I get a number of emails from folks curious about moving to Wyoming to homestead.
And I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, considering I often post photos like this:
And this:
And this:
Pretty picturesque, dontcha think?
But when I get emails from people who, thanks to my blog, are ready to move to Wyoming as soon as I give them the green light, I sometimes want to yell, “Wait a second!” before they go and load up their chickens.
There’s more to Wyoming than meets the eye, and although I’m absolutely in love with the place, there’s some things prospective homesteaders need to know first.
In a nutshell:
If you’re looking for lush landscape, long growing seasons, and lots of like-minded homestead folks…
Don’t come here.
(Sorry Wyoming Department of Tourism… Just keeping’ it real…)
So how did I end up here? Well, good question. Sometimes I wonder that myself. 😉
I ended up homesteading in Wyoming in a round-about way, but I’m pretty happy it ended up this way.
My Wyoming Story
You see, I moved to southeast Wyoming from Northern Idaho when I was 18 years old. I didn’t have a clue what homesteading even was back then. Heck, I was still eating ramen noodles and frozen taquitos, and never even thought about owning a milk cow.
I came here to ride horses (equines have always been my first love), and knew that Wyoming would likely get me further along in the horse industry than where I had lived in the Pacific Northwest. Long story short, I then met my husband (a Wyoming native) and we brilliantly decided our first home would be a tumble-down property located approximately in the middle of no where. People thought we were certifiably insane. And we kind of were.
But that tumble-down property sparked my fire for self-sufficiency and food production, which in turn is what prompted me to start this blog, and the rest is history.
Not long after moving to Wyoming, I fell head-over-heels in love with this state. That might seem insane to some, considering how windy and flat it is… And goodness-gracious, the winters can be brutal… But for some reason, I just can’t get Wyoming out of my blood. The wide open spaces speak to my soul. I’m pretty sure I’ll be here forever, as illogical as that may be.
I don’t want to discourage folks from coming here, but I also want to be honest about what it’s really like. It’s easy to see my photos sometimes and get a mental image that might not be completely accurate. So allow me to explain:
A Crash Course in Wyoming
When I’m traveling, I always get a kick out of people’s responses when they ask where I’m from.
They either:
a) Don’t have a clue where Wyoming is.
b) Say, “Oh! I’ve been to Jackson, and it’s so pretty there!”
c) Say, “Oh. I’ve driven through there and it’s horrendously ugly.”
Wyoming is incredibly diverse, so you can’t judge the whole state from just one portion. Here’s how I think of it:
*Not to scale
**Thankfully Wyoming is easy to draw, considering it’s a giant square.
The northwest portion of the state houses Yellowstone National Park, breathtaking mountain views, and loads of wildlife. I worked on a ranch in Cody, WY for a summer and adored it. Unfortunately, it’s also kinda expensive to buy land there.
The southwest part of Wyoming looks nothing like the northwest portion. It’s brown, flat, rocky, and desert-like. Personally, this isn’t my favorite portion of the state, but I’m sure there are merits to living there. Probably.
The southeast portion of the state (that’s me!) is flat-ish prairie grassland. If you’re fond of trees, this probably isn’t the place for you. But we do have wind and rattlesnakes to make up for it. Haha. Ha.
The northeast portion of the state is full of oil and gas activity and has really been booming lately. And there are definitely some pretty parts up there and some neat history, depending on where you’re at.
Pros of Homesteading in Wyoming
- Land is Pretty Affordable. While there are areas of the state that will most definitely break the bank if you are looking to buy a chunk of land there, (think Cody and Jackson), there are many other areas with ample land for decent prices. We were able to afford our property (67 acres, small house, a barn, shop, and coop) as newlyweds for the price of an average mid-sized home in the neighboring town. Granted, the property wasn’t exactly turn-key, but still was reasonably priced for us.
- Lots of Farming and Ranching. Although interest in sustainable agriculture is slowly growing in Wyoming, you won’t find a whole lot of existing homesteading-specific resources quite yet. However, you WILL find many, many resources for farmers and ranchers, and often those can cross-over into the homesteading realm. So even though I don’t know a ton of local “homesteaders,” per say, we have many friends and neighbors who live in the farming and ranching worlds and they super helpful contacts as we raise our livestock and acquire farm equipment, etc.
- Low Population and Wide Open Spaces. There’s lots of space in Wyoming and you won’t find much heavy traffic, even in the “big cities.” In fact, there’s really not much of anything except antelope in many parts of the state. That suits my hermit-tendencies quite well.
- No State Income Tax and Mostly Stable Economy. Although we still felt some of the effects of the last recession, Wyoming wasn’t hit quite as hard as many other states. And we sure don’t complain about the lack of state income tax either.
Cons of Homesteading in Wyoming
- A Short Growing Season. This is my biggest beef with ol’ Wyoming. The weather has been especially erratic lately, which has made growing ANYTHING pretty darn difficult. In 2014, we had a giant blizzard on Mother’s Day, and then our first hard freeze in early September. It was brutal. It’s still absolutely possible to grow food here, and I’ve had some stellar years, but it can definitely throw some extra challenges your way. I know a greenhouse would greatly improve our situation, and we hope to build one soon.
- Brutal Winters and Wind. Oh the wind… Unless you’ve been through a hurricane, I’m betting you’ve never quite experienced wind like we have here… Sixty to seventy mile per hour gusts are not uncommon during the winter, and the wind routinely rips shingles off houses and tips over semi-trucks. I wouldn’t say you ever get used to it, but you do learn to deal with it. And we also get a lot of snow. When you combine snow with crazy-strong winds, you end up with massive drifts, blizzards, and road closures. It just comes with the territory.
- It Can be Dry and Brown. Sometimes at least. Now last year we had a extremely wet spring which resulted in a gorgeously lush summer filled with lots of green grass. However, we have our drought years too. I’ll never forget the harshness of 2012 with its blazing temps and how the smoke from all the grass fires choked you every time you stepped outside. And it can get pretty brown and ugly here in the dead of winter. But we all tend to forget that once the greenness of spring rolls around.
- Behind the Times. Wyoming be a bit behind the rest of the nation sometimes. Sometimes that’s a really good thing, but other times it can be frustrating, especially if you’re looking for organic foods or naturally-minded folks. Thankfully, I’m seeing more and more interest in homesteading pop up here and there, but it’s slow going. If you’re looking for lots of established homesteading resources and massive farmer’s markets, you might be a little disappointed. I trust they will come, but we’re a bit behind the times when it comes to this stuff.
But even though I complain about the wind, cuss the early freezes that kill my vegetables, and cry when the hail kills my garden, I love it here. And I love our windy little Wyoming homestead with all its quirks.
