Free Long Term Use of 11 Acres of Land Between Portland and Seattle

I have 11 acres of flat, sunny, scenic land out in the country that I purchased for the future. My end goal is to build an Earthship surrounded by a food forest to retire on. Retirement is a long ways off for me, which is great since trees take a while to grow, but I'm hardly using the land now and would love to make it available to someone else who could use it now.

There are two creeks that run through the land, with salmon and trout, its very beautiful and relaxing, but unfortunately makes most of the land inaccessible to the road. In exchange for using the land I'd like two rainbow foot bridges constructed. I'd pay for the wood, hardware, and cement, and you provide the labor.

I live out of area but would want visit a couple times a year to plant some fruit trees.

The land is Oakville, Washington; two hours north of Portland and two hours south of Seattle.

If you're interested, please let me know how you would use the land.

A Yurt, or similar off-grid type structure, could very easily be built.

A neighbor has horses that stroll across a section of the field.

That's beautiful!  I hope you find someone.  Maybe someone with a tiny house?

Jeremy, I've sent you a message if you're still looking! I'm not super far from there.

Hello as I'm new to this site and perusing the forum seeking to find an exchange-type arrangement as your's states.
I spend my fall to spring in Las Vegas and looking to do an inexpensive, work/build-type exchange with a land owner
for summer use as a respite/getaway and willing to trade labor and maintenance during this time. Have you found any
one to build your bridges? My interest in to have a basic/primitive tiny cabin/natural build that is not needing to be much
involved or extreme. Just shelter and functional for summer getaway and escaping desert/summer heat here. I'm not in position
as of now to afford my own property and am searching this site and others for a shared or trade-type situation starting this summer
and definetly next summer. I have property in northern MI with a sibling and have this option but its shared since out west this
is my initial thoughts, so I wanted to inquire.  

or if you are wanting to turn it into a producing or functioning permaculture or shared living eco/community for others. from the photos with the open fields and flat land...

or even to assist in your starting and eventual building of your earthship... with materials or moving dirt around, collecting tires, etc... i'm very much interested in the natural build and somewhat tiny house but not to the point of such modern amenity needs that are being built, yet the concept of a park model instead of a mobile home, the modular component instead of the prefab, shipping container framing, etc... or simply natural with your earthship, adobe, and rammed earth (passive solar) principles. I've looked into various areas in Oregon Utah and Washington and thought to contact you upon your ad and mention of sharing your land in exchange.

Beautiful land!  If it were 25 years ago, I think I might have been your guy.  

I don't get the fascination with building a tiny house.  If it were me, I'd either build a decent sized garage-type building (large enough for at least 2 full-sized trucks) or I'd park a older used motorhome out there and put in a simple septic system with a leach field for the plumbing.  I'd rather not spend a cold, gray Washington winter crammed in a tiny space, but would build something larger that I could park a trailer or even a C-class motor home in.  Years from now, you'd still be able to use that outbuilding as a workshop or garage.  

A well-built, well-insulated garage would be less that $10,000 if you built it yourself.  Install a good wood-stove and perhaps even plumb it in with a simple bathroom -- add $1000.  If someone were normally playing $500 a month for rent (which is cheep in Washington), your break-even would still be less than 2 years.

I'd imagine that deer hunting would be fantastic on that land.  Do you get any elk coming through?  Game birds?

Let us know what happens -- I'm interesting in hearing the story as it unfolds.

agreed about the tiny house thing, but the concept has its place and purpose when it comes to affordable housing and shelter at obvious reduced cost while having most of the modern amenities covered. I agree with you on spending less amounts for what is needed based on the environment/setting.

Hi.. I'm very interested... My husband actually has experience building furniture and cabinets .. I would love to help build your rainbow bridges and I've always wanted to visit Oregon and Washington.. It's beautiful land..


Have you considered growing Paulownia Trees or Linden Trees and keeping honey bees on the land?.. What about building a Wailipini? Would you mind if I built a Wailipini on the land? (a Wailipini is basically digging a bug deep hole, planting some vegetables, fruits, nuts or crops in the hole and then sheltering the top of the hole with glass.. It's basically an underground Greenhouse that keeps the plants growing inside, growing in optimal conditions, all year round).. Also maybe a Root Cellar?.. I love building things underground, I could build a few Wailipinis and Root Cellars, different ones for different types of fruits, nuts, vegetables and crops, and make them accessible through tunnels to a central basement and build an Earthship above the basement and grow even more things in the Earthship .. If you will allow Honey Bee Keeping I have always wanted to try making an underground dome structure combined with a Wailipini that has nothing but one type of plant that provides lots of nectar and putting a honey bee colony in the underground dome, keeping the fragile honey bees out of the elements, keeping them warm and keeping them providing honey from just one source all year round.. I could sell the honey as Artisan Honey.. I also have ideas for growing things using Vertical Grow Methods, Hydroponics, Aeroponics and Aquaponics.. various methods of growing fruits, nuts, vegetables and crops to keep things growing as healthy, organic and sustainable as possible.. I have tons of ideas if this opportunity is still available and you would be willing to permit some of my ideas on your land and if you would be willing to provide the materials for the things you actually want to have built like the bridges and the Earthship home and such.. also.. Are you going to provide Solar Power Panels and/or a Windmill and the necessary stuff for water catchement and plumbing for the Earthship home?

Hi! I haven't seen you respond to any of the prior posts, so I am wondering if this is still up as an offer.  I am a homeschooling mom and I have four kids, including a teen who likes to do woodworking.  I am wondering if we could stay, not permanently but occasionally.  Please let me know if you are still offering this land for use!