How far out of Portland, OR can one find cheap land for farming...I'd like

[masmdu]

I'd like to be within easy access to mass transit but still live a rural life-style.

What areas can you recommend?

We are thinking of movint to Portland in the near future but don't know if we'd be able to find a place not too far from the city or a mass tranist link where we could farm and keep goats/chickens.


Any suggestions?

TIA

[PSPS]

1. Not too far, actually

Thanks to land use planning guidelines still in effect (newly under attack by developers), rural development has been kept under check compared to most metro areas around the country.

Going west, you'd probably find something around Hillsboro or North Plains. Going east, maybe Gresham or Sandy. Going south, you might even find something as close as Milwaukie, or a little further in Clackamas County south past Oregon City. I've seen real farms in all of these areas recently, and they're all relatively near to mass transit. The MAX train runs east and west, so Gresham or Hillsboro would be good for that. But Portland has good bus service (Tri-Met) throughout Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington Counties.

Another less desirable option is Clark County, Washington, across the Columbia River. I've seen farms in the Battleground and Orchards area, but development is going hog wild there.

Check out http://www.findafarm.com/ (Oregon's Farm Real Estate Website)

[Syncronaut Seven]

2. Shhh...

It's a secret! Currently I farm 7 square feet. Lost the house and garden due to shitty economy.

I also fix tractors, let me know if you need a friend to help work the land, I'm there!

[stevedeshazer]

3. No such thing, unless you have a whole lot of money.

I've lived here for fifty years.

You can't farm in an area served by mass transit here, unless you can afford to buy land on Sauvie Island.

[0rganism]

4. *Cheap* farmland with access to mass transit in the Portland area?

Uh... no. Unless your idea of "cheap" is vastly different from mine.