Tour of an Off-Grid Homestead in the Colorado Desert
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
- I took a trip to visit Jack Dody and his wife at their off-grid homestead out in the high desert of Colorado. Here's a tour of the main house and its main design features. Resources are scarce up there in the desert, and Jacks place gives an example of how to live well given those challenging circumstances.
Download Jack's Abundaculture Manual free here: abundaculture.o...
This manual is essentially an Appropriate Technology course you can have at your fingertips. There's so much useful information in there that can help you gain independence from the rat race and start living on your own terms.
Music is by me.
I wish guys like this taught in universities. actual solutions to real problems.
I live in extreme SE Colorado, just as dry, just as cold and hot, and maybe even more windy than where he lives. Ppl just don't understand how little rain we get, or how little ground water there is available. Nor do they understand how regulated our water is! I am able to grow directly in the ground where I live, just because I have on grid water access, and I have heavily amended the soil in my yard. Of course, some things do better than others, we are famous for our melons in our area! And squash is always abundant.
Where are you? Rocky Ford? If so bring a few melons to my doorstep here in Pueblo. If you grow them personally I'll buy them personally. Yes you are famous.
ROCKY FORD MELONHEADS
South central Colorado is the same but we do get quite a bit of snow to somewhat help!
Squash is like that ultra-reliable friend who’s alway around that you just don’t like that much.
I semi-recently (3years ago) bought land in very rural and remote Colorado. According to the planning and building department they are extremely strict on waste management and do not allow any type of composting toilets at all. In order to obtain a certificate of occupancy, or building permit, a septic system is a must.
Even in those counties with no building codes they have land use regulations that also prohibit composting toilets of any kind. Based on the research I've done most of these laws were established in 2012, so some people may be grandfathered in.
My property is 30mins down a long dirt road at 40/50mph, and another 10mins going about 15mph or under because the road condition degrades so much you can't go much faster. The closest "town" consists of only one gas station, and one general store and not much else. It's literally the middle of nowhere. Yet people are still constantly harassed and fined by the county for not following land use regulations. I just wanted to make sure people are aware of these regulations since I've had a hard time with them myself, and know others who have had the same difficulties.
I strongly believe composting toilets are the best way to manage waste. It's terrible to use water, especially drinkable water, to flush waste. However in order to not be fined and harassed constantly it seems I will have to follow the horrible septic system setup to live in peace.
That's to bad, I live in a rural area of Ma and no one ever bothers me at all. I pretty much do what I want.
There is a place in Texas (southwestern Texas) named "Terlingua Ranch" and they have no building codes and/or regulations there AND as far as I know, you STILL don't have to have a sewer system. One of the closest towns to "Terlingua Ranch" is Alpine at about 100 miles away.
Do you live in costilla county?
That's what happens when you vote for liberals. Government is their god
@@tmzz3609 🤨generalizations don't fit anybody. Many liberals are not fond of government.
this should be the norm all over the world not grid life,way to go o dude
I live in the high desert of Texas. I have the most amazing garden. We still had frosty mornings in May, so, tomatoes got a late start, but they are still producing in September. I grow everything in containers too. I grew corn, tomatoes, okra, peppers, asparagus, squash, zucchini, peas, turnips, sunflowers, zinnia, tomatillos, cucumber, and tons of herbs this spring and summer. I need to start my fall garden, but my summer garden is still going so strong, I hate to kill it.
Edit: I had some corn leaves turn yellow at the bottom and I started pouring my urine in the containers and they became super healthy. I don’t use any fertilizer on anything in my garden.
Thank you for the good information. My land is just across the street from Mt. Blanca. Lol, we're practically neighbors!😊
Such an informative video! Answered so many questions I had about the homestead hardships of Colorado’s arid mountain environment.
That was fascinating, Brian! I loved learning about how Jack and his wife not only live, but thrive on the desert.
Thank you, Mr. Dody, very inspiring; God Bless
This guys a genius. Great video .
well jack is my new hero. I'm pushing 50 and live in chicago, I wish I could've done something like this 20 years ago... I was hoping you had a drone shot of buildings. that was cool though.
This was a good program I could listen to that gentleman all day
I enjoyed this video. Jack is spot on when he spoke about the homestead and garden being a buffer. You don't have to grow all your food but growing some of your food helps when things get tight. Three years later his advice rings true. I learned some new things so thank you for this video!
I have horses and used some of our spent hay to mulch my veggie beds and they all died for the first time ever. I was mystified and then realized it was herbicide damage. Bc of drought, hay is hard to come by and I think it would be impossible to find organic producer of horse hay. Regular hay is selling 15$ a bale at times. So you will always find some herbicide in horse manure and definitely in any hay grown for feed. Don’t forget to ask horse owner if they gives their horse medication bc a lot pass through in to manure.
i like the weed bale construction.
This is great. My husband and I are planning to go off grid and considering NV or CO
That's a great property and set up. A little bit to get used to but very livable. Thanks for sharing.
