Palm Springs, California . Looking for Permaculture buddies

Hello all,

I am in Palm Springs, California. I have a beautiful backyard and front yard that I would like to convert into permaculture design. I just started learning about Permaculture , if anyone is willing to join me in developing this project that will be awesome. I feel alone in the desert as most of the projects are not in desert areas. Please give me ideas, contacts and possible oppotunities.

are you working with existing landscape or starting? id consider catching as much rain in the yard and slowing it from leaving. whatever that looks like in your situation. different catchment areas maybe. desert trees for shade also. thorn-less if you prefer  

I'm currently working on greening six acres in 29Palms CA. End goal is a silvo-pasture system of Mojave native edibles being utilized by a few dairy goats, chickens, muscovy ducks, rabbits, and doves. Some of the plants i'm growing are Mesquite, palo verde, jojoba, fig, pomergrante, opuntia, agave, olive, and native grasses.

Hi, I know this post was a year ago, but I’m wondering if you’ve found any community for permaculture here in the desert? I would definitely be interested, just recently learned about permablitz and am super jazzed about the idea!

I am greening the high desert outside of Barstow, California at 2200 feet. I took the PDC last year and am applying many perm methods to my 10 acres in the Mojave Desert. After 23 years living here using organic methods, I have created a little oasis that is attracting a lot of birds. I grow veges and fruit trees, raise chickens, cats and bees.

Are you still around? I’m in Palm Springs as well! I’ll sign up to this forum now turn off. I’m Nate btw…

Penny Harper wrote:I am greening the high desert outside of Barstow, California at 2200 feet. I took the PDC last year and am applying many perm methods to my 10 acres in the Mojave Desert. After 23 years living here using organic methods, I have created a little oasis that is attracting a lot of birds. I grow veges and fruit trees, raise chickens, cats and bees.

Hi Penny
i am trying to start a permaculture project little further from barstow (around coleville), and was wondering if it would be ok if reach out (DM) to for some advice

This may be a bit outside of what you are looking for, but when I hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, there were a couple of widely beloved “Trail Angels” trail-named Ziggy and the Bear who had a place near the base of Mt San Jacinto. They were situated after one of the longest descents of the whole PCT (11,000-1400ft over a dozen or so blisteringly hot miles). They provided shade, salads (a real treat for the dehydrated food eating hiker), foot baths, rides to town and REI, all around great hospitality and trail stories. They were probably 80 when I met them in 2012, so I doubt they are still as active (but I sure hope they are!). Basically, they were great folks to meet in your area, and being a trail angel like they were in that brutal but beautiful stretch of hiking would connect you to some wonderful hiking folk, who in my experience are often primed to become permies once they finish their long walk to Canada/Mexico. If nothing else, they have great stories, the ability to work hard and steadily for 8-12hrs a day in any weather, and can sleep outside happily.

I also took my initial Wilderness First Responder course at Big Morongo, and these and Wilderness First Aid classes are great ways to develop life and money saving self sufficiency skills while meeting other altruistic, outdoorsy folks. It is also remarkable how much fixing leaks in plumbing and human circulation have in common.