Purpose:
To explore a more sustainable lifestyle

To live well on less

To provide land based security for future generations

To localize our economy (produce 50% of our food, 70% of our fuel, 100% of our electricity)

To provide goods to local markets

To revitalize the practice of extended family living

To inspire others toward sustainability

Goals:
produce 50% of our food,

produce 70% of our fuel,

produce 100% of our electricity

Capture significant amount of rain water

Manage 30 acres of PJ forest

Grow fruit and nut trees and valuable timber (Ponderosa, hardwoods)

Build house for extended family as demonstration of natural building techniques

Description:
Area: 50 Acres, 30 acres of dense PJ forest divided in two by 20 acres of meadow.

Elevation: Between 7000 and 7500 elevation

Chronological progress to date:
Purchased land ? 4/??/2004

Biodiesel production begins (off-site) (capacity: 30 gallon batches) 5/??/04

Erected gate 5/??/2004

Plotted ½ mile driveway 6/??/04

Began driveway by clearing trees 6/??/04

Driveway cleared but not graveled

Began first on-site thinning grant from state forestry

Well drilled 7/??/05

Planted first trees in orchard 7/6/05

Windmill erected 8/??/05

Culvert issues

Broke ground on workshop 8/??/05

Driveway graveled (but not finished)

Finished workshop exoskeleton

Biodiesel generator working, with problems

Received extension on thinning grant 12/??/05

Begin collecting used glass doors for Green house 12/??/05

Obtain Rastra for Appartment/Green house 1/??/06

Began off-site National Forest thinning contract to harvest beams for house 2/??/06

Plotted and Cleared south and west property boundaries (more than a mile) 2/??/06

Erected electric fence enclosing 3/5 of property 4/??/06

Burying water lines from well to cisterns, irrigation 5/??/06

Erecting workshop cistern

Windmill water reaches cisterns

Hanging workshop rain gutters

Mounting Solar panels

Hooking up inverters and batteries

Begin building “studio” in workshop

Elders (Jo and Wink) move-in day