High Desert Permaculture living opportunity- looking for a couple

We are seeking community members to share a permaculture lifestyle with us at our off-grid demonstration site, Ampersand Sustainable Learning Center. We've been living here and developing our low-tech systems for 19 years. We host classes sometimes, we also have tours and school groups once in a while but mostly it's a place to live.  After almost two decades of building some great things like solar water heaters, an earthen oven, a solar dehydrator, 3 kinds of greenhouses, solar ovens, etc, we want to share what we've got with like minded folks. We are seeking a couple (any gender combo) to enhance our community vibe. We (Andy and Amanda) are currently the only full time residents. We built the place and have a lot of experience and knowledge to share, and we are happy to do so, but we are also looking for camaraderie with like-minded folk who want to share in the joys of simple living.  Our mature permaculture site (where we live off rain catchment as our sole source of water) comfortably holds four to six residents. We don't plant to build much more, but we do need community members to help maintain the place, tend the chickens, do composting, and help with meals and repairs and upgrades.

This is a great opportunity for those who like making food! Bake bread in the horno, make kale chips in the solar dehydrator, forage a wide variety of herbs and greens. Make quiche with our fresh eggs in the solar oven!

Our center is well respected in our community and we are located in a queer friendly area full of artists and off-gridders, where fundraisers are often held for those in need. We are a couple miles from the village of Madrid, and a 40 minute drive to Santa Fe, an hour to Albuquerque.

Our reciprocity arrangements in the past have been:
Summer: work 20 hours per week, share lunch and dinner with us three times per week (food provided on collective work days). Live in a yurt or strawbale cottage, use an outdoor kitchen.
Winter: 10 hours per week per person plus $300 per month rent for a cozy and warm strawbale cottage.

We are hoping our new friends and community members will arrive sometime in April or May 2023, and stay for the summer. Winter residency can be discussed as well.

Look at our website Ampersandproject, listen to our radio show, or see our videos and if this seems interesting to you, contact us! We will want to video chat with you a couple times so we are sure to find a good fit for everyone.

We also take shorter-term (month minimum) work-exchange positions during the summer months. Please contact us with questions!

I am too old for your community, but it sounds like a fabulous place and ideas!  I love New Mexico, land of enchantment.  Best of luck to you.
Barbara

Hey Im super interested, im from Redondo Beach,CA. Call me! 3104066531.

Barbara Allen wrote:I am too old for your community, but it sounds like a fabulous place and ideas!  I love New Mexico, land of enchantment.  Best of luck to you.
Barbara

Thanks for your well wishes!
Amanda

Barbara Allen wrote:I am too old for your community, but it sounds like a fabulous place and ideas!  I love New Mexico, land of enchantment.  Best of luck to you.
Barbara

need a warriors mindset.
https://youtube.com/shorts/TdSrRqp2NYE?feature=share

It looks and sounds lovely! We may be coming through the area on our way to visit a friend in Arkansas. We are looking at options for our new chapter (sold the tiny house and left 6 acres) so we might be interested in a short term stay, and a long term option if it is a good fit for all.
Many blessings to you and your space. May the right folks come along and join in joyful endeavors.

Health and Harmony,

Heidi & Steven

That’s the area I want to move to!
As great as the live/work opportunity sounds, I have health issues that would prevent me from promising something I might not be able to deliver. I thought I would reach out anyway just in case you know of any neighboring properties that might be available for a likeminded person to buy. I have a love for all the things you’re doing but need to go at my own pace.
I’ve been looking online but haven’t found the right place (smaller, simple, efficient, and not dilapidate) that isn’t priced for someone buying their second home. If you happen to know of someone selling a home, possibly a small piece of land that isn’t zoned too tightly for alternative housing, and want a likeminded neighbor… let me know!

Would love to get more information on this if it’s still available

sounds interesting, i'll look into when i graduate