Tara Jupp

Oh my Gosh! Thank you so much for this opportunity, wow!
I do have a clarifying question... If it is ok to smoke cigarettes off property, I'm assuming one can store one's tobacco on the property. Does the same apply to pot? I'm a medical marijuana patient (not sure if they have medical in Montana) so I was wondering if I can store it in my tent and smoke it off property like tobacco? Or if it is not allowed around at all.
Either way I am planning on coming (and of course obeying the grand poobah), but I wanted to clarify. Thanks!

*party dance*

Hi All,
As someone who lives in an apartment with no balcony, I would love to find some unused garden space near me to grow some veggies on (or maybe even chickens/rabbits?!).
I am in contact with Sustainable Capitol Hill and through them or another MeetUp group I am hoping to set up a meet and greet where people with space can meet people with time/seeds/skills/etc and collaborate to get more food growing! Each person can work out the work and harvest shares individually.
Anyone in the Capitol Hill, Seattle Area interested?
Thanks!
Tara

I know it can be challenging, but I am hoping to find ways to work with the government instead of against them... I've gotten some great ideas from these forums like using alternate wording and making it easy for them.
Also, it is ridiculous that the laws are blocking these types of building. Who knows, other homesteaders have gotten codes changed so if necessary I will pursue that route, and worst case we have to alter some plans for now.

Hi all,
I'm looking to start a homestead community near Seattle in the next year or two and will be needing people to buy in as well as live in exchange for work with the opportunity to form your own "cottage industry" or work outside for extra income.
The values are basically kindness, community, public health, education, research, hard work, and of course using resources wisely and protecting our planet

You can message me or check out my blog
marcellabarnesmhc.blogspot.com

Hello everyone,
I am a new grad nurse in the Seattle area that's been bitten by the permaculture and public health bugs. These ideas have been merging into something I am calling the Marcella Barnes Modern Homestead Community (MBMHC), which is a community I am looking to form about an hour outside of Seattle. This community values independence but also kindness, community, generosity, respect, and education.

I know there is a lot that comes with starting a new community but I am confident we can find some great people to work together on this.

The MBMHC will have a focus on providing community education/performance/gardening space; sustainable land use; affordable housing; supporting cottage industries; protecting heritage and heirloom livestock and vegetables, particularly those good for small farm/permaculture methods; conducting research on participant and environment health; testing new technologies for a greener world; and eventually a foster child home and a continuous care retirement community. People here will believe in working hard, playing hard, and giving back so we all have more. We build each other up and act out the positive changes we want to see in the world.

Yes: the nonprofit status is still up in the air for now. And yes: there are a lot of legal hoops to jump through, and we will cross all of those bridges when we come to it. I happen to have found some land that has made me want to start into this sooner than I had originally planned.

It is 166 acres less than an hour drive from downtown Seattle (like parking for a Seahawks game in an hour, seriously!) that is subdividable into 16 lots. Each lot would cost approx. $62,000 (damn! That's like 6k an acre!)
It would be a group decision how to proceed, but I may have a local private investor to get a loan from. Ideally it would be great to have 25% down (yeah... still only a $15.5K down payment on 10 acres!) but there may be some flexibility. Each owner could also rent to people who were community participants to supplement their income and share work. It wouldn't be a 30 year if we went the private investor route, but it should be a fairly quick pay-off anyways to minimize interest costs and since it is such a low amount for what you get.

Let me know if you are interested in buying in or participating in any way (community efforts or a renting member)... you can also read a little more about the MBMHC ideas at my blog
marcellabarnesmhc.blogspot.com

Looking forward to talking with you!

This is great stuff! Thanks for posting, and for all of your hard work!
I am currently in the process of trying to start a nonprofit that has a lot of "private" aspects, it really is more of a community resource that will be supporting the surrounding community, families living there, and the private land owners cooperating with the nonprofit. The problem with this is that I want to create a model where the members can use the resources around them for generating their own supplemental income, like beauty products or running a food truck or catering business because this is a more realistic model for others to follow. Sharing resources so everyone benefits, and most people will do a little something extra to have a little extra spending money if they want it or don't have outside employment.
If I go the nonprofit route, would these things be "undue benefits"? or just benefits of giving so much time and money into the land (some of which is private) and organization that you can use it and pay a "tax" or "use fee" to the organization?

Thanks again!

So I got my sugar maple starts in the mail (yay!) and put them in the fridge to stratify them (mimic the cold so they germinate).
Once they germinate, I am wondering if I should pot them and keep them close so I can tend them until they get large enough, or If I should plant them in their final location shortly after germination and just try to protect them? Trees take so long to grow, I'd hate to lose one to a deer or something... But on Paul's Survival Summit talk he mentioned transplants develop taproots instead of a taproot, so I was wondering if that applied to trees? And how long it is recommended to keep it in a container if I go that route (which I will have to for some since half of them will be leaving their temporary home at my MIL's when I get my own land)?
So thoughts?
Also wondering about soil type... We have areas of clay soil that get really dry and hard in the summer, areas that stay wet all year and/or are near a stream, and areas that are dry but not the clay-type soil.

Thanks!

Hi,
Another non-profit start up wannabe here
I have a series of goals, income plans, research questions, and many ideas and lists on *most* aspects of the endeavor. I'm in the Seattle area and am looking to develop contacts and share ideas and information
I would also be interested in an "unofficial" non profit- private ownership with a community focus without some of the sticky regs
So I guess feel free to contact me to either share ideas or talk about starting a project

And by involved I mean I live in a city apartment and would love to get out and help plant and work and share ideas

The greater Seattle area has a lot of potential... Some sun lovers don't thrive here, but generally mild winters allow for year round production, although it may take a little encouragement. Plenty of water around here, too
I'm looking to get involved in a project, so if the Seattle area is where you're headed feel free contact me