The Bottom Line:
If you’re looking for the perfect homesteading mecca with ample water, trees, and resources, this probably isn’t the place for you.
But if you’re game for a taste of the pioneer life, with all its ups and downs, rewards and heartaches… Come on over.
Listen to the Old Fashioned On Purpose podcast episode #57 on this topic HERE.
I. Love. This.
Born in Gas Hills, WY. Raised in Casper. Family in Casper, Gillette, and Riverton. My parents have a cabin at Glendo, and a ranch in Meeteetse. We hunt near Lander. And your map sums it up quite nicely 🙂 I live in Colorado and travel up to visit always prepared for rain, shine, snow or wind any time of the year 🙂 The winters are brutal, the land is breathtakingly beautiful, the wind is horrendous, and the people are tough, genuine, and amazing. You really have to be tough to handle a Wyoming winter, let alone homestead there. But my dream is to convince my husband that he’s tough enough, and to move back and have a little homestead there one day.
Agree with everything you said Stephanie! 🙂
My husband & I travel to Wyoming once a year! We love the Cody, Clark, Powell area and might have to relocate with my husband’s job! We are thrilled but are getting so many mixed signals! We currently live in MO and we have brutal winters too so that doesn’t bother me! I was born in Louisiana and the winters there can be harsh because of the humidity (lots of sleet and ice) I once met a man from Minnesota who told me he had never experienced such cold as he did in Louisiana ?? (Hard to believe, I know)….Some people tell us, come on up, y’all will love it and others say, you will hate it here! We are so confused! We just want a bigger farm and peace and quiet to raise our family and WYOMING to me, in a nutshell is “God’s country” there is truly no other place like it! We just arrived home tonight from a 7 day trip to WY and I cried coming home to MO!
Hello Stephanie,
what’s wrong with Montana? Is it that much different to Wyoming? How would you discribe the main differences?
I’m just interested.
Micha, MO is the postal code for Missouri, in the middle (slightly east) of the US. MT is Montana, just north of WY.
Hey my name is Don I’m from Pendleton Oregon and looking for property in Idaho or Wyoming is there still reasonably priced property there in Wyoming any information would be appreciated
I have looked for a suitable homestead parcel for a longtime, but Wyoming has been the worst turf to find leads in. Without resorting to excruciating sources like Cragslist, newspaper ads, and realtors, how would I connect with vacant land sellers?
What are the cheapest areas to find land. I came to wyoming as a travel cna and I love it. Just curious.
Yep, that pretty much sums it up!
I first moved to WY in Feb or March of 1978. It was still winter, and the snows lasted at least into May, if not longer. But I had moved out of MO (not my home state) in a snow storm (in MO), and that winter wasn’t SO bad. But then came Sept 1968,,,,,, Mid Sept we were hit with a BLIZZARD!! It was the worst storm/winter even WY had had in many years. I don’t have enough time or space to go thru the details of my first day of that blizzard, must less the winter! Let’s just say it was brutal! But I survived it!
Time took us from WY to MT, and then a few other states, back to MT, and then back to WY.
WY has now been my home for 25 years. I didn’t exactly pick WY to settle down, it was just fate I guess you’d say. But even with what can be brutal winters sometimes. I too love WY.
You can wake up in the morning and have to build/start a fire/heat, but by midday you might need short, and within an hour or less, need a coat again. You might see fog, sunshine, rain, or snow all within a few hours! It truly is a if you don’t like it now, wait 5 min state!
Fair warning to those thinking of moving here, be ready for WIND, and more wind, and as said, often brutal winters. The southern part of WY has practically no trees! The northern part does have trees (and mountains). Each area has it’s own beauty.
You nailed it!
You probably meant 86. That was our first worst in our ceti alpha v shack on the Colorado plains. Our back door drifted up like that picture of Jill’s front door. The back window of our blazer rattled down a hair in the three day blow and pack solid with snow. This little house was shaking in the wind and I really thought it was going to blow off the basement in pieces. That was our first new roof storm and we’ve had two more that ripped the shingles off and a couple hail storms. A 20 year roof lasts about five to eight years around here.
I have made up my mind to move to Wyoming. I am a wildlife artist and sculptor and retired ( except not from art). I am Frederick Short, artist and sculptor (just google me). My travel van should be ready by August. Semper Fi! Fred
I look to to go back to my home state. Any one looking for a house in Wisconsin. Home steading sounds like my next chapter.
I was born in Cheyenne and was taken away , found myself growing up in Florida. I have always gone home when I got older , Been able to stay for periods of time. Now I am in N C. But coming home to stay and will visit other people when can. I could never get Wyoming out of my blood. I marvel at the prairies , and wind is strong. I get a kick out of other places when winds could get sixty or seventy, it’s a emergency In Wyoming just another day. I am looking for a good property that well suites me. Hey if your a realtor don’t contact me . I have my own crew. Good luck to all and those who live their a good frozen smile on your face.
How do wyoming wintes compare with Wisconsin winters?
Wisconsin winters can be brutal too if you live in the top half of the state but if you live in the bottom half not too bad. Most places in Wisconsin have trees and most places do not have the wind like Wyoming unless it might be in a storm. But it seems that all states have changing weather patterns as the years go on so it just depends. Now when we lived in Montana we dreamed of what all the brochures showed: snow and fishing and trees. But we moved to Billings and it was dry and dusty and not a lot of trees (more like Wyoming ) and the wind. And because Billings is in a banana belt for weather, we did not get the snow that I wanted like other parts of the state got (Missoula). Property tax was great $600 for a house and 20 acres but dry dusty and plain.
Live in Paris (the one with the big tower), just happened across your blog, fascinating, and beautifully written. Dreams realized, one real step at a time. Delightful and entertaining.
Wow! Thank you for your support all the way from Paris! We’re glad to have you here! 🙂
Why are the driveways so long on the ranches? We took a scenic route from cheyene to Kubota s.d.
Hell I am planning my move to Wyoming because I have a very strong love for horses. I talked it over with my better half and we decided this where we want to be in the great state of Wyoming.
Would you recommend Wyoming for a beginner homesteader?
I love this article, I moved to wyoming a year and half ago and I love it more and more everyday it’s just a matter of time until we own land to start our own homestead journey. I have always thought about it but since you put it that way the wide open space does speak to my soul as well. It’s nice to know what I want out of this state is very possible!!!!!
