Pacific Northwest Homestead Cooperative

If all goes according to plan, we will shortly have cash on hand to buy land. We will be moving forward with on the ground hunting this summer (late August or early September). A few people have expressed interest in collaboration (even if you are not in a cash position, that doesn't mean collaboration is out of the question ... legal structure to be determined), please private message me if you remain interested as we would be open to meeting in person while we're "in the [western Washington and Oregon] neighborhood."

Alex Love wrote:If all goes according to plan, we will shortly have cash on hand to buy land. We will be moving forward with on the ground hunting this summer (late August or early September). A few people have expressed interest in collaboration (even if you are not in a cash position, that doesn't mean collaboration is out of the question ... legal structure to be determined), please private message me if you remain interested as we would be open to meeting in person while we're "in the [western Washington and Oregon] neighborhood."

Hi there alex... i'm actually brand new to this forum & just happened upon your post somewhere else... depending on where you may want to end up, I could potentially have an option for you. My ex & I had partnered up a couple years back & found ourselves in your exact situation. We actually had liquidated almost all that we owned and had our van & trailer packed to head east to the georgia/virginia region after 2 solid years of coming up empty for pacific NW land we could afford/want. Long story short, I had flown to georgia to look at a place & she called & set get back NOW! We landed a 5 acre piece in Lewis county washington (I know, not "the" best natural building option so far as counties go) Anyway, this 5 acre, was actually a 20 acre spot before the old fella passed & they divided off 15 & 5. We purchased the 5 with a trailer & 100 year old MASSIVE barn.

So the other 15 acres sits. They had it for sale for a few years then took it off the market. The basic story is there is 1/2 of it that is pretty much an old growth forest that buts up to a year round creek.. it's a full on river in the winter. It's set on 2 tiers kind of, steep cliff to river basin. It's got a pond on it.

Anyway, if you'd like to chat & get more details let me know. You'd be looking at property butted up to a 35 year old newly singled guy building massive hugelkultur beds, building trails through the forests & eventually taking my cobbing skills & building myself a new seasonal home. The big game plan is to get my spot set up as a place where natural building teachers can come & host workshops. Part of the plan is a giant barn kitchen to do all cooking on site for intensive week long trainings.

kevin evans wrote:

Alex Love wrote:If all goes according to plan, we will shortly have cash on hand to buy land. We will be moving forward with on the ground hunting this summer (late August or early September). A few people have expressed interest in collaboration (even if you are not in a cash position, that doesn't mean collaboration is out of the question ... legal structure to be determined), please private message me if you remain interested as we would be open to meeting in person while we're "in the [western Washington and Oregon] neighborhood."

Hi there alex... i'm actually brand new to this forum & just happened upon your post somewhere else... depending on where you may want to end up, I could potentially have an option for you. My ex & I had partnered up a couple years back & found ourselves in your exact situation. We actually had liquidated almost all that we owned and had our van & trailer packed to head east to the georgia/virginia region after 2 solid years of coming up empty for pacific NW land we could afford/want. Long story short, I had flown to georgia to look at a place & she called & set get back NOW! We landed a 5 acre piece in Lewis county washington (I know, not "the" best natural building option so far as counties go) Anyway, this 5 acre, was actually a 20 acre spot before the old fella passed & they divided off 15 & 5. We purchased the 5 with a trailer & 100 year old MASSIVE barn.

So the other 15 acres sits. They had it for sale for a few years then took it off the market. The basic story is there is 1/2 of it that is pretty much an old growth forest that buts up to a year round creek.. it's a full on river in the winter. It's set on 2 tiers kind of, steep cliff to river basin. It's got a pond on it.

Anyway, if you'd like to chat & get more details let me know. You'd be looking at property butted up to a 35 year old newly singled guy building massive hugelkultur beds, building trails through the forests & eventually taking my cobbing skills & building myself a new seasonal home. The big game plan is to get my spot set up as a place where natural building teachers can come & host workshops. Part of the plan is a giant barn kitchen to do all cooking on site for intensive week long trainings.

15 acres could do the trick (although I've been looking into it, and having 20 or more acres does make it easier to qualify for the lower agricultural property taxes). I'd love to swing by and see the place/have a chat. You sound like exactly the kind of neighbor we want. By the way, I'm currently taking Geoff Lawton's online Permaculture Design Course.

Moving to Klickitat County at the end of AUGUST & need to find out about any communities or eco-green opportunities... Please anyone who live in or around the area can you contact me? Projectperfectdayz@gmx.com

Wanted to let you know about the project we are getting going. we are looking for potential members to connect with and eventually join our permaculture homestead. This year is our first year and we are: putting in a bike powered well, a cobwood house, a renewable energy system, and a twist and twang lumber drying/greenhouse/ living space. We are located about 30 miles NW of Olympia. We are going to try to do a workshop on cobwood with Rob Roy next year. Please contact us if you'd like to inquire, dialogue, visit, or take part in workshops.

steve
directory.ic.org/23389/Clear_Water_Sanctuary
clearwatersanctuary.weebly.com

Sounds like an awesome opportunity & I will keep this in mind! Please if you use FB add me as a friend Facebook.com/TheProfeshhhh so we can stay connected!

