In Defense Of Ohio

In most preparedness circles, it's all about moving west. Go west, young man, go west. All you hear and all you read is that the Plains states, down through Arizona are where you need to be when the excrement hits the fan. And while there are some legitimate arguments to retreating west, I think there is much to be argued for Ohio. What's so great about Ohio? Let me tell you.

Temperate Climes: While Ohio does enjoy 4 distinct seasons each year, in general we don't endure the harsh temperatures and weather that many of the western states suffer. Our hot weather is rarely over 100 degrees and our cold temps rarely drop below 0. Our springs are sunny, our falls crisp and breezy. We're rarely bothered with actual 'heat waves' or blizzards. There are very few extremes to be had in terms of weather in Ohio.

Water: We have plenty of it. While we have occasional dry spells, I've never seen the pond across the road dry up, neither the lake. If you can't reach the lake, you can try the creek over the hill, or the river on the edge of town. There is water to be had within walking distance no matter where you go.

Good Soil: The ice age glaciers stopped just short of our area, leaving behind valleys of rich, black soil perfect for growing any sort of crop. While extensive farming has depleted the soil in many areas, I've never had difficulty growing anything I set my mind to grow.

Large Mennonite/Amish Population: Okay, admittedly that's a strange item to list as a perk to living in Ohio, but to me it makes perfect sense. Here are 2 populations that intentionally forgo the trappings of modern American life and probably won't notice when banks close or the Internet is offline (permanently). If I need to learn old skills, who better to learn from?

Cost of Living: It's cheap to live here, y'all. Homes are cheap, groceries are cheap, fuel is cheap. And while prices are on the rise, it's still more affordable to live here than many places in the civilized world.

Agrarian Culture: We're a population full of farmers...be they mega-farmers or micro-farmers. Our folklore revolves around agriculture, our children wear bibbed-overalls and John Deere hats and we have $300K equipment that we only drive twice a year. Ohio knows farming, and I intend to stay where the food is.

The Castle Doctrine: You break into my house, I can shoot you. Yay SB 184!

Concealed-Carry Friendly: Ohio has recently expanded laws making concealed carry more "user friendly". Jeff will have to expound on this topic as it's more his shtick than mine.

OSU: We have a kick-arse football team. And if you don't like football, we have the 'Best Damn Band in the Land.' And how many other states do you know can write their state name in script on the football field? It's my hope that Isaac may go to OSU one day...we just keep telling him "If you can't run the ball, you can always dot the ~I~." If you don't understand that statement, you may not be a Buckeye!

Family: With few exceptions, all my family is here...from my mom, 5 miles away as the crow flies, to my 5th and 6th cousins who live across the road and all the distant relatives I've met in one-room Baptist churches dotted across the Ohio landscape. I can't imagine life without seeing my mom every other day, or watching Granny Magdalene working in her flowerbeds.

Ohio is my life. And it will take more than the end of the world to move me.