful, heavily wooded, and an outdoor heaven with many great rivers and lakes. I think Curtis is close to 100% correct on his assessment. I wouldn't hesitate to build a homestead near Traverse City. It's very rural all the way to within 10 miles of Traverse City...a town of only about 15k people. The blue politics of the state are driven by the southeast corner of the state where the largest share of the population resides. But staying north of Muskegon is a safe bet.
Great assessment of Michigan for possible homesteading Curtis! As a former Michigander, I have several concerns with the state in addition to the politics. There has been a lot of fracking for oil in the upper part of the state leading to contaminated wells. If you are near the big lakes you also need to be prepared for lake effect snow in winter. There are several unincorporated areas with less rules for building but definitely need greenhouse infrastructure due to the short season. Two last concerns are no fault insurance is highest in the country and it is in the top 10 states for drug issues. If you don't have a video yet on Virginia, I would be interested in your opinions on that state or North Carolina. Thanks..
yes its important for someone to look up a map of underground gas wells near or UNDER their prospective property too. consumers stores a lot underground in mid michigan. and a lot of oil wells indeed. and there for sure is a big methamphetamine problem here. many rural michigan counties are very POOR and the people are unwell. not a lot of good access to healthy organic food. but if you are looking for Dollar General, they are abundant here! 2 or 3 or 4 in every town!
The first area you zoom into off HWY 30 near White Star and BEaverton is NOT a good place to live. Beaverton has tons and tons of GMO huge monocrop farms so you don't want to be just east of that. Next, that is an area that just had a major flood when the dams broke and everything there is likely moldy. STAY AWAY FROM RIVERS OR YOU WILL DEFINITELY FLOOD AT SOME POINT.