Yes, it’s definitely possible! Just takes some grit and creativity. 😉
First of all, I have to laugh that according to you I live in the “not much” area of Wyoming…totally true and it made me laugh! I’ve learned (as a city girl import) that you either love Wyoming or hate it! I’ve never heard anyone say “yeah Wyoming is OK.” It’s either a huge positive reaction like “I’ll never live anywhere else!” or a “Kiss my grits I’m outta here!” I have to add that you haven’t truly experienced wind until it is so consistently loud that it keeps you up for three nights in a row!
Amen! Or where you wonder if there is a tornado coming– even though you know that’s almost impossible in the dead of winter, haha.
Only out of staters build out in the flats where the wind blows so they can see the mountains
I love this! There should be one for every state. My husband and I went to Northern Idaho (Sandpoint area) to look around to move because I want GREEN, some trees and water although after living in snow country I do not want tons of that anymore. We are also considering Montana because of many of the things you describe in Wyoming…wide open spaces, etc. and there seems to be more to choose from there than Idaho. Hopefully a horse will be in my future too. Thanks for the post Jill, I really enjoyed it!
Montana is awesome! We thought of moving there in the past. 🙂 I’m originally from North Idaho too– quite a culture shock coming to the high plains to say the least…
I live in Montana near The north entrance to Yellowstone. Montana is similar to what has been said about Wyoming! The short summers are absolutely amazing. The winters are long, dark, windy, and downright brutal. Even with these crazy winters I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.
Oh yes– I bet it’s gorgeous where you live!
I’m not there yet….but can’t wait! We have land up your way…in Clark, Wyoming….about 6 miles from the Montana border, close to Red Lodge…which is adorable! In fact the people across the road from us have their steaks in one restaurant in Red Lodge, and their hamburger meat in another … The Gallager’s Natural Beef and Produce. I LOVE hearing anything about, and seeing all pictures I can of Wyoming, until I get there…hence love Jills blog more than normal! That area of Montana you’re in is gorgeous. Wyoming has great property taxes too! Ours, for 40 acres, is under $6 for the year!!! I can’t believe it….. Oh…I’m not even there yet, and I miss it so much!!!
Hey, Nancy. if you are not here yet (March 2018) COME ON!! This area is growing. I would be your neighbor, and have been here 8 years
Just bought in this area as well. Retiring soon… so excited to get there!
You folks are looking at the wrong part of Idaho … I love it here … after 30+ years in the Willamette Valley (Oregon) ~ I do not miss the rain rain … more rain at all 🙂
I am a true Wyoming native and it is exactly as you describe. I could not and would not live anywhere else, love the wide open spaces, the sagebrush, and the lack of people. Every area is unique and beautiful in it’s own way.
And I do think a greenhouse is the way to go. We live at a high elevation and have an extremely short growing season but with a greenhouse we are able to grow lots of tomatoes, peppers, winter squash and cucumbers.
I agree– a greenhouse is in the works for sure!
Is there a type of greenhouse construction you suggest because of the wind? I am thinking in the windy part 20 mile radius around Laramie.
Rachel, we’re in SE WY on the plains and our neighbor has a cool greenhouse built in a long triangle shape that really withstands the wind. The way it was constructed seems to be very cost effective, although perhaps a squeeze to be in it with the veggies growing? I’m impressed with it mainly because the angled top seems to be more hail resistant than a flat one! We have a fenced garden and all that seems to do is make huge snow drift in the raspberries 😉 So I think this type of greenhouse, maybe dug in to the ground a foot or two for the extra warmth, is in our future 🙂
We’d love to see a blog post from Jill on good greenhouse options for our weather out here!
I’m in ecstasy reading this! Born, raised, and still in California, I have had the call of Wyoming in my soul for years! As you know we are buying a piece of property….trying to pay it off as quick as possible so we can get there!!! Loved every word of this post! And every picture……LOVE the photo of you and your hubby on the horses! When we were walking around the piece of property we ended up getting, clouds came in so fast it made your head spin…started raining….and then the wind came!!! OMG we were in heaven! I love the sound the wind made! Haven’t heard anything like that since I was a kid. Immediately thought of the song where they ‘Call the Wind Mariah’! Oh I just can’t wait to get “home”. Thank you for this post!
I actually had to check the name to see if I wrote this comment and forgot about it! I purchased 40 acres (I live in CA) and I’m trying to pay it off fast so that I can start putting buildings on it. I’m thinking a round house design might be prudent with all of wind?! Anywho…I’m thinking that we’ll be among homestead friends! We should put together a FB page and be resources for each other!
Tara…..how awesome!!!! Where are your 40 acres? We just bought in Clark……near Cody and Powell, on a private reservoir! So excited we can’t see straight!
I’m kind of far from you…a bit closer to Jill, I think. I’m a few miles northeast of Fort Laramie. How wonderful it is to have like-minded people anywhere near. <3
It is SO pretty up there Nancy! Before we bought our current homestead, we had looked to moving to Powell. 🙂
I live in Powell. It is the banana belt of the Big Horn Basin!
Talk about wind LOL . I live in Cody and we have to sometimes go the long way to avoid Clark as the wind gusts get over 100 miles pr hour on that stretch of highway.
I have been here for 15 years and love it here. I had to laugh when my sister told my husband we would have mild winters. 🙂 I reminded him that that was coming from a girl who grew up in Iowa to a man from southern Oklahoma.
She was right though. Here in Cody the weather is mild and not much snow. The problem here is the tourist trade is what supports the town.
Yes, I’ve heard stories of the wind up there! I sure love the Cody area. 🙂
I am so excited for you to move onto your property Nancy!
so true get here as soon as possible SO Cal transplant myself but for the last 15 years Wyoming has been my home
This was great to read as I knew nothing about Wyoming at all! I am from Ohio and live in the very center of the woods I have about 38 very large trees ( I am talking HUGE…the branches dont even start until you about 3 stories high) in just my front yard. I cannot grow anything at all but it is because I have no sun in my yard non! We are right on the lake and river so wind is something I know a lot about and although I am sure your flat land with those huge winds is more wind then we have I can say that listening to the wind in the winter and the cracking of branches will keep you up at night as well, hoping nothing falls on the house! We do get lots and lots of snow since we are in the snowbelt area and last year our windchill was -30 but I too would not change anything as I am used to it and love the changing weather! I think your pictures are just lovely of Wyoming!!! Your homestead is just beautiful to say the least!
Yes– I suppose that’s one benefit to not having a lot of trees here– we generally don’t have to worry about them crashing into our house when the winds blow! I envious of the trees in your yard, though. I still love that feeling of being in a heavily wooded area. 🙂
Hey Lori…..what area of Wyoming do you live in or where you speaking of Ohio?? thanks, Tina
This is great! My husband is a Wyoming native and we lived in Cheyenne for a year when we were first married for him to finish school. He loved being near his family but I grew up in big city suburbs and I couldn’t leave the state fast enough! Glad to have all the tips you share but appreciate your honesty that Wyoming isn’t for everyone! Not enough trees or people for me but we visit every year and it is a nice place! Really enjoy your blog! I like that homesteading can be done in so many places so you can find one that suits you best!!
