Yesterday I had a wonderful and rewarding experience of touring a nearby Sufi Community along with other members of our local Permaculture Group. We were invited there by Sequoia and Sunny to immerse ourselves for a few hours in their nearly self-sufficient life. I was quite impressed by the extent of their accomplishments during the five years they have lived there.
You can find out more about this Sufi Community at southwestsuficommunity.org It was founded in1995 and is located on 1,500 wild acres one hour North of Silver City, New Mexico by way of a rugged, winding mountain road that borders the Gila National Forest.
Sequoia and Sunny have carved out about one acre for their gardens that not only provide much of their own produce needs, but also lots of feed for their goats and chickens.
The have a solar-powered well that produces an abundance of water for all of their needs, with the overflow feeding a lovely pond.
This is a full time endeavor for this couple, demanding more of their time than a normal day’s work for most people. But they love it and would have it no other way.
Sequoia makes a variety of delicious goat cheeses from the two gallons of goat milk they get each day.
Sunny has crafted numerous buildings on the land that serve as home…
community kitchen…
greenhouses…
and guest house. None of these projects has cost any more than a few thousand dollars.
This is the third homestead that the couple has created during the last dozen years, and at 78, Sunny is actually willing to start all over if the right circumstances were presented.
I am really grateful for the generous opportunity to tour this most self-sufficient homestead I have yet encountered!
Wonderful encounter – great pictures (Picture often is worth a thousand words)
Amazing what can be done with lots of desire and willingness to indulge in some difficult tasks
Skill sets are often learned but growing that knowledge excels with hands on and true life experiences
Location / surrounding conditions can be challenging however educating oneself prior to starting any project is often one of the most important elements Glean info from all reliable sources INVESTIGATE
Pretty amazing what a few people working together can accomplish in a short span of time :)