[ronsan]

Okay, here are the answers to the other questions you asked but I forgot about until I reread your original question. Sorry about that ~

1. Drinking water: We live 8-1/2 miles north of town and use well water. I think, unless you are locating to a subdivision on the outskirts of a town, you will be using a well. We included a water softener and additional filters on the water source as it comes into the house to control the smell and taste. Drinking water we now buy at Wal-Mart for $.39 a gallon (refilling the gallon jugs). There is nothing wrong with our water, but we have cattle on the farm and I just prefer to drink the water from Wal-Mart.

2. Sewers: There aren't any out here! Your choice is either a logoon some distance from the house which has to be fenced or a septic system. We chose to use the pre-existing lagoon, but my son installed a septic system. We have to have the lateral line pipes leading to the lagoon "pumped out" once every couple of years, but no big deal. I just don't want grease accumulating unnecessarily in that lagoon.

Also, please realize that if you are on a septic system or a lagoon, most rural households don't have the luxury of a garbage disposal. You just use compost piles instead. (In fact, between recycling center, my compost piles, and a burning barrel, I don't even use a garbage service.) My daughter does; she has a dumpster and they come dump it once a week.

3. Critter control: ah, yes, a favorite topic to rural folks who also garden. I guess it would depend what other farm animals you want. If none, then you only have to contend with the wild critters, which in our case are possums, raccoons, coyotes, deer, rabbits (big time!), and the very obscure mountain lions and bears. BTW, I have never seen the last two but know they are in this part of the state. My biggest and most hated "critter" is snakes (copperheads and cottonmouths) and the king snakes, blue racers (those things will chase you), black snakes, etc. You just learn to look for them and you learn to avoid them.

I will mention that the raccoons, rabbits, and deer can decimate your garden in nothing flat so if you plan to garden, you have to do some type of fencing or other devices to deter them. Down here, we plan on planting some for us, some for the birds and plenty for the critters. They will surely test your patience some years!

Sandie