New Property - Getting Started

Hi folks!

I just bought on a handful of acres in NE WA. My plan is to turn it into a homestead/food forest/permaculture experiment lab, and I'm going to try to chronicle that here for those who may be interested. I may have more inspiration than caution though, so this could turn out to be a hilarious (or embarrassing) comedy of errors (or pain). :D Here we go...

Most of the land is treed, sloped, and south-facing. I developed some big plans for it initially (swales and terraces for the open areas, the locations of lots of structures), but they all kind of fell away the more I was out there. I need to spend a lot more time on the land before finalizing plans for any big changes to the topography. That said, I still went ahead and ordered hops and fruit trees and bushes and have been waiting gleefully for the local nursery to open. Fruit is happening no matter what. I'm also getting seedlings from a local conservation district because I love larch and cedar and there's precious little of it on the property at present. I put together a bamboo order too, but am wavering on whether to go ahead at this time. I love the picture I have in my head of a bamboo grove in the snow next winter... Wow, I just convinced myself! Looks like I'm going ahead with it now. Hahaha!  

There's a very sunny acre or so of what used to be farmed land. Right now, it's mostly growing spotted knapweed. If knapweed is your thing, you'd love this field! I want to plant some of my larch seedlings and other things in there, but I'll need to address the monocrop first to give the larch a fighting chance. I prefer hand tools so I ordered a scythe with a bush blade today, as the standing knapweed is last year's dead, woody growth. I'm expecting a step learning curve, a sore back, and a great deal of satisfaction when that knapweed is mowed down for the first time. :D Then I imagine I'll need to get another blade for this year's new, tender growth. Since it's been seeding itself unchecked for years, I'm not willing to spray, and there's no cheap and easy access to enough chemical-free mulch to smother it, I'll probably be mowing knapweed in this field for a good 8-10 years, or until I have enough other plants growing in there to out-compete it.  

Another early project is fencing an annual garden and getting in the early varieties. It may be a year or two before I can live on the property full time, but I'm desperate for a garden so that's going in asap. We have deer and elk in the area so it's going to take some experimentation to see what works. Apparently, Fish & Wildlife told a local farmer he'd need to build a 12' fence to keep the elk out, but there are about 100 things I'd try before resorting to that. What an eyesore and expense a 12' fence would be!

I live a few miles away and my biggest early challenges are likely to be 1) not neglecting my day job, and 2) storing my tools. A storage container may be the answer to the latter. In the meantime, there's a shovel, hatchet, and misc gardening tools in my living room. And soon, there'll be a scythe, and about 80 conifer seedlings that I'll need to get in the ground asap.

In talking with the county, I understood that building a permitted dwelling that meets the WA energy codes was likely to be my biggest hurdle when it comes to the legal bits. Apparently, the WA energy codes are ridiculously strict, so much so that by following them, you can end up with a structure so airtight that it's really unhealthy for the inhabitants. If anyone is WA has encountered issues or solutions related to this, I'd love to hear about your experience.

As for other structures, as long as you're not living in it, this county will let you build something up to 600ft2 (including any decks) without a permit. They just require site analysis (the location plotted on a sketch of the property) for these non-dwelling structures, which is great because I expect to build a lot of these for different uses: weaving studio, chapel/meditation space, root cellar, etc. The guy at the county was really laid back and even gave me a heads up about inviting folks on to my property. He said there are some neighbors who check out what you're doing and then go straight home, pick up the phone, and complain to the county. I imagine I could build whatever I like and live in it without issue, but as soon as someone complains to the county, they have to enforce the rules and I'd be in hot water. So, I'll probably err on the side of keeping it legal. But that's fine. I can build a very small (small = less expensive), permitted house as my dwelling, but then have a bunch of accessory buildings that aren't required to meet those strict codes. It also sounds like the minimum size for a dwelling is essentially being eliminated soon. Apparently there are tiny house provisions in the soon-to-be-adopted building codes. This is great news for folks like me who prefer smaller homes and their smaller cost.