I am in the Panhandle of Texas at about 3,700 feet. So far this year I have had about 4" of rain. Know what you are talking about dude! I do have some pretty good soil though and our average rainfall is 18". Haven't had an "average" year since 2015 when it rained 36" in a year. The mosquitos about carried us away that year. I also use gray water and am putting in a solar pump in our well, but we also catch rain off of the roof for the gardens. My wife won't let me compost the sewage, but we compost every thing else. We have been doing this since 1993. However, you are much more successful at it than I am. Every year is so different it is hard to figure out what part of the results are me doing something wrong and what is due to the conditions that year.
PS: my daughter spent time in Africa doing what you do. She worked with a church organization. She bought cows and goats and taught the women to make cheese, kefir and other cultured milks and how to sell it. How to garden, build a drip irrigation system from trash, how to compost etc. They also helped with orphanages and schools. She is now back home homesteading along side of us and raising kids like she was raised, on a homestead.
This guy is amazing
"We didn't want it to be weird." I love this guy!
13:12 I admire what you have done, as I hope to start my own off-grid homestead one day. But this right here, is a perfect example of why building codes are sometimes a good thing, lol.
Is Jack still in CO, on his homestead? It would be nice to see an update.
my mum grew the best rhubarb in the village. people used to stop and stare asking to buy some, what they didn't know was we had a bucket and chuck it, and it went onto the compost heap when full lol
Simply amazing. Informative, inspirational.
What sup princess..which state u in,let's have coffee?mr.caribbean in nyc.( email:guitarpiano@aol.com
Jack...I just found this sight...we are moving east of CS this Spring. So excited I found your sight
Curious how he is collecting his water? With all the research I've done, in CO, you're not allowed to capture more than 110 gallons. Perhaps he's grandfathered in before those laws were put in place?
I'm trying to plan to move to an off grid location in CO, and am doing research on things, and this video is very informative. This guy is doing some really cool stuff.
Have you considered northern NM? Curious why or why not, thanks :)
They call that soil “caliche” a.k.a. “Desert Cement”. People although it’s poor for horticulture, It’s amazing for building “ Rammed Earth “ structures such as homes and out buildings. Google rammed earth homes and take a peek! They are beautiful and are perfect for off grid living.
#mylittlehomestead
Superb! Real answer to prayer here! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!
A ton of very valuable information here. Thanks so much for sharing all of t his!
Hope you find a part soon to hot not to have water. 106 here today and on the rise. Your fish was cooked to perfection. Take care stay well
I love this video! Thank you!
Cool setup there. I'll pass on the composting toilit though.
Wish I would have done this earlier in life. But hey, better late than never ! We are actually looking around Peyton/Rush area where its still affordable. Your video was very inspiring and informative. We cant wait to get started (from scratch).Thank you ! God Bless !
50 miles from the Springs? where exactly? I am working towards getting my own abundant homestead and look forward to learning more about how to combat the harshness of our wonderful state. Any advice for the Falcon/Fountain area?
A K , I can't give directions to Jack's place, but if you head to abundaculture.org you can contact jack directly.
Wonderful video! Thank you for sharing as it can help so many people worldwide. Wishing you and your family the best!
Great video. You are a Godly man and God has blessed you.
Lots of wisdom here! I do have a question.... it seems you have a garden "alley" between some buildings. Would it benefit to cover that "alley" as a green house, for a longer growing season?
Bruce Campbell needs to play him in the biopic.
Great
This is such an impressive setup. Really great job.
How do you decide on what kind of land to buy if you are going off grid? Is there a certain type of soil that you have to have already on the land?
Open Road Land , you don't need any particular soil if you know how to make compost. Good soil is certainly a plus, but Jack is making his garden in 100% homemade compost.
Great idea, I will research more about how to do that.
I actually sell land to people newly exploring off-grid living and a lot of the times they want cheap land but with that sometimes comes more dusty soil which they are hesitant about. So I am trying to point them in the right direction about how to merge the best of both worlds: cheap land and nutrient rich soil.
I think every successful off-grider I have ever known is very creative and willing to think outside the box :)
-Miriam
Heard you can use the human compost in the flower garden
replace that cast iron stove with a Rocket mass heater and you will cut your wood use by at least 80%
I found this wood use numbers a bit high. I live in New England and I use about four cords a year, I don't know anyone using 12 to 15 cords on a tiny house like that. My house is twice the size of his. I have heard good things on Rocket mass heaters.
@@mtadams2009 the part of Colorado he's from is damn cold in the winter. High desert is really up there.
Biogas whit biodigester to create your propane gas
Only three deserts: Chihuahua (Texas), Mohave (Arizona/California), and Sonoran (Arizona). Semi-arid or dry in Colorado, not desert.
You're right, this area is classified as semi-arid. The considerations needed to survive in this region are similar enough to those appropriate for a desert area that chose to use the term in the title. Scientifically, it's semi-arid, but it's functionally close enough to a desert to use that word as a shorthand.
