Hello! We are a sustainability-focused, off-grid, 43-acre homestead nestled into the Colorado Rockies with breath-taking mountain views, glorious night skies, abundant wildlife, and bright wildflowers in a pinon-yucca forest. We tend to a flock of chickens for eggs and occasional meat, 2 greenhouses and some outdoor garden beds for fruits and veggies, and keep bees for pollination, honey, and wax. We sell eggs and honey to our local community. Projects WWOOFers might be asked to help with include, but may not be limited to, growing/harvesting/preserving garden produce, seed saving, beekeeping, animal husbandry (and harvesting if you wish), construction, landscaping/trail building, vehicle/tool repair and maintenance, hunting/butchering (if you wish), and firewood harvesting/processing. We ask that you work a minimum of 24 hrs/wk if an individual, and 36 hrs/wk if two people cohabitating.
Our area is very rural so having your own vehicle is necessary. Our closest town is a 20-min drive away and boasts 2 small grocery stores (1 standard and the other emphasizing health food), a couple of gas stations, a small thrift store, a couple of restaurants, and an occasional community event. More amenities, fairs, and events are available in towns 35-70 minutes away but there is not much to be said for any kind of urban nightlife nearby. There is, however, plenty of access to hiking, camping, mountain biking, hot springs, fishing, hunting, rafting, rock climbing, star gazing (with almost no light pollution), bird watching, hunting, snow sports, etc. If you enjoy the great outdoors, you can’t be bored here!
You’re welcome to bring your own camper/van/tiny house to live in, or we can offer housing in our 35-foot camper that is insulated and heated. It has its own fully furnished kitchen with stove/oven and newer larger refrigerator/freezer. It has its own bathroom, with a shower. There is heated running water. It has a queen-sized bed and a couch that folds out into a 1-2 person bed.
Whether in your own rig or ours, electricity is provided via our solar system, supplemented by gas-powered generators as needed (more so in the fall/winter or when cloudy for multiple days in a row). This means we can’t allow electric heaters, hair dryers, curling irons, microwaves, air conditioners, etc as anything that uses electricity to heat or cool draws too much power from our battery bank. Water is provided via our well, with a hook-up if staying in our camper. Though we can’t provide water hook-up for your own personal rig, we can supply you with 5-gal jugs to fill from the well. During the fall/winter water tanks/lines often freeze and require daily maintenance to keep water flowing. We will keep your propane full for heat and cooking. We use very simple versions of composting toilets and can provide one for you; you will be responsible for emptying it yourself (we will teach you how). We provide garden produce and eggs (when available), store-bought produce to supplement what comes from the garden as needed, basic pantry/refrigerator staples (such as rice/beans, pasta/sauce, oatmeal, bread, PB/jelly, simple meats, etc), and basic household goods (such as TP, dish soap, laundry detergent (biodegradable because we reclaim laundry water for our garden), etc). We do not have trash/recycling pick-up so you will be responsible for properly disposing of your own personal refuse. There is ample storage space available, both inside the camper as well as outdoors and in our storage sheds/container. There is a washing machine and clothesline available. There are outdoor seating/table areas available around the property. We have satellite WiFi in/near the yurt we live in that you are welcome to use. ATT and Cricket (and maybe T-Mobile) get decent service here; Verizon does not but a 10 min drive on the dirt road puts it within range. You can use our WiFi to make calls as well.
The climate here is harsh/extreme. It can be alternately hot, cold, exposed, windy, dusty, smoky, rainy, and/or snowy, sometimes all in the same day no matter the season. Guests should be prepared to work in all types of weather. (Lightning/hailstorms can come in quickly with little warning; in this case, work will be immediately halted and you will be encouraged to seek safe shelter.) Please note that we live in an area with a very high risk of wildfire so it is imperative that guests are exceptionally conscientious and careful in this regard. It is also important to keep food and trash locked up to prevent accidental feeding of wildlife (and purposeful feeding of wildlife is strictly prohibited, including hanging birdfeeders).
Applicants must be at least 25 years old, energetic, mature, dependable, diligent hard-workers, respectful, and good communicators. Cannabis is legal in our state and allowed on our property. Alcohol consumption is allowed but must be kept to a safe/reasonable level. We do not permit the use of any nicotine products or illicit drugs. Applicants must pay for and pass a background check prior to being accepted; if you pass the check and end up staying with us, we will reimburse you for the cost upon your arrival. We have two medium-sized dogs and a barn cat; applicants with pets will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Applicants must have had a COVID booster and flu vcaccination within the last 12 months.
If you've read this far and it seems like it might be a good fit for you, please send us a message! We look forward to hearing from you!
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Poultry farming
Beekeeping
Wild foraging
Flower farming
Seed saving or production
Meat processing
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Green Building
Mechanics / tools / technology
Methods or systems
Biological pest control
Holistic management
No-till farming
Permaculture
Regenerative agriculture
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
17.4
Hectares
|
43
Acres