I'll likely still be on the hook for a septic system and well unless I want a big fight with the health department. I think there are loopholes if you can demonstrate the hardship of establishing these systems is too great, but that battle may not be worth it to me to fight. If anyone in Ferry, Stevens, or Pend Oreille County, WA has any experience with this and the NE Tri County Health District, please do share.

Happy growing, folks!

Heather

Congratulations! You appear to be very clear headed, despite your dreams, kudo's.

You are right to hold off until you really familiarize yourself with the property in all seasons, waiting is "painful" but saves a ton in time and effort when you don't have to rip out and redo stuff later. If possible, an RV or some such basic living accommodations so you can learn the land would be the first step.

Any chance you can use goats or some such creatures to deal with the knotweed (not sure about toxicity concerns) rather than scythe? Would be MUCH less labor intensive.

When you build (as a Canadian west coaster) overbuild for that once or twice a year nasty, wet snowfall - within 5 yrs you WILL experience a 2 foot building crushing dump.

Good luck!

Thanks for the good wishes, Lorinne! I've thought about living there in an RV, but the cost of one could be about the same as building an "office", so I'll probably go with the office. I need a more permanent structure I can put electricity and internet in so I can work out there. That'll be what enables me to live on the property, though not necessarily legally. I've even thought about putting the office on skids so I can move it if I don't like the original location. I'll have to look into that more seriously, and for a way to disguise that it's skiddable. But I figured if I'm already building this office, I might was well build it to code, permit it as a dwelling, and live there legally. It's a tough nut to crack. We'll see how it shakes out.  

I'd love to have some goats but there's no infrastructure for them yet and even if there was, with the big cats in the area, I wouldn't want domestic animals out there unless I was also out there to keep an eye on them. So to paraphrase Sepp Holzer, I have to do the goats' work. And I did read that spotted knapweed is toxic to livestock in large quantities, if they'll even eat it.  

You're right about the snow! This county gets more snow than most in E WA and it's heavy. I'm definitely building for it, and getting myself a roof rake.  

You can find free mulch, my stepfather does. The tree cutting services love having places to dump all of their excess mulch, and he now has more than he knows what to do with. You've got more ... and vinegar than I do, and I'm younger than you! I tried push mowing and eventually threw in the towel and got a gas mower, tried hand sawing, eventually got a chainsaw (and haven't looked back!). Ive been eyeing the echo brushcutters for all the vines infesting the front of my lot; one of these would make mince pie of all those weeds you got. Somebody else said it and I'll repeat it: your body is the finest and most expensive tool you have, so don't abuse it! I prefer hand tools as well, and even tried to push mow my home lot for several years, but it takes its toll.
Ditto on the insanity of the uber energy-efficient homes. Great places to suffocate as all the new stuff off gasses, or wreck your health when the toxic mold develops! I once had my 90 degree pipe connector come loose from the straight pipe (this winter, in fact). Were my home as energy efficient as these insane codes demand, I wouldn't even be writing this because I would be dead!
Vivian Poore wrote a very sensible book on what a healthy home is and isn't in his (very) old book "Rural Hygiene". It still holds true today.
Consider a fig bush if your climate can handle it. They are hardy, giving, and absolutely beautiful in the summer. And here's a forum for your small cabin dreams: https://www.small-cabin.com/forum/

Thanks for the resources, Joe. I'll check them out.

I've thought about getting mulch from tree companies, but a) my place is way out in the sticks where folks just burn giant slash piles instead of having trimmings hauled away, and b) I don't want to import any persistent chemicals. I've heard some bad stories about years of dead gardens from accidentally doing that. I'm more likely to buy rolls of organic hay or straw, but I'd still want to chop down the knapweed first. And don't get me wrong, I'm definitely getting a chainsaw for my woods if my back can handle it. But for that field, it's got to be the scythe. I don't have the means to store a mower, nor any interest in using one. They're too loud for too long, and they kick up so much dust. I also imagine one would do a great job of spreading knapweed seed. A scythe is just so cool! I can use it in areas a piece of machinery won't work well (like a large, waterlogged and overgrown swampy area with grasses taller than me in the summer) and, as a bonus, I'll be all set for Halloween and terrifying any ne'er-do-wells. If all else fails, I'll try to hire a sturdy younger person at a fair wage to wield it for me.

