Overview

In January 2013, I moved onto a 6-acre piece of land in the village of Magdalena, NM (elevation about 6500', population about 900, precipitation shown below) that looked as shown in the above panorama at ground level and in the aerial view at right (N is straight up).

I've been developing the place with several themes in mind:

• Planting appropriate for the area and water availability
• Rainwater harvesting (direct, runoff from structures, and run-on)
• Graywater reuse
• Bees and earthworms for processing biological materials
• Cold-season vegetable cropping in unheated greenhouses
• Parallel participation in community development
• Some other ideas, to be discussed after they've taken shape

Ultimately I'd like the place to support itself, support others who work with me, and provide inspiration and examples of ways to live sensibly in a dry environment that will be getting drier in coming years. These pages are meant to serve as a development journal as well as a way of sharing ideas.

Site started 12.22.13 by Jim (aka Clare) Nelson

jcnelson (at) gilanetcom