Andria Wood

+ Follow
since Sep 30, 2020
Merit badge: bb list bbv list
Biography
Hey, all. I've been in and out of the plant world for about 30 years now, started west coast in an official horticulture program, then got into permaculture, but haven't been in a place to have the time/money to go to courses so just watching videos, reading books, and experimenting.

Now I'm in SE CO in the USA... desert plains. Have 3/4 acre between 3 lots and hoping to start a little nursery with an inside grow room and ample outdoor space, and  strip row growing for sales. Eventually, hoping to move to more acreage down the line where I can have more people living on the property and involved. For now, just have space for an RV or tiny home on wheels on one of my back lots.
For More
Kiowa County, CO
Apples and Likes
Apples
Total received
In last 30 days
0
Forums and Threads

Recent posts by Andria Wood

I love everything about this thread... God-centered, farm/land based, and even a bit of prepping spice tossed in! I'm single and open to dating, but not dating (because trauma and terrified), but I'm praying right now that all of you find a perfect match with God's grace. 🙏🏻

Joshua Msika wrote:

I'm hoping the thorns will give them a chance against the ravenous deer here. They seem to think that it is their job to prune young trees. Lacking any formal training, they often succeed at killing trees unadapted to heavy browsing pressure, like fruit trees...



Thank God I wasn't eating or drinking I would've spit up when I read this. I was most recently living in the Black Hills under heavy deer pressure and can totally relate. Thanks for the laugh!
4 months ago

Gerardo Burton wrote:

Hello Andria I would be interested in an opportunity like this. I am currently in the Widefield security area of springs at the moment. I currently have an RV as well.



Hey! I figured out how to do the private message thing and sent you one. Yay! :-)
4 months ago

Kim Wills wrote:

Andria Wood wrote:
Since originally writing this I realized that I really need to create a secure hedge on the perimeters due to neighbor dogs running around and probable deer issues. (Hence, intermixing the aspen with elderberries on one section of the perimeter.)

I will check out the tree lists, but really need tall shrubs that can grow under any trees I plant, or a succession of things...



I'm in a similar boat, so I hope you don't mind me joining the conversation! But for me it's not dogs. I need to keep out people on 4-wheelers! I'm taking possession of my dad's hunting cabin with lots of acreage, and in the last 5 or so years of my dad's life, when he barely went up there, people have been trespassing, hunting poaching, stealing trees (yes!), and breaking & entering. Maybe I'll post this issue in another area.

But for this part of the topic, I want to plant things that will grow into a hedge that small vehicles can't easily get through. There are lots of places a person can walk through; I'll never prevent that, but there are a couple areas along the border that are just grassy, and I'd like something people can't drive through.

I like the elderberry idea! Thanks to you I just read up on it and apparently it sends up lots of suckers that can make more & more "prison bars" as time goes on, lol. I was already thinking of various berry bushes, or forsythia because a family member has tons overgrowing and I could try digging it up and moving it. I don't want anything tall because I want to see the fields beyond; over the top of the shrubs.

Does anyone know anything that can grow fast from seed (for economic reasons; the area is very long), even if it's just visually temporary while sturdier stuff grows in?
Ooh, how about corn? Haha! Fast thick stalks to confound the dogs or people for a while? What if we plant corn really close together, putting the seeds in a staggering pattern, so the dogs could barely see through it a couple months from now? And leave the stalks standing through fall & winter? Maybe we could do this for a few years until permanent shrubs get established.
Is that whacky?



Ooof. That's an even stickier situation, I would think... more perimeter to cover, plus people are more aggressive and less easy to tame than deer.

The first thing that came to mind was sea buckthorn... throws off large thorns that could put a hole in a tire (according to some guy I watched on YouTube years ago). I do believe you can start it from seed, but I do not know how quickly it grows.

I wish you the best!
4 months ago

Gerardo Burton wrote:

Andria Wood wrote:Hello, all.

I have recently purchased a property in a tiny town in SE Colorado. I don't have tons of acres. I have three 1/4 acre lots: one has the house I'm living in, one is fenced and previously had horses, one lot has cement strips for RVs with electricity nearby. The main water line for the lot is 20' away and what we think is a septic system also (but not sure about that yet).

The reality is that I'm super busy with renovating the house, starting my new business(es) and landscaping the lot I'm on and although I think it would be ideal to do an intensive row based veggie/flower/herb farm in the back where the horses were, but I simply don't have the time to do it myself right now.