Yes– people seem to either love it here or they can’t stand it! I can definitely see both sides of the coin. 😉
Had to laugh at your description Wyoming, I am currently living in rock Springs in the southwest part of Wyoming which is pretty brown. This is absolutely a high desert, 6400 feet elevation with a full 7 to 8 inches of rain every year. Working in the oil field I have had to traveled everywhere from Pinedale to Douglas to Montana and North Dakota. While staying in Casper they actually closed the Interstate due to 100 miles an hour winds. Traveling down I-80 I have seen multiple trucks being very lazy and laying down on the job.
The coldest I had to work was in about a 50 mile an hour wind with temperatures less than -49°F (about halfway down the hill from the Mesa above Pinedale to the Green River my thermostat on my truck went -49° to -EEEE so I don’t really know the temperature).
By the way anybody who wants to challenge their manhood should try one of the plastic outhouses at -20°, a blowtorch is highly recommended to warm the seat up.
Oh my goodness, YES! You’ve seen it all, for sure!
About the wind. I drove up to Cheyenne a few weeks ago and counted 18 trucks & trailers blown onto their sides on the side of the highway, including a UPS truck that had apparently hit ice and wind at the same time – it was on the side of the road pointing into oncoming traffic. Think about how strong the wind must have been to do THAT to a fully-loaded truck and trailer.
Thanks very much for posting this. Your site is GREAT, as is your newsletter, but personally I’d like to hear more about how you care for your horses. We live on the Eastern Plains of CO and occasionally feel like there MUST be a better way to take care of our horses instead of coming out in the morning and discovering that they grew icicles overnight.
We’re looking into heat-sink technologies including rocket mass heaters to keep the barn somewhat warmer. Ditto for their water troughs. Would be interested in hearing more about what you and others do since horses are a critical part of our homestead (long story).
Thanks again!
Great idea Andy! I have toyed with the idea of doing some horse posts in the past, but you’ve confirmed that i need to get them published!
That would be awesome. My husband and I just bought 37 acres in the Laramie peak hills. We will be moving from California in about a year. We will be off grid and trying to figure out how all of this works. Just to make things a little bit more interesting I have been informed there are mountain lions, yikes! So, the horses will be tucked in at night. Do you get many critters your way? And if so how do you handle it?
Congrats on the new property! We don’t have any big predators at our house– although I know there are mountain lions, etc, closer to the mountains. You’ll definitely want to lock your chickens in at night– and I’d recommend some good dogs and keeping a gun handy. 😉 I think you’ll love Laramie though!
Hi Cat,
Sounds like you’re going to in my neck of the woods. That is if you’re 18 miles or so NW of Wheatland up Fletcher Park Rd. Great neighbors up here. I’ve been working on my little place for about 4 years now. Don’t worry about the lions – just get a couple good dogs.
my son is transferring to Rock Springs for Haliburton. He is a louisiana lad from bayou country. Think he will like it?
I bought 40 acres just north of Fort Laramie (Pine Ridge Ranch). As soon as I get it paid off, I’m going to start putting buildings on it! I was just telling Nancy (commenting above) that we should start a FB page to be resources for each other. I know I would be happy to have some homestead friends. We could barter. I’m not there yet, but man, am I motivated and working towards it! <3
I love the Fort Laramie area!!
In the process of Moving from Colorado to Wyoming.. Wanting to find a place to homestead.. We have pigs, chickens and turkeys.. Have two steers but they are going in the freezer soon.. Looking for Property around Fort Laramie, Torrington and Wheatland.. So many of the Properties have Misc. Covenants and restrictions.. or Horses allowed.. Where in the world can we find a place to homestead?
I bought 40 acres about 20 miles away from Cheyenne last year. There are few covenants, but they are pretty relaxed about animals. I have to be creative about my out buildings, but the HOA is inexpensive (about 200 per year) and they keep the roads plowed in the winter. They even approved and we’re willing to help me get the permits to build my yurt home. Would have been amazing, but my hubby decided no, and dug his heels in like a stubborn mule. So, now we are putting a stick built house instead. Point is, keep looking. That property that steals your heart is out there.
Did you by chance buy in the Diamond B Ranches? If so, could I ask you some questions about it?
Brandi, I’d like to know about Diamond B. I’ve spoken with them by phone and live in Utah but just want the inside information.
Brandi, I’d like to know about Diamond B as well. I’ve spoken with them by phone and live in Utah but just want the inside information. It all seems good from the surface
This made me laugh! We recently moved back to my inlaws’ ranch and started building a cow herd of our own outside of Sheridan. We’re young with young kids and we’re excited to start doing some of the “homestead” things like buy a milk cow and some chickens. Right now our first focus is growing our cattle business but your site gives me inspiration! We went to school in Laramie and know your area quite well. We loved exploring the Snowies and spent a lot of time on a ranch in Horse Creek(right near you) and the beauty and isolation of the plains, once we got used to the wind:) It roars down there! Anyways, I love your site! It’s fun seeing another young couple starting out in ag! God bless your growing family and all the things you are working on this winter.
How cool! Yes, you know our area well, then!
Jill,
Love this article! We have thought about moving to Cheyenne for several years but haven’t done it. Absolutely gorgeous up there!
How do you get internet access in the middle of no where? We just bought 35 acres of woods in the middle of forested-nowhere and there is no access to internet (cable). How do you solve this?
Every home I own (including just outside of Wheatland, WY) has no cable. I have used some form of satellite internet for over 20 years. Check on-line for options in your area and then check out the reviews. I would imagine Hughes Net is available throughout much of WY — it just needs a clear view of the portion of the sky where its’ satellite lives. I had Hughes Net for years. Right now I use a different service where I live outside of Boulder. I would not worry about getting internet — you can get it almost anywhere now, just not via a land line.
One drawback — the high winds in WY (and Boulder!) can move your satellite dish, or the snow can cover it up for a few days. But that is part of the fun, isn’t it? Roughing is without TV or internet for a few days can be great fun — break out all those books you have been meaning to read.
we get it through our phone via a local provider UNION TELEPHONE and Netflix also
Hi Jill,
I’ve never been to Wyoming and I probably never will (I’m from Europe: the Netherlands). But at this moment I am reading the book ‘Restoration Agriculture’ from Mark Shepard. Have you read it or heard from it? He explains how large areas of the US that were once covered by forests have turned into wide open spaces (unfortunately often troubled by erosion). His book is full of very useful methods to restore biodiversity, get fertile soil without the use of chemicals and create abundance. I highly recommend it.
