Has Active Farmers/Ranchers with Stock & Equipment
While there are a few (crop) farms in the two counties, it is primarily grazing (ranch) land. The growing season would probably be enough for two or three crops, but the soil is not the best. Grains would probably do alright if the wildlife could be kept out of them, but other crops would likely need to be raised in hothouses or greenhouses.

The problems, as I understand them, are the low evening temperatures combined with delayed sunrise and abrupt sunset, due to the altitude and the mountain ranges to the east and west. Not a problem for ranchers, though it may limit pasture and hay crops.

There are quite a few "Caretaker" ranches up here. These are farms & ranches that are owned by absentee landowners and managed by folks who live on the property - keeping it tidy for the occasional visit by the owners. Some of them are productive while others are held in stasis, generally fallow.

 Grand County

Agriculture in Grand County:
Average size of farms: 1269 acres
Average value of agricultural products sold per farm: $42155
Average value of crops sold per acre for harvested cropland: $54.39
The value of livestock, poultry, and their products as a percentage of the total market value of agricultural products sold: 85.30%
Average total farm production expenses per farm: $56501
Harvested cropland as a percentage of land in farms: 8.97%
Irrigated harvested cropland as a percentage of land in farms: 90.03%
Average market value of all machinery and equipment per farm: $99549
The percentage of farms operated by a family or individual: 78.61%
Average age of principal farm operators: 55 years
Average number of cattle and calves per 100 acres of all land in farms: 6.77

 Summit County

Agriculture in Summit County
Average size of farms: 773 acres
Average value of agricultural products sold per farm: $12924
Average value of crops sold per acre for harvested cropland: $16.46
The value of nursery, greenhouse, floriculture, and sod as a percentage of the total market value of agricultural products sold: 0.00%
The value of livestock, poultry, and their products as a percentage of the total market value of agricultural products sold: 91.87%
Average total farm production expenses per farm: $38813
Harvested cropland as a percentage of land in farms: 8.27%
Irrigated harvested cropland as a percentage of land in farms: 76.08%
Average market value of all machinery and equipment per farm: $78468
The percentage of farms operated by a family or individual: 80.56%
Average age of principal farm operators: 58 years
Average number of cattle and calves per 100 acres of all land in farms: 9.05


The Criteria List - How the 2 Counties Stack Up (follow links to detailed information)

• Rural location, at least 50-100 miles from MAJOR metropolitan area
• Limited access capable of being monitored & controlled, or denied 
• Has sufficient quantities of water LOCALLY & local water treatment plant
• Has local waste/sewer treatment facilities (bonus for bio-conversion plants)
• Has independent power supply, or capability to generate power locally without outside materials
• Has a local modern hospital, ambulance service, dental offices, medical laboratories
• Has local fire and police departments & equipment (bonus if allow for volunteer forces)
• Has local primary and secondary schools (bonus for local college facilities)
• Has local library with technical (how to/how things work) and research sections [hardcopy]
• Has local radio/television broadcast facilities capable of transmission and reception (inc. satellite)
• Has a local economy sufficient to support survivalist influx
• Has a number of retail shops for food, clothing, household goods, sporting goods, building supplies
• Has firearms and ammunition shops
• Has arable land (for farming) and viable wildlife population (hunting & fishing)
• Has active farmers/ranchers with stock & equipment
• Has active local building contractors with heavy equipment
• Has local indoor & outdoor meeting places (for community voting/discussion/etc.)
• Has local entertainment facilities (essential for mental health)
• Has relatively mild weather or emergency contingencies (safe buildings/areas) for known hazards
• Has little or no recurrent history of natural disaster
• Has emergency contingencies (safe buildings/areas) for known recurrent hazards.
• Not downstream of major/multiple dams and reservoirs (or, at least, not in the flood plain)
• Not directly in the path of concentrated fallout (ash - burning cities, volcanic, nuclear)
• Above catastrophic flood levels from hurricane, tsunami, meteor/asteroid/comet strike
• Not a potential (or previous) target for hostile direct attack
• No likely near-miss potential from a deliberate attack
• Not situated in an obvious evacuation path (unless you are SURE access can be diverted/denied - and HELD
  Bonus Criteria
• Bonus for local National Guard/Army Reserve Armory
• Bonus for grain silo's, feed lots/stores
• Bonus for local breweries/distilleries
• Bonus for operating cannery/bottler
• Bonus for local (small scale) manufacturing
• Bonus for mills/lumber yards
• Bonus for local quarry w/cement facilities
• Bonus for local highway department with road maintenance equipment
• Bonus for pre-existing large-scale alternative energy usage (wind, solar, hydro, geothermal, etc.)
• Bonus for fly-in/out local airfield with aircraft parking & maintenance facilities
• Bonus for local mineral and petroleum sources (with equipment for recovery)
• Bonus for temporary/long term underground shelters

Membership Goals:

Our target goals for voting age self-reliant survivalist members:
Grand County: 13,406 population x 15% = 2,011 members
Summit County: 28,296 population x 15% = 4,245 members

Total voting age members wanted: 6,256, although half that would make a BIG difference to the counties.

If you already live in Summit or Grand Counties, contact MEG to let us know!

Please Read The Website Disclaimer!
Copyright 1986-2009, The Survival & Self-Reliance Studies Institute (SSRsi), All Rights Reserved
Site conceptualized, designed, created & maintained by MEG Raven
Snail Mail: SSRsi, PO Box 2572 Dillon, CO. 80435-2572