Offering a rent-free off-grid spot in SW Colorado

Okay, so I should say right off the bat that the term "intentional community" kinda scares me. I can be extremely introverted sometimes, and am probably a bit autistic, or something in that neighborhood. So if the "intentional community" you're looking for is like, nightly gatherings where we all talk about our feelings, that's not for me. And if you have a specific philosophy and want to be part of a group that all believes the same, that's probably not me either. I don't mean to insult anyone who is looking for something like that, but it's just not my thing, and I almost certainly won't pass anybody's ideological purity test.

However, I feel extremely fortunate for my position in this world, which now includes owning ~70 acres near Egnar, CO. And I've met so many people over the years who have big ideas about homesteading / off-grid living / whatever you wanna call it, but who can't afford and maybe never will be able to afford land. And this amount of land is much more than what I could ever possibly need or even make use of by myself. I only bought this large of a parcel because that's just the size that parcels are around here. So I feel like I should at least throw this offer out there. If the only thing stopping you from taking the plunge is the price tag on land, let's talk. It'd be nice to have some neighbors who appreciate this place for the same reasons I do.

I should be clear, there is effectively no infrastructure here; I'm not offering and I couldn't possibly offer the complete package, ready to just move in. I have lived full-time in my camper van for like 8+ years now, and probably won't get around to building a "real" house anytime soon. So there's no guest bedroom, no grid-tied electricity, no septic tank, nothing. It's also probably not the easiest place to find a job unless you want to commute an hour one way to Cortez (I haven't actually looked for work here, the work I do for money has been fully remote for a long time). So this probably wouldn't be the best fit unless you also have a van or RV or something, and a remote job or some savings to live off of. If you just want to come visit, I can offer you camping gear to borrow but that's about it.

All I'd ask from you is to be a decent neighbor, not make any big or permanent alterations to the land without checking with me first, and please do not do anything illegal that would put me on the hook as the property owner. We could collaborate on projects if there's something we're both interested in, or keep things separate if that makes more sense. But there's no need to get super specific on details like that before we've even met each other.

If you have any questions about the land or about me, I'm happy to answer in this thread. If you want to come see the place, message me. If you've read this much and you're already very serious about joining me here, let's schedule a call.

Hi, i'm interested. i'm older and retired and have income. i have lived in Woodland park and worked in the Springs area but am not sure where exactly your located.. i also lived many years in an off grid cabin in N. Idaho and NW Montana so that doesn't bother me. i was in on the early wind and panel with batteries and inverter movement . i hunt, forage, fish, and grow most all my food and did so in Id and Montana. if i sound like someone you wouldn't mind being around, lets talk. Ed

Hi Ed, it would be great to have someone more experienced around! Winter seems to be coming in quick though, so I'm probably gonna be headed south within a week or two. I'll be back in the spring, and you're welcome to come by then. In the meantime I'll PM you my email.

As far as where I'm located, the nearest "town" (not much more than a post office and fire station) is called Egnar, and the nearest city/town you might have heard of is Cortez. This is in the southwest corner of the state, almost in Utah.

Hi Josh ,
My name's Jermaine Bell. And you hit the nail on the head, finance has been the thing keeping me from getting some land and working on building and earthship to live happily off grid on.  I would love to talk to you some more when you get the chance.

Hi Jermaine, I'll PM you my email as well. Like I said above, if you have general questions about the land or about me, we can probably discuss most of that here in the thread, for the benefit of anyone else who might be interested.

I don't know too much about earthship construction, but I have had great success building with cob here, the soil is pretty ideal for it. And there's a couple piles of old tires lying around already, too, which could be handy if you/we decide to try the earthship thing.

Not far from four corners...
Do you find having people on your land helps keep it safe when you are away.  Your scenario of being elsewhere in winter does sound like a good idea.

Will you put me on your contact list for spring when you return?  If you have a checklist of what you'd like to see done by us who come there I'd be interested to find out if any of those fit my skillset and ability to contribute.