Thanks for your wonderful tips on homesteading! (which is a word that doesn’t even exist in Dutch..)
People fantasize about living in the country and it’s nice to see reality. I’m in Ontario, Canada, retired with some physical issues and going it alone on 2 acres. It’s challenging and a lot of work but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. With Christmas approaching I keep hearing “Oh it must be wonderful to spend Christmas in the country” but of course it’s the same everywhere except someone has to chop the wood, plow the driveway and tend to the critters. I just nod, smile and leave them with their Hallmark ideas.
Yes indeed Lynne! Some days are romantic, while others are just plain hard work!
Great article of the reality of Wyoming. I’m a California native and moved to 2.5 acres outside of Torrington, WY 8 years ago — now I know what “real” seasons are — and summer seems to be the shortest. We love it here though! We are building our own house and trying to work towards livestock — so far we only have bees. I’m hoping to start chickens in the spring. We visit family in California once in awhile, but usually can’t wait to get back “home”. If you want to read a real good book on Wyoming homesteading check out “Almost Pioneers”. It’s a couple’s homesteading adventure in Chugwater (I think where Jill lives) in the early 1900s. It’s a great read!
I’ve heard of that book– I need to see if I can find it! Sounds right up my alley. 🙂
I used to visit my sister who lived in Sheridan. As far as I could tell, Wyoming has 2 seasons – winter and July 4th!
No No No. We have Winter, Road Construction season, Frontier days, and then winter again.
I was born in Wyoming (in Lander). I’ve lived in Worland, Casper, and Rock Springs as well. I was married in Casper. I’m not tough enough to live there now. I live in the Pacific NW, accommodating my love for the ocean, and my husband’s love for mountains. But I hate the politics here (both parties). Very elitist.
One thing I would recommend Wyoming for is that if a young single woman wants to marry, come and settle in a “city” like Casper or Laramie. I just came back briefly to reconcile with my parents, intending to go back to my beloved Dallas in short order. Besides my current husband, there were several, yes several, others around who were interested. I had no intention of marrying, but…
I still have a soft soft for the PNW. 🙂 But i do agree– the political stuff up there can be annoying!
Love this article, especially the map! I would add the Big Horn Mountains and the Wind River range. They are so pretty 🙂 And you are spot on about the wind. I think Cheyenne actually has more wind than we do, but still! We had 75 mile an hour gusts just a little while ago & it took a small shed and dropped in on top of someone’s garage. I grew up in and still live in the oil & gas part of Wyoming, which has it’s own particular beauty. Spring and summer are my absolute favorite seasons in this state. Fall is pretty cool too, in more ways than one. Winter…well…winter is quite an experience and probably helps to keep the population here pretty low 😀
Ack! That’s crazy about the shed! But I can totally understand how that could happen. 😉
I grew up in Northern Idaho too! I spent a year and half in Sheridan and fell in love. But alas, I’m more of a North Idaho girl than a Wyoming girl even though I have some Wyoming in my blood.
I love your article! I chuckled through the whole thing. You did a wonderful job of explaining Wyoming in a nutshell.
Wyoming looks beautiful. But, I love living in my beautiful state of Traverse City, Michigan! But, thanks for the information on Wyoming!?
Sounds just like Alberta, Canada. It has extremely similar pros and cons, but we love it here. Hope to leave our town soon (preferably asap) and start a new new life (we are originally from UK) in our own homestead in Alberta.
Yes– I know there are parts of Canada with prairies very similar to where we are at. 🙂 Sounds exciting!
I worked for a company in Casper that was based in Alberta. I was amazed at how much alike they were!
Loved your article. We just bought a home in Lander and will be moving from CO. Not exactly a homestead but we are excited to raise our kids in an affordable much slower paced town.
Lander is a gorgeous place– congrats!
We drove across Wyoming (southern), last May when we moved from Virginia to Utah. Though Wyoming was on my very short list of places to move, God said Utah for now.
I thought Wyoming was one of the most vast, most beautiful, and most amazing places I have ever seen. I actually cried. Our God is awesome.
Continued Blessings to you and yours.
Merry Christmas!
Utah has some gorgeous country too! And you’re not that far away. 😉
I’ve really enjoyed reading your blog and this post brings back memories! We moved from Texas to Kemmerer when I was in 7th grade. We were the only kids to stay home from school on the first day of school because we had never seen it! Being a tomboy, it was wonderful.
We drove through WY a few times when we were truck drivers. It is beautiful. I am a horse addict too. Rode dressage since I was 9 years old, started teaching horseback riding when I was 16, and moved to the US to ride with Olympic trainers when I was 22 (we traveled between MA and FL). I don’t ride at the moment but can’t wait until we move to our 20 acres so I can get a couple of horses. I think I read somewhere that the population of cows and horses in WY is higher than the population of people. I didn’t need to read any more 🙂 I’d move tomorrow if my husband agreed.
That is awesome! I’ve never ridden dressage, but have always had an immense appreciate for it and the skills it requires. So neat!
I really, really enjoy your blog and postings! I have dreamed of moving to Wyoming or Montana all my life. Now that I have eight decades behind me I think homesteading off the grid won’t be practical, but I can dream. Your blog makes this possible. Two questions: 1) Having lived for some years in Kodiak, Alaska, I’d like to know whether trees will survive southeast Wyoming? Is there a hardy tree one could plant and keep alive with TLC? Kodiak gets really weird weather and extreme cold and lots and lots of snow. There are spruce and other trees there, even on the coasts…not a lot, but some. I love trees! 2) On a pedestrian note, do you have a recipe for essential oils that really smells like spruce or cedar or juniper or pine trees? That old Christmas spirit is enhanced thereby. Again, thank you for your blog.
Yes– there are some trees that will survive here– our pines in our tree row (austrian pine and ponderosa) have done OK. Slow growing, but they are still alive. They got hit hard and turned quite brown after it when from summer to a hard freeze over night last September, but thankfully they rallied. We work quite a bit with our local county conservation folks to figure out what will/will not survive here… It’s really different for each area.