Thank you!

Hello there! My husband and I are interested in some kind of cooperative or so-housing near Vancouver Washington, perhaps in the Camus, Battleground, Woodland area--not far from the city. We have some capital -- not enough to go it alone -- and would love to work with like-minded people -- would like to put in a nice simple home on some land, perhaps that some folks have already started a community of homes on -- idea to have a central building for workshops, retreats, etc. Love to work with natural food people, artists, musicians, etc. Land to be pretty in some way. Open to ideas!

June,

We live in Vancouver. Good luck doing anything permaculture in Clark county. How long have you been here?

I am also in Vancouver...

Why do you say "good luck"

?

Currently located in Eastern PA, my partner and I are heading for the south/central western OR area in the next 1-4 years. I have family in Josephine County and understand they are lenient and not aggressive in their oversight of what people do on their own land. We are wanting to homestead or hook up with an IC, community co-op, or anything of the like that fits our way of life. Much like what everyone on these posts is talking about. A community of like-minded thinkers would be so great coming from an area where most people think anything out of the building code is absurd and dangerous. Now that our dream is getting closer to being a reality I am just starting to research/connect with others. I would love any feedback/help/websites that you all have to offer.
If anyone has any land connections, has already moved to OR, or is also looking to do the same, I would love to hear about it. My ideal would be an earthship (complete self-sufficiency), but I am willing to start with acreage with pre-existing unit to ease the beginning if that's needed. We are very open-minded as long as it leaves as small a footprint as possible, while reusing/recycling wherever possible. We already have some solar panels, lots of tools, and cash ready. Just waiting for the perfect land and people to do it with!
Thanks all!
sfloyd@ptd.net

I am so interested in everything everyone has to say on this post. I was intensely looking around the world for land to build an Earthship and do some organic gardening in a community setting. Two things are happening that are preventing my next move, 1. I cannot seem to find any like-minded people that want to buy said land with me and the people who are interested cannot seem to agree on a location. 2. I got a bad case of Lyme disease and have been unable to work for 1.5 years, so the a allotment of funds I originally had to work with has decreased greatly. Let me know if anyone has already purchased, is looking for a community situation, and does not mind selling off a small (2-5 acres) to start. I am wondering what everyone's status is on here. It looks like several of you are looking to buy in a few months time. Let me know if it is happening. I am sooo excited to see so many people with similar goals. Keep on saving the planet one home at a time!

email me with updates on this project or if selling small piece of land
dee.hanson@hotmail.com

Cheers!

Hey,

I'm now in Hood River Oregon & I've met a few people here that would like to start up a basic farm to start... Is anyone nearby here or South Central Washington who would like to chat about future ventures?

How about this place...?

http://portland.craigslist.org/grg/reo/4353377686.html

Thank you for the warning... I'd hate to buy land that had that crap on it!

I'd like to throw my hat into the mix.

My wife, two young kids and I want to find a place out in the country. We live in Portland, OR now and would like some space within a couple hours of here.

I'm thinking 3-5 acres of our own would fit our wants. While we want to grow stuff and raise animals (chicken and pigs), we have no intention on making a living off of that. I've been a high tech wage slave for 20 years (I'm 42), I've saved, and I just want to spend some doing the projects that I want to do.

This thread is about an intentional community and we'd like a very loose form of that. We'd want our own 3-5 acres, though I'd be happy with sharing a larger plot if the conditions are right. I want to build probably a pair of small structures 12x16 each. I don't envision us being there through much of the winter, half the year is likely. That's where the community aspect could benefit us. Having like minded neighbours around who could notice squatters or whatever. I'd be fine with others grazing on the property

While we are there, I wouldn't just lay in my hammock all day. It'd be great to collaborate on projects. If a trackhoe needs to be rented, doing it jointly would be beneficial. Better yet, a trackhoe and a loader to Sepp'ify the land. A month rental often isn't much more than a week. Having others to bounce ideas off of would be beneficial. Other kids for mine to play with.

Those are some of my thoughts. For those on this thread that are still looking and still interested, please post or PM.