*Self reliant onSite
*Dependable as team member
*Up to 4 hrs per day 4 days/wk
 for projects in action for others
*500#/day lifting toting dragging etc capable
*My own tools
*My own energy
*Not a permanent resident scenario for me

Bever Branson wrote:Do you find having people on your land helps keep it safe when you are away.

I haven't had anyone actually join out there yet, so I can't exactly answer this directly. But it's not a major concern for me to leave it unattended for the winter, because it still doesn't look like much from the road, and only my neighbors really know that anyone is out there working on anything. So I can't imagine that someone driving by would even think there's anything there worth stealing (and really, there mostly isn't, other than a few power tools I left in the shed maybe).

Bever Branson wrote:If you have a checklist of what you'd like to see done by us who come there I'd be interested to find out if any of those fit my skillset and ability to contribute.

I know for some people this might sound a little disorganized or chaotic, but I'm not really thinking of it in terms of what skill sets I'm looking for, or anything specific I'm hoping people will contribute. I don't even really have a detailed plan yet for myself, never mind one that includes other people. I'm more just operating on the principle that if there's multiple people out there, each working towards their own goals, then there will naturally be opportunities that come up for mutual benefit.

But just to throw out a few of the projects which I would like to get done soon, and which will benefit anyone who might want to stay there:
- build fencing around growing area(s) to keep out rodents, rabbits, and deer
- dig some trenches in a field that gets flooded in storms, so it's closer to flood irrigation vs. just an intermittent swamp
- improve the driveway, which is currently unusable after storms (probably just need to hire someone for this, will likely need to bring in heavy equipment and outside gravel)
- install some sort of automated irrigation, so I can actually leave for more than a week at a time during growing season if I want to

Obviously that's nowhere near an exhaustive list, and not everything I'm working on is strictly practical. I'd love to collaborate with some more artistically minded people to spruce the place up a bit, for example. Also, on the practical side, I'm not in a rush; I'm still focused on learning the land and trying small experiments with things before I draw up huge plans for something that may or may not be realistic. I suppose you could say that having this open invite out there is one of those experiments, as well -- if a few people end up taking me up on the offer, that might change a lot about what's realistic to plan in the longer term.

Copying some Q&A from DMs that I think might be relevant to others reading the thread:

-do you expect any shared expenses or money obligation
Definitely no obligation. I'm open to a "chip in" sort of arrangement if there's a project where that makes sense (e.g. buying fencing materials for a shared garden space comes to mind), but I'd be a bit hesitant even with that, because once money gets involved people's expectations might change quite a bit. I don't want to be stuck in a situation where someone contributes a bunch of money to a project, then later turns out to be a weirdo who I (or we, if by that point there is a we) have to ask to leave, but because of the money they feel they have a right to be there or get their investment back somehow. Especially if it's a project that will increase the value of the property, I think it's probably best for me as the property owner to cover the financial cost so it doesn't turn into an awkward situation of who-owns-what. Of course that's all still very hypothetical and would definitely need to be discussed on a case by case basis.

-are you talking to women
I'm not in any real serious talks with anybody so far. If you mean to ask whether women are welcome to join, then yes, anyone of any gender/race/etc. is welcome.

-i need to bring my Pyrenees she barks a lot sometimes
There's plenty of space out there, I don't think a barking dog would bother me at all as long as she's not right next to my spot.

Hi Josh,

How's your winter going? I just wanted to touch base. You responded to a post I wrote on permies, this summer, so I thought I'd check in and see how things are going. I'm bopping around Santa Fe, at the moment, scoping out different areas where I might want to live. From your post, it sounds like you probably left Colorado for the winter, but I figured I'd still reach out seeing as there's a good chance I'll check out your neck of the woods eventually.

I had a few questions:
-Do you have a water source on your property (well, stream, pond, etc.) or do you transport it in?
-About how much snow does the area get in the winter?
-What is your policy on hunting, if you have one? I'm not a gun wielding crazy. I prefer a bow, but I do believe in living off the land if there is enough game in an area for sustenance hunting.  

