Which state has the best year-round climate conditions for permaculture?

Hello. I'm new here.

I'm also somewhat new to permaculture as a whole. My husband and I are in our 30's, and he recently received a rather large inheritance from his grandfather following his death. (Rest in peace, he was a wonderful man and we miss him a lot!) We're looking to purchase land in the USA to escape the expensive and hectic lifestyle of suburban Northern VA.

To preface this, I do understand that we'll have many challenges to face in adapting a new way of life. My dream is to own a small homestead consisting mostly of chickens (which we already have) and plants that will sustain us with food year-round. However, I also work from home, and would at least need a stable Internet connection to keep bringing in income.

I have been researching permaculture for the past few years, and have maintaining a small backyard garden. We grew some very tasty tomatoes and strawberries last summer. To give anyone an example of what paradise looks like to me, it would have to be Cluck Haven's Permaculture on YouTube:  

I'm looking for personal accounts, suggestions, or advice on what part of the United States would be the most sustainable in terms of soil quality and climate. Low property tax would, of course, be a bonus.

(Please don't reply to this thread with invitations to your homestead, or offers of selling land. I appreciate the thought, but that's a big step that we're not quite ready for.)

Thank you for reading all this!

I think you can do permaculture anywhere. And feed yourself from your land, most places. So I'd start by considering what weather you two enjoy. When my grandmother died and we had the means to do what you're talking about, we settled on northern Minnesota for the great weather. But I get that most people would choose something else.

As to internet, even though we're in the middle of the woods, we have gigabit fiber to the house from a grant-funded enterprise on the very local tribal lands. So keep that in mind as an option.

"Best year-round climate conditions" is subjective. Some people grow things year-round in cold, wintry, snowy, climates using season extenders to manage the cold and snow. Others need warmer climes.  

My first thought when I saw "best year-round climate conditions for permaculture" would be Florida or California.

I have lived in Florida and while it has a great climate I feel there are lots of drawbacks.  One is humidity.

My Sunday shoes would be moldy when I went to go to church the next Sunday.

I have no experience with California other than hearing that it is the land of milk and honey.

Hawaii might be one to consider.

Everyone probably feels where they live is the best.

I am happy living in Texas for a lot of reasons.

I'd start with what temperatures you like or can stand (highs and lows, summer and winter) and also what summer humidity range you want.  

Then maybe the topography and aridness you could tolerate.  Once you have that bookended, draw a funny circle on a map of the US that encompasses those conditions.

It's no use falling in love with Alabama if you can't stand humidity or North Dakota if you can't stand the cold.  When you get below climate zone 5 it gets trickier to grow as much stuff as you could at zone 7.

I moved from the SF Bay Area in California to southern Oregon. For general living the climate in the Bay Area is great, mild year-round, but it's not great for a lot of summer vegetables as it's quite mild. The summers here in southern Oregon are a little hotter than I would like, but the vegetables love it. I'm zone 8a. My winter garden grows great. I'm currently harvesting radishes, turnips, rutabagas, beets, fennel, broccoli, mustard greens, parsley, arugula and chard. I have lettuce and more fennel, beets and chard in the greenhouse.

We don't get a lot of snow here, just enough to be fun, not enough to make life too difficult. Not a lot of rainfall, but rainwater harvesting helps. Soils in our area vary tremendously. Our property is rocky, it's a geologic slide zone. Areas to the southwest of us have serpentine soils which I understand can be very challenging. And there are areas with prime farmland, but they are pricey.

Our property taxes are low and the state has no sales tax. I have no idea about income tax as I have no taxable income. We are off-grid, our internet is okay. We stream all our shows. But it's not good enough for my future son-in-law to do his job online. He coaches e-sports so his needs are extreme. There is fiber optic in neighboring cities.

