I want to relocate to a small town...

*15,000 people or less
*moderate temperatures
*LOTS of farmland!
*prefer lakes, rivers, "hilly" areas
*prefer small college town

I want to buy some land, maybe 5 acres or less, and have a little farm. Selling fruits, veggies, herbs, honey, etc. I really like Kentucky and wanted to get some opinions from people living there, WHERE in Kentucky might be ideal for this! I had a friend who went to college in Berea and totally loved it. I will probably have to have a part time job to supplement my farm stuff. Love the small town life, don't want to be out in the middle of nowhere.

Thanks, everyone!!

How about the Shelbyville area, between Louisville & Lexington? It's beautiful country, ideally situated (and close to "customers" for your farm as well as part-time job opportunities).

Thanks, I will check it out! I'm thinking of driving there this fall...

Check out Jamestown/Russell Springs/Columbia area near Lake Cumberland.

Hi Sally! We all say y'all around here.I am a Louisville native and really enjoy the city for the most part- has lots to offer, but isn't too big. My husband is from Harrodsburg (boondocks) but down the road is Danville, home of Centre College. Pretty place. One of my favorite towns in KY is Bardstown http://www.bardstowntourism.com/
Just a lovely place! Bowling Green (Western KY Uni) is pretty, hilly and near great lakes. We've got some dandy lakes here! The town of Taylorsville isn't far from Louisville, but has a resort area around Taylorsville Lake which has brought some revenue to the area. Simpsonville is a nice area with many horse farms, but the land prices are probably pretty high. Before you settle down, make sure you check out whether the county is "dry" (no alcohol) because a large part of Ky still is! Go figure. Have a fun time touring!

Danville sounds just what you are looking for. Home of Centre College, a small liberal arts school that attracts a lot of national shows, concerts, etc. so you get the culture side. It is close to Harrington Lake, Kentucky River, and is surrounded by beautiful farmland. Also it is about 30 minutes to Lexington where you can get whatever you need.

I also agree with the Danville Centre group. My husband graduated from there and we hope our son will be admitted next fall. It's in the country but still close enough to Lex.
Good luck!

I'm sure you'll find out much more detail for yourself, but I would predict that unless you are independently wealthy, you will never be able to sustain yourself by selling farm produce on your 5 or so acres. So I'd suggest you make sure you can line up some kind of job when you get there.

Where is there? I like the Danville area also. You can buy a pretty nice home for around 100K, maybe less if you are careful. Your 5 acre farm some distance away from town, but not too far, will probably cost you about $25,000, plus or minus a bit. So your investment in the farm plus a house might be on the order of $125,000, plus or minus a bit. Once you get that settled, you'll need a couple of years to get crops really going, and you'll have to set up your bee hives but won't get much from them for a year or so.

Obviously, you'll also need some basic farming equipment. A small farm tractor might be in order, plus all the other implements, outbuildings, possible provisions for raising other food such as chickens, and some thought about what you will do for the winter, such as canning or preserving your summer crops.

I know you have probably thought all this through, but I wanted to let you know that it is not such an easy proposition to make a living from 5 acres of land. Good luck to you.