I'm likely going to have to build a sickeningly efficient little house that I air out daily for safety, regardless of the weather. My (amorphous) plan has me building some earthbag structures that may turn out to be my real dwelling. I'm thinking earthen floor and plaster and no off-gassing VOCs. Insulating them in this climate will be a challenge though.

I tried growing a fig up here years ago and it didn't make it. I do love them though so I'll look into better varieties for this area. Thanks for the recommendation!

IF goats could be used I was thinking more of renting, borrowing or trading pasture clearing.

COLLECTION OF RANDOM THOUGHTS:

Perhaps put the "office" on wheels? Use a flat deck trailer? Along the lines of portable tiny homes but very basic.

Put some $$$ out for a solid "driveway" or road, it's one of those things that you use daily, but don't think about.

Watch and carefully note water paths/collection spots come fall/winter. This will show where NOT to put gardens or structures, and where to divert or collect it. Harnessing water is always better than fighting it.

On the flip side, think about forest fires and fire safety. Consider a rainwater cistern and to feed an exterior sprinkler system or for fire fighters to draw from. Clear dead fall and brush. Ensure buildings are in clearings and sided/roofed in metal, cement or other non flammable materials.

As you will not likely have power, look into the Mr. Beams collection of battery operated motion lights. The even have a linked system that when one is triggered, all on that link light up. Great for coming home in the dark or as a wildlife alert system. I've used them for ages, we replace the three D-cells about twice a year.  They can be pricey, but often go on sale on Amazon.ca - $25 each (could be a two, three or six pack) Canadian. They stand up well in the pouring rain! They throw a ton of light and shut off after no movement for 60 seconds (conserving battery life.

I also use solar "fairy or string lights" for pathways, driveways etc.

IF you cook with propane, camping style, you can get an inexpensive "pole" that attaches to the top of the bottle! It splits the propane to three nipples. Pop a light on top and hook up a camp stove and BBQ. Instant kitchen, albeit outdoors.

I suspect you may find a host of uses for tarps, don't get the blue or green ones; there are clear/translucent ones that filter but don't cut out all the light. White ones are also brighter. There are also heavy duty grey/silver ones that will last WAY longer and be sturdier - worth the investment.

Winches, pulleys and come-alongs are your best friends.

REALLY GOOD RUBBER BOOTS!

Adding to the tips;

- I use white stones on walking paths so I can see then at night with just a little moon light.
- If you do lay out a drive, use big rock, 1 1/2 inch as the first layer and let your traffic push it down.
- There is nothing wrong with airtight buildings, just make sure you have an air transfer system that captures heat.
- If your mower is throwing up dust, you are not cutting grass.

Lorinne Anderson wrote:IF goats could be used I was thinking more of renting, borrowing or trading pasture clearing.

COLLECTION OF RANDOM THOUGHTS:

...

There are some interesting ideas in there and thanks for your input. To clarify, I'm not new to homesteading, just this property, so I have experience getting things up and running.

The property has a well established driveway that I'll likely continue to use. If so, one project will be to get it graded and graveled.

I plan to collect rainwater from roofs, but I haven't decided how to store it. I may bury a cistern but it will probably be IBC totes initially.

I'm on the fence about the lighting. On one hand, I love the dark in an area with little light pollution, but a well-lit path is so nice! So, I'll probably go with lighting that I can turn on when I want it, but off when I don't.