Every place is going to have good and bad.  I live in Northern California zone 9b.   As far as growing conditions I honestly don't think many can beat it. I can grow year round.  There's not much I can't grow, at some time of the year.  It's easy to care for my chickens most of the time. I don't raise other animals, but lots around here do.
If you know anything about CA you know it gets 🔥🥵 hot.  The temperature seem to get higher every year.  We got a little rain this year, but it's not going to help the drought we are going through.  Water can be a serious issue.  Someone told me the other day we have the highest cost of living in the USA.  So like I said utopia it's not, but you can grow anything.
Another important thing to mention is when you have death valley, and snow covered mountain at the same time of year in the same state, you know the climate and topography varies a great deal.  
If the heat and taxes don't scare you away and you seriously consider CA just make sure the spot you like has access to potable water.
I grew up in Western Washington state, so there are times when it's 115 out I long for the cool green beauty of WA. But then I wonder my garden, pick up a peach off my tree, and I'm happy to live where I can garden year round.
Good luck to you.  Changing your life in a drastic way must be a daunting task. As long as you have your family, I'm sure everything will work out.

I’m in Hawaii and can grow year around.

I would consider taking time and maybe visit different Permies locations on work trade or vacation. I've found you can have the best place but are allergic to half of what's out there it makes it more difficult than it has to be.  Many northerners are growing all year in greenhouses and southerners have to setup shade to grow under.

Su Ba wrote:I’m in Hawaii and can grow year around.

I've never lived in Hawaii, only visited, but it would have my vote.  I've been to almost every state and several countries, and Hawaii is the place I would live if I could.  Maui is just incredible.

Mezza,

I have a few thoughts but I do need to ask a few questions first, questions mostly raised by others.

By year-round do you mean a tropical climate like Florida?  I live in a region that has a short but distinct Winter season though I truly miss a more prolonged season from further North.

At the moment land prices are comparatively low in sections of the Northern Midwest.  This may preclude “year-round” by your account but Permaculture is certainly possible.  My are of the country is fairly affordable and might work for your year-round requirements.

I would like to help more but I would need your feedback first.

Eric

Great places to thrive practicing permaculture in US are just about everywhere.  There are things to take into consideration that may help you narrow it down.

Do you have friends or family in the area.  Moving to a place where you already have a community makes an interstate move so much easier.  

Look for a local culture that would be a good fit for you.  Vacationing in potential locations is good way to get a feel for the place.  

Make sure the level of government regulations will easily allow you to build and create what you want to build.  Here in the northeast of the US the level of restrictions can vary dramatically not only the state level but also town by town.  Can you legally run one or more businesses from your location.   Zoning, permits, deed restrictions, land trusts, HOAs, and other land use restrictions can make your permaculture dreams a nightmare.  What can legally be produced and sold can also vary greatly so it is worth digging through all the government red tape.

Water a huge item to consider.  What restrictions would you have to deal in a location.  Water rights, water harvesting, well access, wet land restrictions, and water usage restrictions vary greatly across the country.  Avoiding flood planes is something I do. Knowing what the government allows or doesn't allow before you buy a property can greatly reduce headaches in developing a property.  

What are you going to apply permaculture too? If you are planning on growing food with it what do you eat?  Start making list of all the various ingredients you consume and figure out where it is easiest to grow them.  Do you need tropical, cold wet, temperate wet, coastal or dry mountainous areas to grow what you already eat.  It will also help you figure out how much space you need.

If the goal is to produce food how much time, energy, and resources are you willing to devote to harvesting, preserving and cooking all of it.  I am in a cold wet climate where the ground is frozen solid 4 months out of the year.  This means a huge expenditure of  time and energy into harvesting and preserving everything in the fall.  Cooking everything from scratch from food you produced is awesome but it is an insane amount of work and often a huge shift in how you eat and it can easily be more work than growing all the food in the first place.

There was a publication, the Places Rated Almanac, which talked about health care costs, groceries, jobs, etc. I don't know if it still is being produced or not?

There's the link below, but I dont' know anything about the organization that produced it, their opinions etc. I found it with a google search.

https://www.lawnstarter.com/blog/studies/best-states-to-start-a-farm/