I enjoyed reading your post and admire your attitude towards sharing your land.  

Take good care,
Chris John

 I haven't been able to figure out uploading photos, but I've been putting in 2-4 hrs a day recently digging into the scenario of the area Josh is talking about.
 I'm interested to be there because I could construct for myself in a way suited to my personal interests, phased efforts, faster better than other more structured areas demand.

 I can't help myself!  My personality type is called Logistician
Guess what there is a Very Popular historic destination area not far away called Telluride!!!🎶🎶🎶

Cortez is in the four corners area.  
It is a popular biker destination right after Sturgis.
Two Ute Indian reservations there
Chief Turtle  provided assistance and medical attention to many people not Indian during pandemic
One Navajo presence there
Nearby area has agriculture, potential day work or seasonal?
One company is called Dos Gringos

This is a ride through the area I found today!!!
https://youtu.be/z-txdMWROlk?si=LvcQdWwP2aGW6ad3
If it won't link, holla me I'll send you the link... Via email or txt msgs
There is No grid here, no boxy roads all lined up

The soil is characterized as loam clay
There is bedrock IDK how far down
Clay portends success for water management efforts...
As being members of Permies.com we have access to some really good help and advice on growing!

What if a water cache is built by us, near the property access, then water gets delivered there, and shared out.

⬇️
These two built cob over sacks of dirt -
Their YouTube channel shows cob, rain cistern, rocket stove
They are in a flat-out desert with their Own Water
Permies.com also has ROCKET STOVES TRAINING!!!

https://youtu.be/ApSKMR83qXQ?si=-8a0eN1hXgYxGTIT

The sheriff's FB pg and website only showed two rascals in the last few MONTHS,😉
PLUS said rascal was rounded up
If there's a reward for rascal #2 he's mine and my LGD
Trust me, Santa Fe is the wild wild west compared to this relatively quiet unspoiled area of Colorado.

Geo maps show a modest network of roads or tracks coming off of a hiway called 141 which is paved.  See the vid ⬆️

Probably need to bring your own construction materials,  there might be a short summer season dryout time for cob, which I think is stucco'd over some type of structure...

I'm personally looking hard at cordwood construction. . .

Boulder CO has HEMP for sale 600# bags...
This stuff could stabilize access road area IMO
THIS STUFF COULD AMEND THE GARDENING SOIL TOO IMO
This stuff might make an excellent cob plus it's fire resistant
Colorado currently has code sanctioned hemp for Insulation.

More about me:
Facebook BeverBranson
Facebook Beverly A Branson
Facebook BeverlyABranson click work titled PocketholeParcel2
Facebook GoldcampArtistsVisitorspage

My entire ideology is 'universe provides'
I vote independent

Christopher John wrote:From your post, it sounds like you probably left Colorado for the winter

Yes, I'm currently in Mexico where I've spent my winters for the past several years. I'm planning on returning to the property sometime in March.

Christopher John wrote:
-Do you have a water source on your property (well, stream, pond, etc.) or do you transport it in?

So far I've been hauling it in. There is a place to fill up bulk water about 5 minutes down the road, and I've got a trailer that can haul about 200 gallons at a time. There's a small earthen dam on the property that seems to be meant mostly for flood mitigation and not really to hold a large amount of water. Due to Colorado water law craziness, I'm not too keen on expanding that pond or relying on it for anything other than emergency water. With the acreage I have, I can get a permit to collect unlimited rain water which can be used to irrigate up to one acre, if I understand the legislation correctly, but I don't have a timeline I want to commit to on getting that set up.

Christopher John wrote:
-About how much snow does the area get in the winter?

From what I've heard from people in the area, it's not a place that normally has snow on the ground for the majority of the winter. More like a place that gets a snow storm and then most of it melts relatively quickly. Mud might be the larger logistical issue rather than the snow itself. I haven't yet been there in the middle of winter to see it for myself so I can't give much more detail than that.

