posted 9 years ago
Thank you for this site!
We are an unmarried but stable couple, blue collar and without significant funds, looking for some form of small community opportunity.
We are new permies after a couple of years of "what if...?" moments. At 41 and 33, we're not kids anymore.
We are responsible, idealistic, motivated, ethical, 'very clean hippie', Star Trek fan types.
He is debt free; I have outstanding tax and student loan issues to resolve.
We live in the arid sagebrush high desert 10mi directly south of Boise. I moved here Sept 2012, and my Mr joined me May 2013. There are 10 homes (2 triplex, a duplex, 2 singles) on 40ac (5ac irrigatable) near the northern boundary of the Birds of Prey conservation area. Most of our neighbors have been nice quiet people.
We thought we would be living in our current home and area for several more years, but are becoming increasingly frustrated with the management by the owner/landlord.
He wants it "pretty", and we make a "junky mess" when brooding chicks on the driveway. He's really proud of the couple acres of lawn out front, uses fertilizers and pesticides, and two great horned owls died this spring from his use of rodent poison for the ground squirrels...
He's not ecologically concerned.
The applicants he's chosen to accept the past couple of years are turning this place into an unofficial retirement community. When we have concerns over the housing (built in the 60's) our leaky exhaustless bathroom and single pane windows are deemed "good enough" for us... Which it is, legally.
And now he's told us he will be raising the rent soon, because "the market value" blah blah blah.
Our values are no longer complimentary, and we feel... unappreciated.
Plus, due to being only renters of a non-agriculturally developed (but rural) property, we have been unable to expand our permaculture aspirations to more large, hands-on projects.
It appears that now is the time to move forward.
Our choices are narrowed to three areas: here in Idaho's Treasure Valley- near our closest relatives and friends (but none are Permies), since we've both lived here over a decade; outside Bend, OR- home of Deschutes Brewery; or the beautiful Roanoke, VA area- where Deschutes will open their East Coast brewery, and irrigation isn't necessary.
(Mr is a Deschutes devotee.)
We are learning as fast as we can, while both working full-time, and tending our flock.
We want self-sufficiency, observable results of our labors, and a meaningful life in regenerative permaculture.
Thanks for being such an incredible resource!
Nina (and Tinker)
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