And YES– there are some wonderful Christmas tree essential oils! I use white fir, juniper berry, and douglas fir oils a lot this time of year– sometimes alone, sometimes mixed together. 🙂
I’m over in south Idaho. Yep I get cha. We get freak freezes in the summer too. Our windy season is not as long as yours though thank goodness. One year I was getting out of my Geo and couldn’t get the door open. It was not cold at all but the wind was so strong that as I looked over to the passenger side door I watched it pick up our fiberglass domed shed and throw it into our power poll! The dome taco-ed around the wood and then flew off into a gravel pit. We were picking up bits of it for ages. We had to build a two car garage with attached wood shed to stop the wind so that we could get out of the car during wind season, helps a lot.
I live in a patch of rock connected to an ex-gravel pit so homesteading is hard! But the weather doesn’t cut you any breaks either. I fell in love with Back To Eden gardening and that has worked for me. I also use (English) Cob to build rock and cob heat retaining walls as supports for things that need a little extra heat to grow here. I’m working on grapes, but I don’t know… they are a hard one for this area LOL
I have recently stopped using a bit when I ride too. I have much less rebellious horses now that I use a cross under bitless bridle. Amazing how you learn these things and then you wonder why you didn’t know them before!
This stuff is why I love homesteading, you never stop learning and growing and you surround yourself with things that grow with you 🙂 Sometimes I do wish it were easier, but wow is it ever worth it.
I totally agree– I love the continual learning!
Well, I’m as far from a WY native as you can get. Born and raised and reside in Alabama. We are horse people too. My husband and I spent 10 days on a working ranch northwest of Gillette (1/2 in WY and 1/2 in MT). We went through Recluse to get there, which had a population of less than 150! My husband found the town meant for him! If it ever works out for us to move west I know where it will be. I so enjoy seeing your pictures and hearing about your life up there. The people at the ranch had kids that had to be driven 11 miles just to meet the school bus to take them to school in Butte, MT and they said they didn’t know of a single person that didn’t carry a little notepad and pen in their pocked at all times since the stores were so far away. There were no “just gonna run to the store to pick up a few things” trips. It’s definitely a culture shock to go from Alabama to Wyoming but it was well worth the time spent. We’d love to come back to stay. Until that happens just keep on sharing and making the rest of us jealous!
Sounds like a fun trip! And yes, trips to the store are generally half-day event around here, ha!
Eastern Colorado here, that other lovely square state. I grew up in MI where we had a short growing season, but the soil was rich and water was in abundance; everything grew! Trying to grow here in the dry and the wind has definitely been a learning experience. We have two 15’x30′ chicken runs that I alternate and use one side as the run and the other as my veggie garden. Curious, do you have any postings about what you do for successful gardening on yonder plains?
Yes! Do a search for “deep mulch gardening” here on the blog. You’ll find a bunch of posts. It’s revolutionized my garden!
Beautiful post Jill! Everyone has the things they love, hate and can tolerate. I know every part of the country is beautiful in its own way. I think the important thing is to homestead in a place that really speaks to the soul and it sounds like Wyoming does for you! I was into horses for 10+ years doing gymkhana, 4-H, barrel racing, rodeo queen-ing, jumping, you name it. We just recently settled down in… North Idaho! Sounds like we have a couple things in common! North Idaho so far is the area that feels the best to us in all of the places we’ve been, although just recently we’ve had a couple HUGE wind storms, one mangled some of our stuff pretty good, which is apparently uncommon for the area. Anyways, great post! Enjoyed reading about Wyoming, would love to visit the area one day!
Yes– my mom told me all about the recent wind up there! I still have a big soft spot for Idaho. 🙂
HI Jill! My husband and I both enjoy your posts on FB, and I had no idea we are “neighbors”! We run the town of Buford (population 1 on I-80 near Vedauwoo). Stop in next time you’re on 80, enjoy a cup of coffee, and we can talk about homesteading in these conditions. We’ve been trying it for a few years on 100 acres south of Buford.
good to see Buford up and running again!
Have lived on the reservation in Fremont county my entire life. I grew up on a ranch along the wind river. I now live on a few acres near Arapaho. There is a lot more too Wyoming than wind and snow. The winters are not that bad and you can grow most vegetables in the Wind River valley. Fruit trees grow here and trees are abundant along the rivers and creeks. Only 50 miles to great elk hunting for winter meat. Deer and antelope are everywhere. Meat is not a worry. Jobs are scare and the economy is reliant on oil, so now there is only a poor economy. By all means come to Wyoming and visit, but life is a lot harder here than most places. You can homestead here, but land is not cheap compared to wages. You better be prepared for cold, wind, and some of the nicest country in the world.
The one thing about Wyoming I love, and nearly always forget until I come back for a visit is the outside is just another room of your house. 😉
Yes indeed!
I enjoyed reading your posts
Your line “wide open spaces speak to my soul” made me think of my daughter. We live in Michigan have vacationed in Wyoming (Yellowstone area) many times. 6 years ago after our first trip to Wyoming my daughter, 13 at the time, fell in love and told us that was where she would end up. Here we are 6 years later and she is a freshman at University of Wyoming; it was her first and only choice. She loves it out there and has no intention of ever coming home. I truly believe people were born to be certain places and for her it is Wyoming.
That is so neat– that’s pretty much exactly how I was. Once WY got into my blood, there was no looking back! UW is only about an hour away from us. 🙂
Do you ever come to town to watch the Cowboys/Cowgirls play? Its something else to see us out in this remote area make a national splash everytime one of our games is broadcast. San Diego State hates flying here for both basketball and football. They really hate coming here for basketball.
Welcome to the ‘high court of the lands’ -UW basketball.
Agree with everything you said! Great article I live in the Southeast corner of Idaho. We can throw a rock and hit Wyoming, or Utah, if we stand in the right place. But, I generally don’t stand there too long…there are rattlesnakes there, too! Much of what we experience here is the same thing you’ve described. We love it here. We’ve seen lots of folks move in…spend a couple, or one…winter, and leave. It’s fine. We’re sticking it out. 🙂
Yup! Lots of similarities to SE ID and WY for sure!
I was born and raised in California, and really love it here, except for the idiocy reigning supreme in our government, which totally skews hard left and ignores the entire conservative northern segment of our State. Because of this we have talked about moving to Wyoming because of the freedom-friendly-leave-you-alone attitude of Wyoming government, but those brutal winters keep us at bay.
I did spend a month in Wyoming between my Freshman and Sophomore years at University, when I landed a job in Jackson Hole at the Grand Teton Lodge. I was so in love with the area and its seeming magic! But then there was the blizzard that closed Yellowstone Park on 6 June, dumping a couple feet of snow in Jackson Hole! Now you must understand this wasn’t completely out of my range of experience since my both my maternal/paternal family lines are from Idaho, and we’d traveled there in the middle of Winter for Christmas many times, and I was in University in Northern Utah at the time, but still! What a shock to a California greenhorn! But it was also beautiful almost beyond belief! Wyoming is amazing and draws the heart in so many ways!