John C Daley wrote:Adding to the tips;

- I use white stones on walking paths so I can see then at night with just a little moon light.
- If you do lay out a drive, use big rock, 1 1/2 inch as the first layer and let your traffic push it down.
- There is nothing wrong with airtight buildings, just make sure you have an air transfer system that captures heat.
- If your mower is throwing up dust, you are not cutting grass.

Hi John,

White stones are a good idea for seeing at night, but I'm not a fan of their appearance. Where I've seen them used in this area, they stick out like a sore thumb, which may be the point. :D

Heather

Fair point about appearance, just change the way they are used.
My paths are about 12 inches wide with a single or thin layer of stones.
They dont roll under your feet and really stand out at night.

For a drive lit by the moon I've never found anything better than oyster shells, for the prettiness of them as well as what they add to the soil, as well as the pleasing crunching sound they make as you drive over them. Unfortunately, my oyster shucking days are over.

An update (that's updated because I couldn't get my pics to show inline):

I was too busy with work to get an annual garden going on the property this spring, but I did fence off a 35x45' space with 6' field fence and start some fruit tree guilds. They are cherry and peach trees with aronia and current bushes, comfrey, echinacea, and some other lovelies I found at the nursery. I also started female and male hardy kiwis, a buffalo grape, blackberries, and three kinds of hops. We have gophers and voles for days out here so I planted everything in gopher/vole baskets and am hoping they don't hinder anything's growth. So far the only things that haven't made it are the kiwis and grape. I think the male kiwi and the grape were both dead when I planted them though, and between the transplant and two frosts, the female kiwi, which had a ton of new growth when I got it, got too many shocks to make it. I'm going to try them again next year.

While the fruit trees look great, some of the other things are struggling with the recent heat wave, scalding sun (my poor black currant) and lack of organic matter. From what I've seen, my soil is almost entirely silt. I shook a sample in water and it was 90+% silt. When you step in a dry, freshly dug pile of this stuff (thanks gophers!), the cloud rises high. I really need to build it up. I don't think I've seen a more than a handful of worms since I started digging in the soil in April. I've been collecting pine needles and cones and using them as mulch. We have a ton of voles so I have to be careful what I mulch with. There's some amazing tall grass growing on other parts of the property that I'd love to use, but they enjoy making their homes under the piles and I can see them girdling anything I might surround with the grass.  

The creek dried up in June so I've been hauling water out there every 2-3 days in a handful of 5-gallon buckets. I dump them into a trash can I planted on a hill, then I run a hose from that trash can downhill to the fenced area where there's a second trash can. I can store 70 gallons and water things with the hose or use a bucket. It works great. Much better that carrying the full buckets to the orchard! I thought about going much bigger with it, but since I'm having a well installed in a couple months and I need to drive out there to water so frequently because of the heat wave, it's not worth the effort right now.

My bamboo order arrived in late April. I got 2 each of 5 varieties. They weren't dormant so I waited until the hard frosts passed and got them planted in May. They're doing great, even the 4 that I had to move about a month later are doing well. They're all in gopher/vole baskets too and most of them are putting up new canes. One in particular has a new cane that's already taller than me. The varieties I chose are timber, edible, just nice to look at, or a combination of these. Their maximum heights are from 30-70', but I'm not likely to see those in zone 6. I'll probably max out at 25-50ish'.

I thought I'd build myself an office first thing, thinking that if I could do my day job out there, then I could get a lot more done on the property. But then I discovered the price of lumber and other building materials is absurd right now. So I'm going to install the utilities and may live/work in a motorhome while I'm waiting for the cost of building materials to normalize. I looked into getting around the septic system, but the county told me I'd have to fight the state. No thanks, so the septic is going in this summer along with the well and power/internet.  

With the heat wave, I haven't been able to do much except water and pull knapweed in the evenings. That's probably a good thing, more time to observe. I'm much less likely to impatiently make a change that I'd regret later.

Happy growing!

Heather

LOVE your garbage can irrigation system! Such a simple solution to what is commonly a challenging issue.

