Jeff Potts

Hi there, I'd love to discuss your offer, if it's still available. I've been homesteading, property managing (based on regenerative principles) and practicing permaculture, as well as tending various small livestock, for over 10 years now. I use to live in Asheville and homesteaded off grid in Black Mountain (to include Earth Haven where I helped manage an edible plant nursery), Burnsville (Mountain  Gardens with Joe Hollis) and Marshall. Edible Forest gardening, hugelkultur and organic gardening are my main specialty and I've consulted, project managed, installed and maintained them in various climate zones, to include (most recently) Arizona. But, I've dipped my hands on all manor of projects. I just returned to the east coast after spending over a year project managing for an upscale xeriscaping company in Arizona and I'm looking for a new adventure, a new challenge and more of a home. At some point, I'd like to have my own land to manage. I'm a recently divorced, middle aged white male, veteran, in exceptional health, my kids are all grown and I'm on my own, though i do have a companion, an Australian Cattle Dog who's also dying for a job. If you'd like to discuss more details, I can be reached at mediblegardens@gmail.com or 828-423-3515. References can be provided. Thank you.

Hi there, I'm Jeff, I just moved to Apache Junction from the Blue Ridge mountains of NC, where I've been forest gardening for the past decade, in and out of community. I'd love to connect and visit your place sometime.

Hey Gene. I just moved to Mesa, AZ, from the Blue Ridge Mountains of NC (near Asheville). I've lived off grid, for the past ten years, in a couple different communities, and was involved in starting and maintaining 2 additional homesteads, practicing permaculture, building food forests, building community. During the past decade or so, I  had my own little edible food forest landscape business, for about 4 years, consulting, designing, installing and maintaining living systems. I've trained with some of the best regenerative ag, silvapasture folks in the area, and of course have some experience with natural building and a variety of other skills people inevitably pick up when homesteading. I also have formal autocad design training as well. In another life, I spent 8 years in the US Army, in the medical field, graduating from medic to cytotech during that time. The microscopy I learned during this time continues to be a game changer, when it comes to understanding soil biology. You can't live in the Blue Ridge mountains and not become a mycophile. There aren't too many mushrooms in the desert though. Nevertheless, I'm always open to mushroom production.

I'm recently married, to a dual Canadian/US citizen, who is currently in the process of selling her house and relocating with me to AZ, with her two children, who are ostensibly both all growed up. Anyhow, we haven't decided how we're going to approach it, but homesteading is at the top of our list. And, I'm interested in networking with others in the area, to explore possibilities.

As a side note, I've practical experience as well with both consensus and consent based governance models. Whatever the common values and goals of a community, it is essential to establish a sound decision making strategy that empowers everyone and fosters equanimity, mutuality and respect. I'm a big fan of consent based governance models, like those taught by Circle Forward https://circleforward.us/. Full disclosure, I dated the owner, so I'm a little biased. Tracy's built upon sociocracy, but changed it from a predominantly heirarchical model to a decentralized, self-organizing systems approach. It's brilliant and it works, when everyone has the skills.

Thanks for reaching out and doing what you're doing. I look forward to hearing from you.

Jeff