How to Be Self-Sufficient in the Desert

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Parascuba

Parascuba

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Is there any book about how to be self-sufficient in the desert? I end up got myself land in Arizona. I gave up Nevada too much drama with the land sales. Turn out they tried to rip me off. For Arizona, different land sales. he fronts up on everything that allowed or not allowed. I asked locals around for confirmation. They told me the same thing what land sale said. So I guess it's good news. I end up getting 2.5 acres (330 ft x 330 ft land) roughly two football fields in size. So I would buy any book about how to be self-sufficient in the desert if there is. I saw many YouTube. most of them just talk about the house and off the grid. Not Self-Sufficient.
 
I don't know. I had one acre in the desert and was far from self sufficient. Had a garden, chickens, rabbits, and turkeys. The garden was hard. The greenhouse with a pond in it (for humidity) was easier. Water in the desert and lack of shade are really big problems.
 
Amish Heart said:
I don't know. I had one acre in the desert and was far from self sufficient. Had a garden, chickens, rabbits, and turkeys. The garden was hard. The greenhouse with a pond in it (for humidity) was easier. Water in the desert and lack of shade are really big problems.
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What about aquaponic? I have heard about it make it possible to grow food in desert
 
Things can grow well in the desert, we found that if you grow a garden all the wild-life in the area will find it. Snakes are drawn to water and shade, rabbits will show up for anything green, and coyotes will come after your melons, foul, and pets.

The desert is not all the same, some areas are rocky, some are sandy, some are old stream beds, some areas are at sea level, others can be at several thousand feet.

Water will always be an issue, is there ground water available?

We used drip irrigation when I was there, but we had more than our share of learning experiences.
 
We were near the Rio Grande river where I lived, and had a little bit of shade, and we had our own well. Five miles down the road was another story...dry as sand, no windbreak from sandy windstorms, wells there were extremely expensive, and city water was terribly expensive, too.
So I guess it's all about what you have on your land. We did have snakes galore. And where we lived, coyotes were "protected", so not unusual to see one running off with a chicken in its mouth.
Our son tried some aquaponics there. It would need to be set up in a building with grow lights, that would be pricey. We did have the best luck with a greenhouse, and an indoor atrium in our house. We put a small pond in the greenhouse, and heated the water in the cooler months. That way the greenhouse stayed warmer, and it also provided needed humidity.

So....what are you going to grow to eat....what animals are you going to raise?
 
The #1 need is water. Water for you, garden and critters. A deep well is costly and required. You can protect the garden and animals with electric fences or hardware cloth. You need a home. A building that allows a place to get out of the sun during the day and out of the cold at night. There is typically enough sun and wind to provide power. A geo-grid will supply cool air for the house with only a small fan or you can use a solar chimney to provide heat in the winter and cooling in the summer. You may need to condition your soil before it will conserve water to grow food stuff for you and your animals. Once conditioned you use "no till" or "sustainable" farming practices that allows the ground to stay moist with little added water. Shade barriers will cut down on the heat the plants and animals contend with. Being self-sufficient takes money and work. The more money you have the less work is required.
 
SheepDog said:
The #1 need is water. Water for you, garden, and critters. A deep well is costly and required. You can protect the garden and animals with electric fences or hardware cloth. You need a home. A building that allows a place to get out of the sun during the day and out of the cold at night. There is typically enough sun and wind to provide power. A geo-grid will supply cool air for the house with only a small fan or you can use a solar chimney to provide heat in the winter and cooling in the summer. You may need to condition your soil before it will conserve water to grow foodstuff for you and your animals. Once conditioned you use "no-till" or "sustainable" farming practices that allow the ground to stay moist with little added water. Shade barriers will cut down on the heat the plants and animals contend with. Being self-sufficient takes money and work. The more money you have the less work is required.
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I'm not going to start garden and animal right away. First thing I want to focus on electricity and water. I'm aware of the drilling cost insane. So I'm planning to get one tank to fill up by water hauler then after that, depend on the rain... Hope there's plenty of water from the rain. Then start building a house... I wrote down my plan but will they work on the desert well. I pick up tips from YouTube. I contact Navajo County, AZ they said septic is MUST and must be under permitted license to install. Can't be homemade *SMH* I know they going to cost tons
 
I was thinking of starting out with this. water & electric same time as start then work from there
 

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I will take it you are in the Sonora Desert, an area that is near and dear to my heart. Here is a web site that might help. Water will be a huge issue. I would look into the local law on rain water collection systems. I'm not sure they are legal.

https://www.desertmuseum.org/books/nhsd_plant_ecology.php
 
Here are yet more websites on arizona desert living. One couple even has a you tube channel.

Took me about 5 minutes to find these sites... A few desert living publications came up in my search also. I'm sure there are many other websites if you search.
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Our Off-Grid Solar Home in the Arizona Desert - These people have a website and a youtub channel... lots of vids on desert living in AZ.

https://steveadcock.us/off-grid-solar-home-arizona/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtrZvxP1SQkBJ8kZLsslimw---------------------------------------------------------------
Californian desert and the tiny earthen home of natural builders Sasha and John...


