Relocalization Network › Post Carbon Ithaca (Ithaca, NY) › Forums › Ithaca Winter

Ithaca Winter

restart's picture
Posted by restart on October 5th, 2005 at 8:43 pm | 2 Replies

Hi,
I've been up to Ithaca to visit and looked at some land. Am interested in starting permaculture place there but am concerned about growing season, as it is really cold in Winter. How do people in Ithaca rate the climate and growing season? Also how safe is Ithaca vis a vis nuclear, health or environmental hazards?

Any info appreciated. I'd like to relocate by December so I need to start making some choices about where to live. Basicly I'm looking for a safer bet.

Thanks,

Marg

Bethany Schroeder's picture
Bethany Schroeder
October 9th, 2005

Ithaca Winter

We're new here ourselves, after having been away for 20 years, but we believe that it's safe from the perspectives you describe above. You may want to look at the zone description my husband Jon Bosak put together, based on information he got from a number of people in the area prior to our move back. I can tell you that people here have managed permaculture successfully (it's one of our motivators, too), and that whereas winter is rugged, spring and summer are rich and usually make up for the 6 months of hard weather. The land is healthy; the water is plentiful and generally clean. You should check out the permaculture list serve through mutualaid.org, and feel free to look at the zone information at the URL that follows. Let me know if you need more information. www.ibiblio.org/bosak/perma/tc-zones.htm Bethany
baloghblog's picture
baloghblog
October 13th, 2005

Winters are not too bad...

If you don't mind outdoor activities in the snow. The spring and summer offer a 6-7 month growing season if you start plants indoors. The soil is rich, the water is (mostly) clean. Nearest nuclear is in Oswego, NY. Homes that are insulated, and use landscaping to shield the northwest winds in the winter are cozy and comfortable. There is an abdundance of fresh water streams, and Ithaca has beatiful waterfalls. I live in the Syracuse area, but we travel frequently to Ithaca in the summer and fall to taste the local wines, and go hiking in the area. Beautiful surroundings. Just joined the group (I hope to spin off a Syracuse outpost) I have written an essay about why I believe that Central New York is a good place to weather the upcoming oil crisis. Check it out and let me know what you think. (bells and whistles version)