Griff ahead of the curve: Philly Inq. documents "new ruralism"

[Undertoad]

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/n...l/12493911.htm

Pushing wheelbarrows full of home-equity or low-interest mortgages, more people all across America are heading for the countryside - to raise animals, to experience life in the rough, sometimes even to grow a crop or two.

This new move to the land is different from back-to-nature trends of the past, real estate and agriculture experts nationwide say. And the people driving it are not New Yorkers moving to now-barely-exurban retreats in Bucks County. They are baby boomers mostly, and many are willing to pay developers to build rural spreads for them.

Some want to live on the soil without actually having to till it - a bit like nongolfers who live on the fringe of a golf course. That's why one developer now building custom farms in Florida will be offering concierge services.