IF you went with a larger cube container, in the bed of the truck I am assuming you have, we just picked up a battery operated "stick pump" (sold for fuel transfers, but works just as well for water) that would allow you to pump the water out into a second cube, if gravity didn't work.  

The Mr. Beams lights I mentioned previously are motion activated, and only stay on for thirty seconds, if no movement is detected.

So happy most of your garden is flourishing! With elk, in theory they are correct - the height takes into account snowload that could add 3-6 feet to "ground height" if you are in high snow territory.

Perhaps staying lower, but doing a double fence that is roofed (creating a wide fence) would solve the issue: the perimeter "sheds" could be for tools, poultry etc or you could cluster your non permit buildings/greenhouses around the periphery,  using mesh in between the structures so the "excess space" should not count as structures. This would also allow for water collection from the perimeter roof, for use in the structures or garden.

If the perimeter height was 6-8 feet, rising to 8-10 feet, with 6-8 feet in between, that should deal with the elk. The expense would be higher than "just" a fence, but may be worth the investment longterm. Metal roofing (used/recycled is fine for most applications that do not require 100% water proofing) panels for roof and outer wall (even just half height) or rescued sliding glass doors or other windows could keep the costs lower.

Highly recommend metal, NOT wood poles for fencing in this climate, avoids the "ick" factor of pressure treated wood, is lighter (easier to handle alone) and with a jig set up, a sledge hammer and a LOT of sweat, can be pounded in for a sturdiness that surpasses a hole dug and filled with concrete. Alternatively, hire some one with a machine to pound them in place; depth about 8-12 inches IN ground for each 3 feet above ground.  

I would think this would also create a bit of a micro climate, and reduce the effect of winds, offsetting the slight loss of sunlight. Essentially, it would/could create a walled garden, and be ideal for espalier fruit trees/kiwi, that would really benefit from the protection during harsh winters.

We just built a roof for the back porch using PT "landscape ties" - this is wood with two flat sides and two rounded, and measure 3.5 x 4.5 inches. They were 1/3 the cost of an equivalent 4x4. I am sure there is a reason (strength?) these are not sold for "building" with, but heck, for small structures I think they would suffice. They could even be stacked log cabin style, to form the shed structures...not sure if they are all Pressure treated though, might not be ideal for a structure to reside in, but throw in those recycled patio doors, using the "logs" only for the first few courses and it might just fly as cheap lumber.

I'm very impressed with what you've achieved so far, and envious of your bamboo!  I'd really love to plant some here, but fear it won't thrive without more shelter....maybe in a year or two. It's quite expensive and so difficult to choose something that will be useful enough, but still survive.
Is there any chance of getting more mulch around the plants?  Just a thought, but it might help reduce a bit of evaporation whilst you have this hot weather.  Reducing shelter for vermin may be more of a priority.

Nancy Reading wrote:I'm very impressed with what you've achieved so far, and envious of your bamboo!  I'd really love to plant some here, but fear it won't thrive without more shelter....maybe in a year or two. It's quite expensive and so difficult to choose something that will be useful enough, but still survive.

I hope you can find some good varieties for your location, Nancy! Please do keep me posted. I've discovered that I'm a huge fan of bamboo!

Nancy Reading wrote:Is there any chance of getting more mulch around the plants?  Just a thought, but it might help reduce a bit of evaporation whilst you have this hot weather.  Reducing shelter for vermin may be more of a priority.

Yes and no. I definitely want to mulch more, but I'm useless in the heat. All I can usually manage to do in the not-too-hot hour or so in the evening before it gets dark is water. If we get a break in the weather though, there are plenty of pine needles and cones to collect. I'm also hoping to rent a chipper for a few days this year, maybe in early fall. The land hasn't been managed for years so there are a lot of downed trees and broken branches everywhere that could be great mulch, unappealing to the voles, and help build the soil.

Lorinne Anderson wrote:LOVE your garbage can irrigation system! Such a simple solution to what is commonly a challenging issue.