My ultimate goal is to develop a homesteading based intentional community with shared and cohousing options and I have some business plans and structures that I'm putting in place to do that, but there are some steps I will be taking to get there.

One day the reality of my current situation and my future dreams intersected and I realized that I could probably have someone on that back lot working the 1/4 acre horse pasture.

I was thinking if someone had a some sort of an RV/trailer/skoolie it could work (I mean, a tent could work but it gets super cold here half the year). Originally, I was thinking $100-200/month rent to cover the utilities, but that's negotiable. In all reality, if you're handy, or can just help me out on my projects... you could probably make as much or more than rent.

I'm in a small town called Haswell in SE Colorado so there aren't really any job options nearby so this is best for someone that either has some savings or some sort of online income or can get some side hustles going quickly.

I actually have quite a background of wanting to start an intentional community as I started and ran the largest Intentional Community Facebook group before it became too challenging for me so I passed the torch. So although I haven't lived in one, I have done at least some research into it.

A little about me:
I have good friends of all persuasions from conservative christians to polyamorous atheists so I have the ability to get along with a large swath of people. Although I can be handy around a house (mainly because I keep living in small towns and am forced to), I prefer to build soil and grow things. I'm a traveler and have spent the last two years living in Mexico and Argentina and traveling the states to visit family and friends.

I'm currently rebuilding my life after closing/selling my businesses and real estate a few years ago. I like outdoorsy things like kayaking and camping, and indoors things like sewing and reading and making herbal concoctions.

Anyway, let me know if you'd be interested and we can chat about options. :-)



Hello Andria I would be interested in an opportunity like this. I am currently in the Widefield security area of springs at the moment. I currently have an RV as well.



Hi, Gerardo!

Thanks for the response. Would love to talk more.

Actually, I know now that there is also farm work here for the summer, if you're interested.

However, I am unclear how to proceed. I've only recently been connecting here on Permies. I believe I remember reading that I'm not allowed to send private messages for some reason (don't remember why, but I think it's because I'm new?). And obviously putting private information here publicly doesn't make sense.

Hmm... Are you more familiar with the site and how to connect better?
4 months ago

r ranson wrote:https://permies.com/wiki/permies-faq

https://permies.com/w/how-permies-works

https://permies.com/t/68634/deleting-stuff

And there are some other links at the top of this forum, tinkering with this site



thank you!
Hi, there!

Anybody know this guy, Luke, from montanafruittrees.com ?

He seems very permie friendly and he has an exciting array of cold hardy trees and plants.

Curious if anybody knows him. :-)
5 months ago
Hi, all!

I'm trying to figure out how to delete a post that is no longer relevant. But can't see any kind of delete button.

I know that other people seem able to delete comments because I've seen that happen, but I cannot figure it out.

I also can't seem to find a place that has these types of "how to use the forums" guide.

Can someone guide me to a how-to guide (best) or at least teach me how to delete comments and posts?

Thank you,
Andria :-)

E Sager wrote:Absolutely, go for it! Once the temperature reaches above 50ºF outside at night, dump a bunch of red wiggler compost worms on that hügel to work on converting that manure into soil. They'll die off when the winter hits, fertilizing even more. Just don't let your chickens or ducks see you add the worms to it.



Hey! yes, thanks for the idea. I don't have any livestock yet although some days with this house renovation, I might want to throw myself into the compost heap (but mostly I threaten to set up my hefty canvas tent and live in that instead of this crazy house). LOL. Thanks for the comment, will definitely do this. Have a great weekend!
5 months ago

John Duffy wrote:Andria, congrats on scoring a big pile of goat pooh...'When God gives you poop, make compost." (OK, I improvised that) Nonetheless, if you put a pound or two of red wigglers into that pile of goat doodles, they will make you some lovely vermi compost that you can add to your Hugle...If you have access to manure, worms are the way to go. Vermi castings here in Indiana sell for $2 and go up from there. VC is amazing stuff!



Hey, you are right. I assumed that the "worms would come", and although that is probably true...  I can certainly speed up the process. I will probably add worms in early May, to stay on the safe side here in Colorado. I want to start vermicomposting also, but I have so many projects happening right now. I found an old metal filing cabinet left in the basement... first I was thinking... let's paint it for fabric storage (I have a sewing compulsion), but then I thought it would be a good option for a worm hotel! I think the kids (niece and nephew) would get a kick out of it and so would I. What do you think about this idea?

5 months ago