Love your blog and this article in specific!
Oh, and I forgot to mention one of the biggest ties to California, besides our family: We own almost 400 acres of some of the most pristine land in the State in the Sierra Nevada foothills, covered in majestic pine, incense cedar, and stately heritage oaks! It is also bisected by three year round streams/creeks, one being a major feeder into the South Fork of the American River 40 miles outside Sacramento. How will we ever replace that? Of course in our county we can’t afford to build our dream home there because of the taxes and building permit fees which are not only expensive but punitive! Life is filled with conundrums. 🙂
Yes– the NW portion of WY is absolutely stunning! Maybe someday we’ll live there instead of on the windy prairie. 🙂
Jill you are going to laugh at me. I’m a major scaredy cat!! I have to live where I can see my neighbors homes 🙂
I grew up in beautiful upstate New York and now live in central Ohio, which is milder, but not as pretty. Not as green, and awfully hot/humid in the summer.
I love your photos and your candor. I’ve always wondered how people could live in the middle of nowhere. You have helped me understand!! lol
Sue
I get it Sue– it’s definitely not for everyone! 🙂
How do you deal with the wind with a vegetable garden?
You can put up wind breaks, but our wind isn’t as bad in the summer. The garden handles the occasional windy summer days just fine though.
Perfect homesteading mecca? Where’s that? 😉
Just had our first foray into your part of the country in October–Jackson to Cody to Casper to Douglas to Cheyenne over three days. So we saw a good-sized chunk yet hardly any at all of that big state. And we got to experience a storm and all that wind in the process. (btw, here in the mountains of northwestern NC we get those 60-70+ mph winds pretty often, too–like right now–just not all the time, and we do have windbreaks.)
We have a few other things in common, from this side of the country, too–a short growing season, for one.
We thought WY was starkly, phenomenally beautiful and ever-changing, and we have literally hundreds of pictures to prove it, but I’d sure miss my trees and other green things.
Doing our own version of homesteading here, without the animals but definitely trying to live closer to the land and loving (almost) every minute of it. (Just recently started a blog in part about our years-long journey.) Reality is an important thing to share. Like you, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Sounds like a great trip! And I’m happy to hear you thought WY was beautiful too. 🙂 I didn’t realize NC got high winds like that though– yikes!
Nice post about Wyoming … what part of N. Idaho do you originate from? where did you go to college? just curious since you moved from there when you were 18.
I’m originally from Moscow! I went to a community college in Cheyenne.
I bet you don’t miss how Moscow plows all their snow into the middle of the road on the one ways, lol. Or all of the college traffic.. All that openness sure can be peaceful, left with only your thoughts and the sounds of your animals and wind. Lived in Albuquerque, NM for several years and took me awhile to appreciate it in all it’s glory. But I love mountains and rocks and trees with springs and lakes and am living in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, lol. Grew up in Clarkston, WA and it settles my soul while BF makes me want to climb mountains and converse with God… And I am rambling, lol.
I love this! I grew up in Lusk, with family in several parts of the state. My Dad was in the oil field most of my life. I am now in Northeastern SD. The wind is the same here but we do have a few more trees and more lakes. I miss WY a lot and may someday head back Home – with a capital H. There is truly no place like it!
I will dido your sentiments about Wyoming. I’m between Laramie and Cheyenne. We’ve been in Wyoming for about 24 years. The wind was the hardest thing to get used to, but now we live with wind/solar power only and I don’t cuss it as much anymore. Wyoming can be very challenging, but absolutely love the wide open spaces – feels good to the soul! I’m dipping my toes into the homesteading ways. Just picked up my first 2 goats, to go along with the other menagerie. We hope to get a greenhouse up this year as well. Thanks for all of your work and blogs, keeps me moving forward (with hope!)
Such a great read! I LOVE Wyoming! I live in Utah with relatives in the south west side of Wyo.. parents used to live in Cody! Love this state and its diversity! I too love every day the good Lord gives me and my family is my rock! I will enjoy keeping up on your blog to see you adventures with your family!
Although portions of Wyoming are relatively flat prairie and high desert, there always seems to be plenty of interesting geologic formations in those areas. There are also 109 named mountain ranges in Wyoming, only a portion of which are in the NW corner of the state. The Wind River Range is absolutely stunning as well as the Medicine Bow Mountains just west of Laramie. I miss my days as a student at UW. There were breathtaking mountains to explore to the west and south, Vedauwoo and Curt Gowdy to the east, and high elevation prairie to the north. Within a days drive, you can be hiking around the Devil’s Tower or camping in the Red Desert. Wyoming is far from flat and uninteresting.
I agree! There are absolutely gorgeous parts of this state. Part of the reason I love it.
Came across your blog while checking out Wyoming! My Husband and I have 6 children, live in the Geat Adirondack Mountains in upstate NY. I have been homeschooling since 2001. We just recently took our eldest daughter to Frontier School of the Bible, in LaGrange, WY. It’s is beautiful in the southeastern part. She loves the the State and is so excited to be there. This may be far fetched, by some chance would you happen to know iof any ranches that are looking for partime help? God bless
That’s awesome Nancy– LaGrange isn’t that far away from us. I don’t know of any ranches needing help at the moment, she might be able to find some options once she gets here.
I grew up in Michigan and have lived everywhere from Baltimore to New Orleans, now presently in Southern California. I love the open land and privacy. I want property for my dogs and a few animals that I want. I can’t have them where I presently live. Really, really tired of having people everywhere. I so miss seasons, even if they’re short. My problem is finding a small town but needing a hospital to work at. I know I’ll need to commute but I drive an hour each way to work right now, and it’s only 22 miles away. Can you recommend any towns within a reasonable drive.
Don’t forget that the average elevation of Wyoming is 10,000 feet. So that’s why the extreme weather, long winters, short summers, extreme temperatures, not too many trees or vegetation can grow well at that elevation, and few people that want extreme. Kinda like Alaska. Both are gorgeous. A distant relative recently moved back from Wyoming because wages are small and work, not readily available.
Jill,
Love this post! My husband and I were born born and raised in Wyoming and currently live on a few acres near Casper. Your map it pretty accurate although I take a little exception to the part of the map labeled “not much” – we do have Casper Mountain 🙂
You’re right about the wind – but at least it’s mostly reserved for the Winter. The Spring (though it doesn’t feel very Springy until May), Summer and Fall here make it worth it all.
