Northern CO certainly has more
permie minded folks than Southern CO. There are a few
permaculture groups in Boulder, Ward and even into Denver.
We also have members here from Walensburg, CO all the way up through WY.
my general suggestions are to shade the soil when/wherever possible.
rock mulch seems to do better than woodchip mulch as it relates to keep moisture in the ground (in my area at least)
i also wish there were more discussion on the high altitude arid lands, as we have some unique challenges, specifically
water, imo.
http://www.cloud9farms.com/ - Southern Colorado - Zone 5 (-19*f) - 5300ft elevation - 12in rainfall plus irrigation rights
Dairy cows, "hair" sheep, Kune Kune pigs, chickens, guineas and turkeys