# homesteading in NY



## hiwayman (Aug 21, 2014)

Hello everyone,
I am looking for some feedback on living the homestead life in upstate NY, I hope to retire there and have a homestead 20 to 30 acres, most of it wooded and some tillable. Hunting ,fishing and gardening are things I do now and plan to continue to do them until my ticket gets punched. I'm not looking to be totally self sustaining, but I would like to do as much as possible. I have about ten more years before I can retire but I want start collecting intell now. Any input appreciated.Thank's


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## bluetick (May 11, 2002)

Go for it! Other than that I don't know where to begin. Do you have any specific questions? I am an exNYer who had to move to be nearer my adult children when my health started going downhill.

My mini-homestead was in northwest Saratoga county. Is there a particular part of "upstate" you are looking at? Will your homestead include some type of livestock? Do you currently live in NY?


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## bigjon (Oct 2, 2013)

upstate,if u look at a map we are just 5miles north of the thruway-Cayuga county.if u like SNOW,up to 6" an hour stay east of lake Ontario.where u looking?


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## hiwayman (Aug 21, 2014)

I don't want to be in the AP, so I was thinking near the tughill area but a little south. I live in southern NY, about 1 hr north of NYC now and I own 12 acres in Salisbury, exit 29a off thruway. I'm hoping I can use this as a test ground for some of the skills needed. Small livestock is something I considered maybe chickens or some goats ,but nothing big. I'm more into crops and timber. Bluetick how did the area treat you financially any tax breaks for farming or agriculture. I would be doing this on my retirement.


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## bluetick (May 11, 2002)

hiwayman, a good source of information is the county cooperative extension office. The one for Saratoga county put out informative newsletters and was helpful by phone. 

I seem to recall a property tax break based on age, i.e. age 60+. I only kept chickens, ducks and geese, and a small garden so wouldn't have qualified for any tax breaks based on larger operations, like a farm. There might be a tax break available for managed woodlots. I don't know whether the Dept. of Forestry or Cooperative Extension would be the source of that information.

A tip on heating fuel - it is highly unlikely you will be able to be connected to a natural gas line. That leaves electric, propane, oil or wood as your main heating source. If you need propane or oil, lock into your winter price when the local companies make them available (usually in summer) so you get the lowest rate.


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## Vickie44 (Jul 27, 2010)

hiwayman said:


> I don't want to be in the AP, so I was thinking near the tughill area but a little south. I live in southern NY, about 1 hr north of NYC now and I own 12 acres in Salisbury, exit 29a off thruway. I'm hoping I can use this as a test ground for some of the skills needed. Small livestock is something I considered maybe chickens or some goats ,but nothing big. I'm more into crops and timber. Bluetick how did the area treat you financially any tax breaks for farming or agriculture. I would be doing this on my retirement.


Hello neighbor ! Welcome to HT


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## hiwayman (Aug 21, 2014)

hello Vickie44, bluetick, I'll probably use wood for heat, a wood stove or outdoor boiler, a friend at work has one and he says it's great, cost a little upfront but you save in the long run. A managed woodlot is something I'd like to have, we do maple syrup now but I would like to do more of it.


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## bluetick (May 11, 2002)

It appears you might be able to get a tax break for managing your "forest". Take a look at http://dec.ny.gov under Lands and Water. If I've botched the link, the information is at the Dept of Environmental Conservation website.


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## seedspreader (Oct 18, 2004)

Lot of free-minded folks over in the REAL WNY (Chautauqua County) with good land/house prices (since you're already used to the ungodly taxes and thinks like S.A.F.E. act the land and house prices should be more than acceptable to you). Severe snow belt over this way, we can get over 300" in a year. Most time will be around 200".


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## Helena (May 10, 2002)

PA near the NY state line would be cheaper in land and taxes than NY. Check it out..Good Luck !!!


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## bigjon (Oct 2, 2013)

i'm just south of the snowbelt-severe lake effect.helena-i've been seriously thinking of ur area!i've got 4 1/2 yrs till a decision.i love west of the poconos.


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## Jennifer L. (May 10, 2002)

The Tug Hill area is very pretty and wild. If I were to move to the area I would be sure to stay in Lewis County because I think your taxes will be better than either Oneida or Oswego Counties. Lewis doesn't have the bigger cities and it also has the wind turbines that have been paying in a good share of tax to the county. And if you object to looking at the wind turbines, down in the southern section you aren't going to be seeing them.

One of the objections I can see is you would be down wind from the nuclear power plant at Nine Mile Point, and if something ever happened there it could be a problem for you, but honestly, that seems like a remote thing to have happen.

The other objection is you would be right in a lake effect snow area. I am north of there and don't get a lot of lake effect, but when the wind swings just right I can get dumped on a few times a winter. "The Tug" gets dumped on on a regular basis. But I think it's also cooler in the summer there for the same reasons.

If you have visited and like it there, I say go for it.


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## Adirondackgal (Aug 8, 2013)

Bluetick-Where about in Saratoga County did you live? We are going to be building in the foothills of the adirondacks.


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## bluetick (May 11, 2002)

Adirondackgal, I lived in the town of Galway, about 5 to 10 miles outside the village. I loved it there!


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## Adirondackgal (Aug 8, 2013)

bluetick-I'm not far from Galway


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## seedspreader (Oct 18, 2004)

Helena said:


> PA near the NY state line would be cheaper in land and taxes than NY. Check it out..Good Luck !!!


I live in NWPA, .5 miles from the NY border. You're right.


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## Mommajay (Mar 3, 2014)

seedspreader said:


> Lot of free-minded folks over in the REAL WNY (Chautauqua County) with good land/house prices (since you're already used to the ungodly taxes and thinks like S.A.F.E. act the land and house prices should be more than acceptable to you). Severe snow belt over this way, we can get over 300" in a year. Most time will be around 200".


Got to agree. I lived down there when my parents moved us to NY from CT. Beautiful country, some family farms and like minded people. Down side- SNOW- lots and lots and lots and lots of snow. I'm up in Erie county and I would advise to not come up this way. Chautaugua County or one of the southern counties if you were looking to stay in NY would be better.


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## Jhomestead8 (Jan 20, 2014)

We have 84 acres for sale in Oneida county (Camden) mostly wooded. It is gorgeous. Our taxes are less than $2,000 a year total! 
We will miss this place terribly but hubby's job wants to move him.


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