During the pandemic, more and more people have decided to eat local. Being a locavore, or someone who eats foods mostly grown from their region, is in. Now more than ever, people are growing their own food, shopping at farmers markets and ordering from locally-sourced restaurants.
This trend creates an advantageous environment for those looking to start a farm or ranch of their own. But where should you plant your roots?
America’s leading outdoor service provider, LawnStarter, did the research for you. It ranked each of the states, best to worst, for starting a farm or ranch. In its research, LawnStarter primarily looked at infrastructure, prevalence, environmental factors, cost and potential returns.
Here is LawnStarter’s definitive list of the top five states to start a farm or ranch:
- Kentucky
- Oklahoma
- North Dakota
- Texas
- Montana
Kentucky, the No.1 state, ranked in the top 20 in every category. While it’s not No.1 in any specific metric, its all-around medium-high rankings allow it to slide into first place.
Nine of the top 10 states are at least partially in the Great Plains. These states ranked high for their climate and their supportive infrastructure.
The success of the Great Plains states marks a shift from western farming. California, once known for its fruitful soil and climate, came in at No.25.
While Ohio is not in the top five overall, it did rank second in terms of prevalence. Prevalence was decided by factors such as precipitation, temperature, wind and solar power, toxic chemicals and environmental hazards.
Ohio’s climate is perfectly suitable for starting a vegetable garden in your backyard. So, if you’ve always dreamed of a home-grown salad, now’s your chance!
Your own garden salad
Tomatoes are widely considered one of most rewarding vegetables to grow at home. The taste and nutrients of a store-bought tomato can’t compare to the fresh, ripe one from your garden!
Lettuce is cheap and easy to grow. As long as you can keep the furry friends away, you’ll have salad on demand.
Both sweet and hot peppers are easy to grow and produce high yields. Growing them at home can even save you some cash!
Onions are inexpensive to grow, and they have few problems once in the ground. Keep them watered, and you’re set.
Sarah Grace Smith is an editorial assistant. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