@@EcoTechnify Understandable. Good point!
Isnt there 3 rics in a cord? 16"×48"×96".
So, where's the link for his details ? I only have comments
How is he allowed to harvest rainwater? I have seen stories of Colorado's strict water harvesting laws in effect
You are allowed to harvest whatever falls on your roof in this county.
Julian Overton what county? do you by any chance know the laws in san luise valley? i just bought 5 acres & haven't got the chance to check out the laws yet
Colorado is favored location. But I bet
In less favorable places new m neveda north Texas Utah
They let you do whatever you want in the high desert.
Im thinking living off the grid now and only have my unemployment not much and afraid. How's the wild animals there? Im thinking colorado might be the state i wanted to lived in
Better have tons of money and be tough
@@tehilliym1195 cant do it, changed my mind lol
how do you keep your wall of water barrels from freezing in the winter?
What county you in
read your pdf good stuff love your house. I see ll these Christians helping 3rd world country's but do not see any of them helping Americans that need help. I bought land in Colorado im low income wife's disabled and son. is there anyone that can help us.
Hey Jacob....get a hold of me @hawaiiankind776@gmail.com. I might be able to help you.
even being low income you still have a better life than a 3rd world country! and if you can afford to buy your own land you don't need any hand outs or help. That's what this video is for so that you can do all of this stuff to take care of yourself and be self sufficient. That's one of the biggest problems with society today, everybody wants a free handout and wants someone else to take care of them! what did people do before social security and welfare? they had to take care of themselves! or if you got injured your neighbors or family would help a little bit until you are able bodied again. the worst thing that the government ever did was to have it's citizens dependant on it!!! by just helping yourself you're not only helping society, you're helping yourself!
Jacob, what kind of help are you seeking?
C's , / for Colorado springs
What part of Colorado is this , I live in Pueblo ,& I'm looking to buy grassy land like this ,or alot of timber
Carl Schmiedeke , this is on the plateau east of CS. Lots of good open land out there for cheap.
which city was he in I am curious about building areas I am in western co.
This place is East of Co Springs up on the plateau. Contact Jack at abundaculture.org for more info or a visit.
Is the urine also go directly to the composting toilet or you have another system for that?
Liquids and solids both go into the same 5 gallon bucket with sawdust.
Do you own your own land to do all of this
I own some land where I plan to do some of this, and Jack owns his own place outright as well. It helps to look for land in out-of-the-way places if you want the most affordable prices. It can happen quickly if you are willing to forego comfort in the short term while you work on your projects.
Very true. Important message. Third world easy fix. We had a old orchard near the black water storage and the fruit was abundant and so sweat. Growing up we had to harvest the fruits and the threes gave tons of produce. North Korean death camps use black water for soil. They grow food for the elites. The only way to grow in the future of climatic chaos and famine. God Bless
Sorry, CS/ FOR COLORADO SPRINGS
Carl Schmiedeke yes that's it
Im seriously thinking about buying 41 acres east of trinidad Colorado just because the building codes are damn near nonexistent and even then supposedly go unenforced as long as you pay your property taxes... i live in Cincinnati now but im so disgusted with how stupid and degenerate humanity is becoming.
Better have a lot of money and be tough as nails. That part of Colorado is a tough nut to crack. Trinidad kinda sucks too. Tons of crime, terrible schools, no job opportunities. Only good thing is it's cheap and the surrounding nature is nice.
Who decorated this house???
opening scene id say Wild horse?
hmm. careful of this video. as of Aug 2016 Coloradans can store up to a total of 110 gallons of rainwater to use on their lawns and gardens in one or two rain barrels. you have waaaay more than 2 blue rain barrels in the video that may or may not have water in them.
Please read the Colorado water law fully. 110 gallons is only if your in an area with city water available. If your property is eligible for a domestic well then you can also have a permit to capture more than 110 gallons for use only in the same way as your well permit.
@@marklarsen1279 That is good to know. Just bought property in Colorado that has a well and I was wondering about rainwater and grey water usage. Thanks!
i love the way he says we had no codes to go by and we did what we wanted but there should be codes -lol for the next folks is what he means lol just kills me how these folks think do it our way and its ok lololol
Interesting content but could do without all the god references. The science and art of homesteading has nothing to do with myths.
Everyone is entitled to their own belief system and can make references to it whenever they please. Would you have made this comment if a Muslim had mentioned Allah or a Buddhist had mentioned Buddha? Probably not.
Evolution is that. How can something blow up and turn into order?
I liked Jack , until he mention god. were was god when an helicopter crash killing a very kind man at leicester football ground.
Sorry that the person in the video has a different view of life from yours. Why does someone else' faith make you dislike them? Does that make what he's doing in the video wrong? Would you decide to not go off grid just because this guy believes in God?
...where was God? Weeping. He gave us a luscious, perfectly provisional world. We gave back---a broken and fallen world full of sin and darkness. He's been trying to redeem it---and us, ever since.