Christopher John wrote:
-What is your policy on hunting, if you have one? I'm not a gun wielding crazy. I prefer a bow, but I do believe in living off the land if there is enough game in an area for sustenance hunting.  

I grew up hunting, and if and when I get to the point where I have a chest freezer, I'll probably get a deer tag myself. I do take gun safety very seriously, and would strongly prefer that people keep any firearms locked up, or at least empty, whenever they're not using them.

Thanks Josh.

More Q&A from PMs

1. Has anyone else taken up your offer and moved onto the land?
No, it's still just me. Actually it's currently nobody because I'm gone for the winter, but I'll be back there in March.

2. What is the vegetation like? I noticed in a video someone posted in the original thread, the area seemed to be mostly desert brush and shrubs. No real trees or woods.
The highway that video was taken from is not super representative of what my specific parcel is like. My place is mostly moderate density pinyon/juniper forest, with a few large clearings, and some patches of gambel oak thicket.

3. What is the soil like? Is it easy to dig in? Are there lots of rocks? Have you grown anything in the soil?
It's moderately clay-ey, not what I'd call easy to dig in most places, but it's not caliche or anything like that either. A lot of the parcel is pretty rocky, though the cleared fields are less so (I'm guessing whoever originally cleared those fields chose where to clear largely based on where the soil was deepest and least rocky).
I'm a beginner at actually growing plants, and I did not invest a whole lot in soil amendments or other inputs, so I haven't grown anything with wild success yet. But some plants did seem promising, up until they got eaten by wildlife anyway.

4. How close are the nearest towns, gas stations, etc. and how big are the towns? Do they have a full grocery store, or more importantly hardware store?
The nearest post office is about 5 minutes down the road in Egnar, nearest gas station about 15 in Dove Creek. Said gas station has a larger-than-average grocery selection but is not what I'd call a full grocery store; the nearest kroger/safeway/etc. is a bit less than an hour away in Cortez. There's a tiny hardware store in Dove Creek and a couple of more fully stocked ones in Cortez. The nearest Home Depot is about two hours away in Durango.

5. Is the property navigable in a vehicle? Are you able to drive most places on the property without risk?
Depends on your vehicle, and on whether it's rained within the past couple days. If you have decent ground clearance and the ground is dry, you can drive pretty close to most parts of the property that you'd probably want to access. I would prefer that people not make a habit out of off-roading willy nilly all over the place, squashing vegetation and causing soil compaction. But if there's a spot you want to access regularly that doesn't currently have a track to it, I'm not necessarily against cutting a track to it.

Hello Josh good morning,
My name is Gerardo and I am interested in taking up your offer please.
I currently reside in fountain at the moment. You were referred to me by Beverly.
Send me a message when you are available thank you I really appreciate you.



Sincerely,

Gerardo Burton

Would you be interested in me designing a preliminary water management design for a section of your land and then once you see the benefits maybe we could go all out across the entirety of your property?

What's involved for water management in arid conditions?

Josh Warfield wrote:Okay, so I should say right off the bat that the term "intentional community" kinda scares me. I can be extremely introverted sometimes, and am probably a bit autistic, or something in that neighborhood. So if the "intentional community" you're looking for is like, nightly gatherings where we all talk about our feelings, that's not for me. And if you have a specific philosophy and want to be part of a group that all believes the same, that's probably not me either. I don't mean to insult anyone who is looking for something like that, but it's just not my thing, and I almost certainly won't pass anybody's ideological purity test.

However, I feel extremely fortunate for my position in this world, which now includes owning ~70 acres near Egnar, CO. And I've met so many people over the years who have big ideas about homesteading / off-grid living / whatever you wanna call it, but who can't afford and maybe never will be able to afford land. And this amount of land is much more than what I could ever possibly need or even make use of by myself. I only bought this large of a parcel because that's just the size that parcels are around here. So I feel like I should at least throw this offer out there. If the only thing stopping you from taking the plunge is the price tag on land, let's talk. It'd be nice to have some neighbors who appreciate this place for the same reasons I do.

