Washington State, USA

Hi, everyone. I'm an older person finally getting to move to a more rural location in Pierce County, Washington State, USA. I've been gardening, raising rabbits and chickens, canning, dehydrating, etc. for a long time but just now getting out of town. I'd love to connect with people who live near me.

Hi Carmen; Big Welcome to Permies!  Lots of Permies folks in the Seattle area, really we are all around the globe! But the Pacific northwest has a whole heap of us!
So gardening, chickens , rabbits! All you need are 2 piggys and a milk cow to have a full farm!
Do you know about Hugelkulter? A method of burying much wood debri below a garden spot, as the wood rots it holds moisture (less watering) and nutrients into the soil.
Mounding that pile up means less bending over for you!
Have you heard about Rocket Mass Heaters? A way to safely  burn much less wood and stay super warm at the same time!
So many subjects to learn about, it's amazing we find the time to go out and implement them.

Don't be a stranger now! Come back often! We will leave the light on for you!

Thank you for the welcome. I'm glad to find you all.

Specifically, I'm interested in exploring building a tiny-house-sized earthship (affordably!), how to set up an acre to its best advantage - chicks, garden, fruit trees, etc. I have considered a mini-cow for milk and some kind of guardian animal since a bear has been seen on the property I'm looking at and there's rumor of a cougar (mountain lion) that comes through every few months. I'm only one person and that cow would give me more than enough. I have a border collie and he's a great pet and alerts me when anything is amiss but he's really a big wuss. He needs a helper. Again, there's not a lot of extra money floating around so if/when anyone has appropriate young mutts they need to find homes for I'd appreciate hearing about them.

I tried a hugelkulture at my last home, a fairly small one as an experiment. Sadly, I moved before it was a year old and had used an apple tree as the basis of it so the wood went in green and I didn't get to see it actually work. I'll try again in my new place. The not bending over much part is especially inviting! If it gives you any indication the kind of person I am, my first trip bringing stuff up when I moved from CA included all the plants I didn't want to lose. They're sitting in pots at my Dad and my sister's houses now, waiting for their new home. Apple tree, award-winning rhubarb, several kinds of mint, elderberries, lilac, etc.

I'm interested in a mini-cow. It would provide more milk than I could use since I currently live alone. Even if/when my granddaughter moves in with me I don't foresee us using more than that and again, I'm not getting any younger. Smaller is better. Pigs - no thanks. I've had a little experience with them and am not a fan. I'll have chickens for protein (if I can keep the vermin from eating all the eggs). I've had a lot of trouble with raccoons killing my chickens - at least once a year, the whole flock!! Any advice on that and I'd appreciate it!

The land I'm trying to get, (Pierce County, Roy address), has small hills here and there and I hope to utilize one or two for a root cellar (I'm too old to dig it by hand in less than a year or two) and a walipini. We can only build 200 sf or less without a permit so they will have to be under that. Would love to see what others are doing and to meet some like-minded people, hopefully learn from others' mistakes instead of making so many of my own.

Again, thanks for the welcome. It's nice to be here.