Miles

I live in Steven's County and I'm sure they have building codes, though I have heard that they are pretty leniant. I am just now getting my place going so I guess I'll find out. Up here Pend O'Reille County is suppossed to be really leniant, too. I have lived up here for five years and just purchased five acres and a mobile home. Want to go solar, cistern well, and put in my own septic and be off the grid as much as possible. I'll let you know how it goes

Hi guys!
My husband and I are 30ish looking to move from Albuquerque to the Oregon/Washington/Idaho area in 2-3 years. My husband is getting his degree in early childhood education so a nearby elementary school is a plus. We are both very interested in permaculture, and other self-sufficiency and survival skills. Once we sell our house we'll have 100k or so to invest in land/structure. We would ideally like to live in an off-grid self-sustaining system, but understand that Rome isn't built in a day. For now we're pretty flexible and would consider living in a trailer/fixer upper/cabin whatever.
We're honest, hard working and community oriented, so if any of you guys find something good and are looking for partners, please let us know.

Hi I like what you are looking to develop. I have no money but I am creative and able bodied. Totally obsessed with permaculture design and sustainable development. If you guys are really committed to off grid living, permaculture design, then let me know if you'd like my help. I'm looking for a place where I can set up my own little camp to live in for a while, as I practice permaculture design. Perhaps you guys can use my muscle in the future when you get your spot. THanks for keeping me in mind.

I've just come across this site. We live in Longview, WA, Cowlitz County. We are in the early stages of consideration and planning. Have jobs in town that require us to stay within commuting distance, if at all possible, at least until something is built that can be lived in and self sustaining which eliminates current monthly expenses for rent, water, electricity that are over $1000/mo. To my knowledge, the surrounding counties are all pretty controlling about building/permitting and very inflexible when it comes to alternative housing/building. I was just curious what anyone has found that might work/worked, where or if you were still looking for "partners" to join you in the search.

Someone mentioned Northern Idaho as having no building codes. I was wondering what county or counties in particular that would be? I live on the East Coast and would love to move west and attempt to build a dwelling. I was thinking cordwood although I have no real carpentry skills. So my questions are as follows:
1. What counties in Northern Idaho are building code free?
2. Are there Grizzly Bears in Northern Idaho?
3. Is cordwood possible to build with no carpentry skills? (using books and perhaps taking a class
4. Are there buses in Northern Idaho? ( I drive bus for my living)

I am grateful for any input anyone may have for me.

I know Idaho County (North-Central) where I live has no building codes in the county, though some of the cities do. There are buses here. I think some of the other rural counties like Shashone and Boundary lack building codes as well. There are "Grizzly Bears", but they are few and far between.

Leza Wallace wrote:I live in Steven's County and I'm sure they have building codes, though I have heard that they are pretty leniant. I am just now getting my place going so I guess I'll find out. Up here Pend O'Reille County is suppossed to be really leniant, too. I have lived up here for five years and just purchased five acres and a mobile home. Want to go solar, cistern well, and put in my own septic and be off the grid as much as possible. I'll let you know how it goes

I'm in Stevens county, off grid, compost bucket toilet, and no inspectors have stepped foot on my place I know quite a few others who have also done that. According to my dad (who is my neighbor) apparently the rule is you can have ONE dwelling per parcel that is uninspected and you can do whatever you want but if you build a second dwelling, it has to be up to code and inspected. I'm not sure why that's the case, but I certainly don't mind!

Grizzlies - Oh My! Dave, I wanted to say "Thank You", for the information you provided me in regards to my questions. Much appreciated! Bee

Bethany, Thanks for the info... Do you have any videos on You Tube of your house building? Looks like a pretty nice build! Also,
I just "Liked" your facebook page! You are living the dream and I applaud you !!

Bee Corson wrote:Bethany, Thanks for the info... Do you have any videos on You Tube of your house building? Looks like a pretty nice build! Also,
I just "Liked" your facebook page! You are living the dream and I applaud you !!

Thanks! No videos, although perhaps someday I might start. The dream hasn't exactly worked the way I had thought, but that isn't so much about the homesteading aspect itself. Our house isn't finished yet - still only halfway, but I've begun making progress again. Hopefully in a few weeks I'll have plumbing!

Oh and Stevens County is in NE WA, not N Idaho but we're very close to Idaho. And we don't get grizzly bears, although we do have black bears and mountain lions! A good strong mountain dog or two is a necessity.

I am looking into the homestead process and was wondering if someone had answers to a couple of questions I have.

1. Are there building codes that must be adhered to when building your dwelling?

2. In terms of sanitation, am I free to build a septic system/leach field at my discretion?


The answers to these 2 questions can have a huge impact on how I continue from here.

Thank you for your time.

Steve

Steve Ontiveros wrote: 1. Are there building codes that must be adhered to when building your dwelling?

Short answer is yes.  Long answer is it depends on the county, the more rural the county the more likely building codes are unenforced or nonexistent.

Steve Ontiveros wrote: 2. In terms of sanitation, am I free to build a septic system/leach field at my discretion?

No, human waste disposal is something almost every county enforces.  I'm sure there are exceptions, but I don't know them specifically.