IF you went with a larger cube container, in the bed of the truck I am assuming you have, we just picked up a battery operated "stick pump" (sold for fuel transfers, but works just as well for water) that would allow you to pump the water out into a second cube, if gravity didn't work.

Thanks! The system I have works well for me. I don't have a truck (yet), and I don't plan to expand it at this time. If I develop another part of the property that's too far from my well to water efficiently, I'll keep your system in mind.

The News

I got robbed last week. Someone used a pry bar to break in to my crappy, old shed and stole pretty much everything of value, and some things of no value. My motorhome was parked out at the property for a few weeks and the theft happened the night after I took it in for repairs. I arrived the next day with my buckets of water and found the shed door open, some items strewn in front of it, and nearly everything else missing. The sheriff's department and a neighbor pointed to a likely suspect, but there's no proof. Overall, I'm not surprised this happened. This area is know for meth and some meth users steal. I took some steps to secure it (carriage bolts, heavier hinges), but there were a lot of things I didn't get for the property because I didn't want to risk storing them in that shed when I'm not living there full time. There wasn't a lot in it, but they got about $500 worth of tools/supplies, including my awesome Fux Austria scythe. I put a sign out front about the theft and noted the rarity of the scythe, pointing to the possibility that having or selling it could get them caught. It's unlikely, but maybe they'll return it.

I'm going to put up some wifi cameras when I take my motorhome back out there. They'll notify me and upload images/video to the internet immediately, so if they show up again, I'll likely be watching them in real-time and able to speak to them. "Hey there, buddy. Whatcha stealin'?" I've thought about getting cameras for the wildlife, but not to watch the places I'll be most of the time. Especially not cameras that are tied to the internet. But what can you do? I want to keep my things. There have also been some violent crimes around here recently and I'm all for deterrents. On the bright side, I'll be able to see which creatures are leaving tracks on the property. There are some truly enormous turkey tracks and I have to know who they belong to.

Other than the theft, the other new developments are:

- the county health district approved a gravity septic system. This is huge! It's half the cost of a pressure system. We had no idea what it was going to be because there's someone new doing the assessments and the results have been unpredictable. I'm relieved. We're waiting on design approval and then we'll get it installed. Since I don't have my house plans anywhere near finalized, they'll just install the system and an RV dump for now.

- my new-to-me but very old motorhome, which I'm hoping to move in to when the well and septic are in, has some problems. The fridge and AC both died and if you know anything about RVs, you know replacing these is big $$$. I decided not to replace the fridge with an RV fridge and am going to get a small residential fridge instead. It's not good for the resale value, but since I'm probably going to be living in for some time, I'm not concerned about that. I'm looking forward to getting it back so I can start getting it outfitted for full time living.

- I had a pickup load of cedar bark/chips delivered and am placing them on the driveway. I didn't gravel the driveway after is was cut in because the well trucks could mess it up when they come. Gravel is expensive and I didn't want to waste the money. But, the dust! Ugh! There's a local place that mills cedar for power poles and they have huge piles of bark/chips for free. I saw a video by Ben Falk about using bark on his driveway and thought I'd give it a shot. The difference is amazing! Before, I had to wait with the windows up after parking for the huge cloud of dust to pass and now there's almost no dust at all. My only concern is setting the bark on fire with my exhaust system, so I only park on it if I'm by a trash can full of water. I also keep the bark really thin in that area, and I don't let low clearance visitors park on the bark.

We're fortunate to be having cooler days and even some rain here. There's a lot less smoke from the nearby fires and the firefighters are getting break. Bless them for their work! I'm so grateful to them all.  

Take care and stay safe,

Heather

- Edited to add pictures

A couple of suggestions;
- if you put large gravel on the drive, 40mm, the big trucks will push it in and then later you put a finer [20mm road mix ] on top and the drive should be pretty good.
 I suggest it at all jobs I work on.
- could you afford a shipping container with a lock block so the lock cannot be cut off?
- Have you thought about rainfall collection and use rather than a well?