Homesteaders in south central Colorado

[3H Homestead]

Hello! My name is Brittany, my husband, Nathan, and I call ourselves the "Happy Henderson Homestead" aka 3H Homestead. We live in south central Colorado, surrounded by 14,000 foot peaks. It's beautiful here, but it's also the highest alpine desert in the world, so of course, water is a challenge here. I've been a gardener for many years, started with kombucha in 2018, sourdough in 2019, we got our first batch of bees in 2020, and in 2021, got chickens and a pig. Despite the hard work, we find ourselves loving the idea of expanding our homestead.

 

[Weedygarden]

Welcome from another Coloradan!

 

[Sourdough]

Welcome from "The Greate State of Alaska". (The home of Real Sourdough's)....

 

[Acdoctor]

Welcome from South Carolina, glad to have you with us.

 

[hashbrown]

Hello from the Ozarks

 

[phideaux]

Welcome from the bluegrass state.
we have grits , collard greens, and chitlins.



Jim

 

[Bacpacker]

Welcome

 

[3H Homestead]

Welcome from the bluegrass state.
we have grits , collard greens, and chitlins.



Jim

I'm originally from Louisiana, so I know ALL ABOUT grits, collards, and chitlins!!

 

[LadyLocust]

Welcome from Washington state where despite all appearances, there are some normal folks.

 

[viking]

Hello and welcome from S.W. Oregon, we used to live at 8,100 feet in Conifer, Colorado, we loved fishing and hunting, most of the time 12,000' and above, once we got used to the higher elevations, we always felt better, we miss living in Colorado, but things were getting crazy, everyone was moving into the mountains. The last time we were in Colorado it was disheartening to see homes being built right up to the foothills at the entrance of the highway 285 canyon which we drove daily, but we saw it coming and now are very happy to be here in southern Oregon, with a much longer growing season

 

[3H Homestead]

Hello and welcome from S.W. Oregon, we used to live at 8,100 feet in Conifer, Colorado, we loved fishing and hunting, most of the time 12,000' and above, once we got used to the higher elevations, we always felt better, we miss living in Colorado, but things were getting crazy, everyone was moving into the mountains. The last time we were in Colorado it was disheartening to see homes being built right up to the foothills at the entrance of the highway 285 canyon which we drove daily, but we saw it coming and now are very happy to be here in southern Oregon, with a much longer growing season

I'm absolutely with you! We lived in Denver before we moved to the area we're in now, and I only go to Denver now to visit my doctor every 6 months. I take 285 from the town I live in all the way up to Anschutz and am heartbroken at the expansion every time. I know exactly where Conifer is, I pass through every time I go to Denver. Even the area I live in has expanded considerably in the last 2 years, but the headwaters of the Rio Grande area definitely has challenges to its weather patterns that not many people are willing to tolerate for a long time. Springtime is difficult with its ridiculous winds, but my husband & I love it & have been willing to take on the challenges the San Luis Valley offers for almost 9 years now.

 

[Pearl]

Welcome from Texas, glad you joined us!! Sounds like you have a lot to offer, hope you can learn from us too! Interested in your bees!!

 

[dademoss]

Welcome from Ohio, elevation 829 feet.

 

[3H Homestead]

Welcome from Texas, glad you joined us!! Sounds like you have a lot to offer, hope you can learn from us too! Interested in your bees!!

I'm excited to learn from and share with the forum. Even though we're going into our second year with the bees, we are nowhere near mastering that process. We had a very weird weather pattern this past fall and current winter, so lost one hive to moisture issues. The second hive was still making noises about 3 weeks ago, but we've had 2 snow storms since then, so not entirely sure they're still going we loved our honey harvest this past fall so definitely intend to continue with bees and have already purchased 2 new nucs for this coming spring. we're more prepared for these guys when it comes that time!

 

[viking]

Isn't San Luis Valley where Rocky Ford Cantaloupe are raised? All I know is that those are some of the sweetest, most flavorful cantaloupe I've ever eaten.

 

[3H Homestead]

Isn't San Luis Valley where Rocky Ford Cantaloupe are raised? All I know is that those are some of the sweetest, most flavorful cantaloupe I've ever eaten.

No, those are actually grown in Rocky Ford, which is east of I25. San Luis Valley is west of I25, between Pagosa Springs and Walsenburg. I agree, however, they're delicious!

 

[Amish Heart]

Welcome from Kansas

 

[Alaskajohn]

Welcome from Alaska!