-------------------------------------------
 
Parascuba said:
I'm not going to start garden and animal right away. First thing I want to focus on electricity and water. I'm aware of the drilling cost insane. So I'm planning to get one tank to fill up by water hauler then after that, depend on the rain... Hope there's plenty of water from the rain. Then start building a house... I wrote down my plan but will they work on the desert well. I pick up tips from YouTube. I contact Navajo County, AZ they said septic is MUST and must be under permitted license to install. Can't be homemade *SMH* I know they going to cost tons
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Parascuba, we are neighbors! I live in Navajo County AZ as well. Sounds like you're on the high desert, which could add the complication of altitude and weather to your self-sufficiency (it can get downright cold in the high desert, and even snow!).. Rain here is different, in that it doesn't happen all that often except during monsoon season. Where other places get moisture all year long, we can go weeks without seeing a drop.
 
DrPrepper said:
Parascuba, we are neighbors! I live in Navajo County AZ as well. Sounds like you're on the high desert, which could add the complication of altitude and weather to your self-sufficiency (it can get downright cold in the high desert, and even snow!).. Rain here is different, in that it doesn't happen all that often except during monsoon season. Where other places get moisture all year long, we can go weeks without seeing a drop.
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Look like I just found my new best friend :) I have not moved there yet. Not til after March 2025. That's when I paid off for the property. I have contact Navajo County. they told me off the grid is not allowed. As far I know my property is 22 miles northeast of Holbrook, AZ. By the Google Map, from Holbrook Airport to my GPS Coord 15 - 20 miles. Still outside city/town. I heard it get snow in Arizona. I'm used to snow. I live in Michigan. We get snow a lot. I hate snow lol. But I'm sure it will be a short time to have snow.

My plan to get the first tank fill up with a water truck hauler... (seen on YouTube) Second & Third tanks like the picture above going be depend on rain. Unless you have a better idea. I know I won't be 100% self-sufficiency. But It's my goal to close as possible. As I learn as I go. Also, my plan to add a short runway for a paramotor. One of my hobbies. Fly around in paramotor *waving* "Hey neighbors! Watch out! *drop water balloon*
 
This floor plan I was thinking of building it. There's an airlock to keep cool air stay in the house or heat. there's the ladder to the loft bedroom. Maybe not a bedroom just storage. Living rm could be bedroom too. For laundry, I'm thinking of another shed server as laundry. with extra water tank from rain or so. I has not to draw a plan for laundry, tool shed, etc etc.
 

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I'm on the New Mexico side of DrPrepper. We use green houses to grow our vegetables. Protects them from weather (frosts, hail, winds, high uv levels) and animals. A shade cloth is a must. I don't think we could depend on rain catchment. We just don't get enough. A well is a must.
 

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I suspect you won’t succeed at ‘self sufficient’. You need water and depending on rain in the desert or a water hauler isn’t self sufficient. Without essentially unlimited water, 2 acres won’t do the job either. Sorry, but reality can be cold and hard. Especially where it is hot And dry.
 
Terri9630 said:
I'm on the New Mexico side of DPrepper. We use green houses to grow our vegetables. Protects them from weather (frosts, hail, winds, high uv levels) and animals. A shade cloth is a must. I don't think we could depend on rain catchment. We just don't get enough. A well is a must.
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A shade clothe is a must here in Florida too Angie.Sun will cook your crops in no time flat.
 
I believe in the power of positive thinking, if you already own the land then make the best of what you can.

Looked up the weather there and there are large temperature swings between the high and lows of any given day, so a greenhouse with good ventilation would be a good bet. Looks like you get about 3/4" of rain per month so you will need a good water collection and management system. . Remember that even the driest deserts can have flash floods so don't plan to build in the bottom of a ravine.

2 acres is not a lot of land, I would be concerned about how close my neighbors are and how many neighbors I have.

Grid-tied solar with built in backup can be almost like being off-grid. I would check to see what kind of solar installations they allow. I have read that some areas are limiting solar installations due to excess power to the utility.
 
Parascuba said:
Look like I just found my new best friend :) I have not moved there yet. Not til after March 2025. That's when I paid off for the property. I have contact Navajo County. they told me off the grid is not allowed. As far I know my property is 22 miles northeast of Holbrook, AZ. By the Google Map, from Holbrook Airport to my GPS Coord 15 - 20 miles..
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Oh, my, you really are out in the boonies! Welcome to Arizona! I'm in the southern part of the county, about 45 minutes south of Holbrook, so probably an hour or so drive from your new property. As I'm sure you've seen, Holbrook is not much of a town! Sounds like you are out past Sun Valley, close to the reservation, too (or even maybe on it?) and near Petrified Forest Park. A friend of mine lives just over the border in Apache County just south of the Petrified Forest. She has about 20 acres and lives totally off grid - solar, well, etc. She has an extensive garden, and grows amazing squash, zucchini, tomatoes, beans, and other stuff, and she doesn't have a greenhouse. Gardening is possible up there, but it is a lot of work. I'm surprised the county told you off grid is not allowed, as there are LOTS of folks I know in the county who are off grid - unless of course it is due to the neighborhood you are moving into.

