Shoutout to Iowa Permies!

Hi there!
My partner and I just finished a month in the bootcamp a couple weeks ago and it was so good that we are still interested in buying land and doing some permaculture in Iowa in the next few years. Just reaching out to see if there are any Permies already around so we could possibly have Permie neighbors that are also chemical free!
Genuinely,
Kevin

My family is from Ottumwa. Iowa is a great place. Though something to watch for is GMO. There is a lot of GMO there. People there seem to think it is the best thing and believe all the propaganda put out about it.

Hi Kevin
I am in the Perry Iowa area.
Jeff

Hi there, we are buying 31 acres near Eagleville, MO in a couple weeks, maybe 5 miles South of the Iowa border. Have found several permie and freedom minded folks near the MO/IA border so far.

Having been to the first PEP1 event and spent two weeks at Paul’s, am finally hoping that I can start a wofati/Oehler style house in a couple years for my dream retirement home!

Leif

Hi Leif,
You are in a wonderful area and 31 acres is a great amount. I love the rolling hills with the water catchment ponds all over that area.
Glad you have found several like minded friends. I am not familiar with Wofati/Oehler style house I will have to check that out. That would be a great retirement location.
Are you doing any plantings? I know through the Iowa DNR and pretty sure the MO DNR does the same thing to get some nice walnut oak maple and hedges planted so they are growing nicely.

Hey Jeff, I hadn’t heard anything about the DNR doing or helping with planting anything. The property is about equal pasture and trees, but would like hedges and more trees for silvopasture. I wonder if they’d help with some black locust? There are no ponds on this property yet, but it does have a four season creek, so I want to figure out if it’s possible to improve that.

Before planting too much though, I want to consider possible earthworks, especially near the double wide and yardish area. Thanks for the tip on the DNR!

Leif

Leif,
Exactly on the dirt work first.
  DNR sells discounted bundles of 100 trees and shrubs for wildlife is the purpose like hedgerows.

Im also in Iowa! i was going to post something myself if there wasn't a recent post. Were in Audubon, Moved here about a year ago now il have to post some pictures later of our progress on our new small reduced lot!

Sam,
I am near Perry so pretty close to you.  Looking forward to some of your project pics when you post.

We’ll, been here in Eagleville for about a month and the whole family loves it! We go up to Lamoni, IA to visit the Amish farm store for raw milk, go to the municipal pool, etc. Everyone has been super friendly, most seem non political pretty much, seems like only the out of town eta wear masks, friendly and welcoming folks at the local church!

Best of all, no building codes, few neighbors that even might gripe, and we’ve got what I think looks like a good hill to build in to. The preacher at church is a farmer who raises some meat cows so we got on his list, and the former preacher has a earth moving business and raises heritage breed hogs. Both are happy to answer questions about equipment, country life, etc.

Hard to do much of what I want yet, being a trucker for now, and still waiting for the other house to be closed on. Lots of dreams and slow adjustment to rural life in NW Missouri and SW Iowa… have met a couple others up this way into freedom, permaculture, etc. Need to figure out maps of our land soon, and just how far back that fenced in property line actually goes…

Leif

Here's the pictures I promised! We live in town. Been a HUGE adjustment for me but we've been making the best of it. The small space has been a fun challenge and we will have to move the veggie garden to fit in the pond. The compost piles will sport a nifty chicken coop over them soon to save space and so on. We have plans for a underground system for the rabbits to see if a colony will work for us. The rabbit tractors don't look very pretty lol.

Just bought some land near Batavia/Fairfield Iowa and closing next week. Beautiful area...so excited to meet other Iowa Permies!

Thanks for starting this post.
I hear from people in states all around us but little mention of Iowa.

I'm in northern Iowa.
In a small town north of Mason City.
I do like the SE area you folks are in better though.

Started with a normal garden with 16 by 4 foot beds.
Have recently been harvesting from more trees and bushes with cherries, apples, grapes, rasberries and hazelnuts.
Some day the elderberries and currents will be available.

Sam,
Looks like you are getting lots done and in good order.
Jeff

MD glad to hear you are closing on a place. Fairfield is a very good area with a great Farmers Market. You will have lots of kindred spirits in that part of the state.
Jeff