 

[Morgan101]

Welcome from Eastern Missouri. Good to have you with us.

 

[rice paddy daddy]

Welcome from NE Florida, where the topo map shows our farm to be 33 meters above sea level.
I spent a year and a half at Fort Carson, Colorado Springs, including one winter.
Going to the field with the artillery, living for a week at a time in sub zero weather, in tents, a number of times in that winter of 68-69, was no place for a Florida Boy.
I volunteered for Vietnam to get out of there.

Where we are, in the winter we do have some mornings in the upper 20’s but it’s still 60 by afternoon. That’s my kind of winter living.

 

[3H Homestead]

To each their own I was born in Louisiana and raised there and in southern Texas until I found myself in Denver in my mid 20s. I don't miss the heat, humidity, OR bugs! Where I live now, our normal winter temps are negative teens overnight and daytime temps anywhere from mid 20s to mid 40s. I've learned to layer up in the wintertime, but I've come to the realization that I can and prefer to layer up for colder weather, but there's only so much you can take off to cool down in the hotter weather. Meh, I prefer 80s & 90s with 13% humidity in the summer over what's available in the south.

 

[rice paddy daddy]

Well, I preferred not to have to use a straddle trench latrine when the wind chill was -30.
Something might get frostbit.

 

[3H Homestead]

Well, I preferred not to have to use a straddle trench latrine when the wind chill was -30.
Something might get frostbit.

I can respect that! Thankfully, my experiences in Colorado have mostly been in a home, unless I choose to camp, but that's generally in the summertime. But the views where I live now outweigh the cold. The hardest season of the year in the area I'm in now is springtime, with hurricane force winds whipping through this valley almost daily for about 3 months. you learn to take the bad with the good.

 

[snappy1]

Welcome from Mississippi! Nice to meet you!

 

[jazzy]

howdy from custer county! yup, it can get dry here. im big on rain water collection for the garden.

 

[3H Homestead]

howdy from custer county! yup, it can get dry here. im big on rain water collection for the garden.

Ah, yes, Jazzy. Rainwater collection will be part of our homestead expansion, but we were lucky to get 5 inches in 2021 I think your area might get a little more than mine. I love the Sangre de Cristos and the San Juan's, but those damn 14ers keep all our water on the other side!

 

[jazzy]

yeah, the drought has made a real difference thae lat couple years. i think we arent off too bad here but i want some more water tanks and rain gutter for the back of the house. not alwasy the easiest place to live but you know what? we are so far up and out it tends to keep the riff raff out, lol. too hard to get here, unpaved roads and all, heck even the relatives hate coming here. too much trouble., lol.


hey ive been reading that container gardening uses less water than traditional row planting. easier to mulch and maintain mositure,. you ever try the tater towers? a roll of fence wirte stands up, layer mulch and tater starts for a few layers . water as needed and at end of season just open the wire cage and let the taters fall out. not a bad experiment at all.

 

[3H Homestead]

yeah, the drought has made a real difference thae lat couple years. i think we arent off too bad here but i want some more water tanks and rain gutter for the back of the house. not alwasy the easiest place to live but you know what? we are so far up and out it tends to keep the riff raff out, lol. too hard to get here, unpaved roads and all, heck even the relatives hate coming here. too much trouble., lol.


hey ive been reading that container gardening uses less water than traditional row planting. easier to mulch and maintain mositure,. you ever try the tater towers? a roll of fence wirte stands up, layer mulch and tater starts for a few layers . water as needed and at end of season just open the wire cage and let the taters fall out. not a bad experiment at all.

My family barely visits me, either, but I'm with you, less riff raff! I'm a Mel Bartholomew fan, I've done square foot gardening ever since I moved to Colorado. I live about 200 yards from the Rio Grande, so thankfully, my water table is generally about 5 feet underground. I have a water well and am alotted 1 acre of watering with what we already pay to conservancy district every year, which is perfect, because we only have 1.1 acres to work with. I'm so grateful for the small town atmosphere and lack of riff raff out here, it definitely gives me more time to take care of my livestock and gardens.

 

[Peanut]

Welcome from Bama! We got a few LA folks here in the forum. I myself worked off shore (boats) long ago. I knew Sabine Pass well, along with half a dozen towns between there and Grand Isle.

Farm some now... only a few critters left.

 

[Cascadian]

Welcome from Oregon.