I should be clear, there is effectively no infrastructure here; I'm not offering and I couldn't possibly offer the complete package, ready to just move in. I have lived full-time in my camper van for like 8+ years now, and probably won't get around to building a "real" house anytime soon. So there's no guest bedroom, no grid-tied electricity, no septic tank, nothing. It's also probably not the easiest place to find a job unless you want to commute an hour one way to Cortez (I haven't actually looked for work here, the work I do for money has been fully remote for a long time). So this probably wouldn't be the best fit unless you also have a van or RV or something, and a remote job or some savings to live off of. If you just want to come visit, I can offer you camping gear to borrow but that's about it.

All I'd ask from you is to be a decent neighbor, not make any big or permanent alterations to the land without checking with me first, and please do not do anything illegal that would put me on the hook as the property owner. We could collaborate on projects if there's something we're both interested in, or keep things separate if that makes more sense. But there's no need to get super specific on details like that before we've even met each other.

If you have any questions about the land or about me, I'm happy to answer in this thread. If you want to come see the place, message me. If you've read this much and you're already very serious about joining me here, let's schedule a call.

Hi Josh,
I've been here in a city going on 6 years. Before that I lived off grid in southern Colorado for 9 years. I have an assignment coming up with the Forestry Dept in May. After that assignment I had planned to travel in my RV. I agree anything over 5 acres especially if it's wooded is a lot to manage. I'm interested in your idea. Let's talk about it.
Marsane

Hey there Josh –

My name’s Mark and in late April (2025) I am going to embark on an ultralight backpacking tour on a big loop from my house in Ruidoso, NM up north through Colorado, Utah, Arizona and back to NM. I’d really really like to meet you along the way and get to know each other a bit, maybe consider the possibility of being included in your proposal. I am sure you’ve received a ton of responses to your ad and hope I’m not too late for you to consider perhaps a one-of-a-kind addition to your “land family”.

I’ve been a hiker, naturalist and natural building/permaculture enthusiast for a very long time but my wife had a stroke in 2009 and we’ve been rolling with the punches since then. Just never had any viable opportunity to get anything started, never could afford land. I’ve got tons of gear and a lot of experience, but no land. My wife, fortunately, is able to take care of her basic needs despite Aphasia and communication difficulties – but she can’t work or drive. So in a way it’s just me, and I come with a little big one in tow who depends on me.

Naturally, your posts have piqued my interest in the possibilities. Could something this potentially good actually become a real consideration for us? Seems too good to be true, but I’m hopeful you might consider including me in your list of people you’d like to meet with. I understand what your offering is land use with no infrastructure, but I believe Nancy and I could easily transition into a fresh off-grid start there if the stars align. We currently live largely in a vacuum, and would highly value having some trusted community to be part of and help out with.

Hoping you will reach out to confirm some interest in meeting. I’ll already be passing by your area in a little over a month and could be ready to start out a project at your place right away if we’re compatible.

Best Wishes in your endeavor Josh. Be careful friend.

Hi Josh, this is Jermaine. I contacted you last winter in regards to your post and you informed me that you leave during the winter and return during the spring so it would be best to reach back out to you then. Well it is now about springtime and I'm still very interested in making a trip down to see the property and talk to you about future plans and goals.

Hi Jermaine, yes I'm back at my place, I just re-messaged all the people I had PMs from, so I guess I accidentally skipped you because you had only commented here. But to anyone else following here, yes I'm back for the season and you're welcome to come visit. PM me (or email me if we've already exchanged emails) to arrange things if you want to come out!

Oh, and I guess I somehow missed the notifications for a couple of the posts here in the thread. Whoops. I'll DM those of you above who expressed interest and then never heard back from me, sorry about that.