You might want to read the book The Art of Not Being Governed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Not_Being_Governed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ar

You might want to read the book The Art of Not Being Governed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Not_Being_Governed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Not_Being_Governed which discusses in some detail the advantages of living in "marginally" farmable hillcountry.