Your floor plan looks good, and the airlock is a great idea - but not so much for temperature control as for dust control. This part of the world is extremely dusty, and because we are so dry, when the wind comes through, it brings lots of dust unless you have things in place to mitigate it (trees for wind breaks, ground cover, etc.).
 
DrPrepper said:
Oh, my, you really are out in the boonies! Welcome to Arizona! I'm in the southern part of the county, about 45 minutes south of Holbrook, so probably an hour or so drive from your new property. As I'm sure you've seen, Holbrook is not much of a town! Sounds like you are out past Sun Valley, close to the reservation, too (or even maybe on it?) and near Petrified Forest Park. A friend of mine lives just over the border in Apache County just south of the Petrified Forest. She has about 20 acres and lives totally off grid - solar, well, etc. She has an extensive garden, and grows amazing squash, zucchini, tomatoes, beans, and other stuff, and she doesn't have a greenhouse. Gardening is possible up there, but it is a lot of work. I'm surprised the county told you off grid is not allowed, as there are LOTS of folks I know in the county who are off grid - unless of course it is due to the neighborhood you are moving into.

Your floor plan looks good, and the airlock is a great idea - but not so much for temperature control as for dust control. This part of the world is extremely dusty, and because we are so dry, when the wind comes through, it brings lots of dust unless you have things in place to mitigate it (trees for wind breaks, ground cover, etc.).
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Yes passed Sun Valley close to the reservation. I looked at the map. This is an email from Navajo County.

"Hello, Earl

In Navajo County, it is required to have a permitted septic system in order to build a dwelling. You cannot build off-grid within the County. If you have further questions on septic permitting or building permits, you will want to contact our Building Department at 928-532-6040.


Thank you,


Cody Cooper, Planner II"

The email says must have permitted a septic system. Sound like have to buy from some site that cost 2k - 5k septic *SMH* I was a plan to use two IBC tank with some PVC and creative work together before bury it. Also, it says building permits. I bought land from Nunn Land Sale. they say it don't need building permits *SMH*

Also, I see many of you said I need to drill down well. I was told it going to cost me 35k which I don't have that kind of money. If the drill went down to bedrock with no water. I'll lost $$$. I don't like how it sounds like lost all $ if there's no water down there.
 
Those are two map. as you can see Holbrook is at southwest and pointpoint at northeast where property it is...
 

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look into anything written by navajo people on the ways they garden. especially in days gone past..old information.

its going to be tough sledding in that area with this megadrought..their word not mine..going on right now. i choose to live in more green area since it means more rainfall. but dont get me wrong i think its doable..but extra tough. one thing i would do is bury bucket to hold every drop of water on plant. basically growing in pots in ground. i put a hole on side pretty high up so if it did manage to fill up it could out flow and not drown the plant. this way your water is sitting in bottom and plant can reach it when needed. basically a wicking bucket in ground.

look into zai pits,lines,holes etc.

 
 
 
 
Parascuba said:
I'm not going to start garden and animal right away. First thing I want to focus on electricity and water. I'm aware of the drilling cost insane. So I'm planning to get one tank to fill up by water hauler then after that, depend on the rain... Hope there's plenty of water from the rain. Then start building a house... I wrote down my plan but will they work on the desert well. I pick up tips from YouTube. I contact Navajo County, AZ they said septic is MUST and must be under permitted license to install. Can't be homemade *SMH* I know they going to cost tons
Click to expand...
While you are making your plans for everything over the next few years, consider other digging shores you may need so when you have to pay to have the septic installed they will already be there so things like a level pad for a shed or patio can be dug or built up, a dugout for a greenhouse can be excavated.
If you are putting in a septic system consider one or two additional locations to run a 4" sewer line for dumping a trailer or motorhome tank, or possibly a location for a future extra bathroom/shower/casita. If the hole/trench will be dug it wont be much more to run secondary drain pipe locations for possible future needs. Even if you may not be considering a trailer or motorhome it would be a great resale value when the time comes to sell the property. I ran a drain line the pull length of my leach field plus another 20 feet so that I had a dump location where my trailer was parked during the build, and I am considering a future outdoor 3/4 bath in it's own unattached structure. I also stubbed natural gas off the back corner of the house for a hot water heater and small furnace for the stand alone bathroom. I know this is unusual but if I decide to make the storage container into a casita it will be next to the bathroom and a doorway will connect the two.
 
It's rain!!
 
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