I came across your blog while looking for a recipe for home made apple cider vinegar. Now I’m sitting here with homesick tears in my eyes! I grew up in Laramie and have lived in several towns in Wyoming. My grandparents homesteaded in the Meeteetse area. My late husband and I were married in Saratoga. For the last 20 years I’ve lived in Dare County NC where we always have wind and oh, by the way, hurricanes! No mountains though! I miss Wyoming every single day, it’s where my heart is.
I was wondering what the trapping law are up there and seasons.
Jill,
I really enjoy reading your stories. You really have just taken on the frontier lifestyle – it was like how my family was 100 years ago.
Its not easy. You have to work to make things happen. Its not always pleasant. But your often rewarded with a great mental vision around you.
67 acres of junk to 67 acres of a nice warm place to live takes time, and its pleasant to build. Gardening can really suck. I grew up in Shoshoni, wy, and we gardened the hell out of everything. My 4 years in sheridan, wow, i had april till november to grow tomatoes. Laramie is a bit tougher. I like my own fresh grown stuff – and I plan on doing it again now that I’m back down here.
Canned goods prepared by ones self are the best. The vegetables were grown right. It took time to prepare. You know where they came from. I do it every year. I do jerkey a few times a year. Meat is a bit tougher.
Bring on the wind. Bring on the snow. I love it!
OMG Jill, THANK YOU! Only on page 9 of your cookbook and am already breathing easier. We purchased 70 acres of unimproved land in S.E. Wyoming – at 8,100 elevation – last year. Not going to lie – I’m getting cold feet divesting of our Northern Michigan properties (oh, the water and trees we have!!) and dive into those gorgeous Wyoming draws and bubbling creek. My husband and I have been yearning to build a greenhouse to grow good food, and raise chickens and goats. I am now in love with Highland Cattle (thanks unconventional_acres). I have been digging for inspiration and knowledge online. Homesteading is so readily available in kind climates, but windy Wyoming? I am grateful to find you and have been pouring through your experience and wisdom all so carefully recorded in your blog. I am still very thoughtful about the elevation difference but remain hopeful in my research to develop our homestead. THANK YOU for spending the time helping others make this transition! I am still scared but have never let fear prevent me from making calculated changes in my life. I am stronger than that! Thanks for being strong and sharing with us! <3
You still sucking dudes off in public restroom stalls? You were once coming out of a stall with another dude, only you were the one with the cum mustache. Deny it all you want but we all know you a cocksucker.
Well said! As a long-time Wyoming homesteader, formerly a Colorado homesteader, I think you’ve summed Wyoming up, very well. We love it here…especially now that natural grocers is in the nearest town (for those years that a tornado sucks up our garden, like it did this year!) We are truly blessed to be here. Thank you for this, and all of your posts. God bless!
So me and my wife and 2 kids are planning on moving somewhere in the south between Laramie to fort Laramie. We currently live in Hawaii (only a huge change in weather) but are excited to start our homestead adventure. We’ve been in the Cheyenne area a few times and decided that Wyoming will be our home. Our only concern is the wind. We know we can put up with it maybe even get used to it but we keep reading about all the semi and box truck rollovers. I drive a Jeep which is also boxy and wondered would that flip as well? Anyways, love reading y’all’s posts and can’t wait. We’re still in planning phase but that is getting accelerated due to my military obligation coming to an end in less than 2 years.
Thanks for your support Ray! I hope you’re able to make your move to Wyoming soon! 🙂
Oh my gosh it sounds so much like our town here in NW MT. We are on the east side of glacier park and it can get down right miserable here with the wind and snow. WY sounds so much like MT, definitely behind in the times and too my surprise not a lot of homesteading. When we moved here 3 years ago, we thought for sure that homesteading would be a huge thing, man were we wrong!
My husband and I are planning to move to Casper, WY this summer if all goes as planned. There are sooo many things that we LOVE about the state. The harsh winter’s terrify me, as I’ve lived in California my whole life (I have experienced snow only a handful of times in my life and nothing drastic). As excited as we are, I have no idea what to expect as far as weather goes!
Love your descriptions of Wyoming life. I’m sure it is wonderous, fulfilling and demanding all at the same time. While I’ve been in the beautiful state of Wyoming a few times I’ll stick to my few acres here in south central Texas. Don’t like all that snow and ice stuff. But enjoy your Prairie Homestead!
Snow and ice can definitely be interesting to deal with on the homestead! Glad you found a place that suits you 🙂
My father was born in Laramie, Wy 1917. I went to University in the late 60’s in Laramie. I then worked in Cheyenne for a few years in 1973. In 2010 bought land in Clark, Wyoming 30 miles north of Cody to retire and homestead. The land is high desert and mostly rocks. The early frost this year took out all of the green tomatoes.
We spent three years in Laramie at UW and absolutely loved the area and the state. It could be as harsh as you described, and beautiful in its own way. You have to learn to do things differently and be resourceful. We moved away after grad school but still live the state and visit when we can. As you described, I find it fits my temperament well.
these are very good points to know, since having to move suddenly came up, and many points in research suggested wyoming as a viable option, even with the select areas that offer free land to do so.
btw, you really remind me of Amy from Heartland. lol
Found your site thru Lehmans.com and have been enjoying paging thru your blog. I know this post was some time ago, but I have found it very helpful … hubs and I will be relocating from Northern Nevada soon (we’re escaping from the rapid Californication of our beloved state), and Wyoming is one of our five picks to check out. Having visited Cody in the winter for work, we understand the weather, and your map is succinct. ?
I moved to a city in Southeast Wyoming in 2003. I then moved to a 20 acre “ranchette” in the country in 2011 (also Southeast, WY). I have made several attempts over the years to grow a vegetable garden…to no avail. Every time I try to research gardening tips and ideas it is from somewhere other than here. Gardening here is not like gardening anywhere else as far as I can tell. I’ve actually signed up for a Master Gardeners class near me. I also think that you may be a good resource for me because you live in Southeast WY also.
Hi Jill! How long would you say your average growing season is? Where I live, we have fewer than 90 days and I’m thinking that’s probably similar to yours? Of course , I understand rogue hail, 4th of July deep freeze, wind… all affect everything. I tried to read through most of the comments and didn’t see an answer.
BTW, I have loved your blog for years!
Born in Casper, have a cabin in Glendo. Grandparents farmed in Meadowacres and Great Grandparents homesteaded in Lost Springs. My Grandma was the postmisstress in Lost Springs in 1915. Wyoming is home. Your blog and your experiences are dead on. (What? The wind blows in Wyoming?) I live in NM now, but journey “home” to Glendo every summer. Grew up with my dad moving “the farm” into town which my brother and sister “farmed” on (only an acre of garden). Will drop by your store on the way up this year. Wishing you all the best.