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2022 - 2024 IDEA FACTORY overload!


For those of you who follow this blog, our socials (links below), or our YouTube, I've been slacking on posting some of our big ideas for the year because, well honestly, there's kind of a lot going on, to say the least! In a perfect world, with an excess of free time, great sleep, and the modern conveniences, we'd keep you updated here... but it's not a perfect world, and none of those things have been in excess for us right now! 

So creating a new blog post or YouTube for all the fun things we've learned, tested, built, tried, failed, and rebooted this year... just hasn't been possible. Instead... I'm going to summarize, like the video above, and if you want me to elaborate on one of the projects, message me or comment below and I'll start there! It'll help me with the motivation if you do! Because I'd LOVE to be documenting this journey better, it's just for lack of time that I don't! 

For background... what we're building is the
Shambhala Collective and Permaculture Education Center 
Facebook | Instagram | Website | WWOOF | Intentional Community FIC profile

What is this? A place for us to live more sustainably, affordably, and peacefully. 
What's the mission of Shambhala? To provide a peaceful place of sustainable, self-sufficient living, and a place for continued learning, healing and personal growth in a community setting to spread our shared values and vision for a healthier, more longevous world.

Here's the play by play of our Idea Factory for the last 18mos! 

  1. June 2022 - sell home at real estate peak in CO, and purchase 40 acres of land in TN to start an intentional community and permaculture education center! 
    1. LONG prior: 
      1. Research locations based on list of needs
      2. Reach out to locals through Facebook groups for networking
    2. Take courses from the Foundation of Intentional Communities on starting one
    3. Take Permaculture Design Course certification for ideas, a master plan, and resources!
  2. Summer 2022 - build road through property, order Yurts
  3. Fall 2022 - hire a builder and build deck for Yurts
  4. Winter 2022-23 - write guidelines and rules for membership and more
  5. Spring 2023 - assemble yurts, setup WWOOF hosting profile 
  6. Summer 2023 - design and build: 
    1. Water catchment system - with a few helping hands, and quite a few mistakes
    2. Solar energy system - with lots and lots of help and also quite a few mistakes
    3. First gardens - with help for Hugelkultur harvesting, and building with pallets 
    4. Welcome 1st four WWOOF interns to Shambhala
    5. 2nd member tiny home build - order shed, subcontract spray foam insulation, frame tiny bathroom, install drywall and paint, install flooring  
  7. Fall 2023 - build bathhouse between yurts
    1. Learn "Pex" plumbing system
    2. Enlist friends to help and teach building basics
    3. Hire electrician to finalize the heavy stuff
    4. Wood stove purchase, setup, installation, and system perfection
    5. Welcome 1st prospective member process 
  8. What's to come... for 2024!
    1. Member 1 and 2 finish homes (never-ending punch list!)
    2. #s 3-9 member tiny homes (we're seeking 9 members total)
    3. Build first hoop house for gardens
    4. Plumbing and water catchment on barn for community space
    5. Flooring for barn for community space
    6. Establish first community gardens
    7. Continue to build food forests between members 1 and 2 - orchards and perennials
    8. Potentially add first animals for husbandry (chickens and/or ducks) 
YES we are DIY-ing the majority of this, because perhaps we're glutons for punishment.
YES there's a heavy learning curve and we're 25% over budget, but we're getting there! 
And YES we've had a LOT of help! 

There could easily be a blog post and or video on all of these topics! And in the long run, I hope there will be! For now - if any of these topics interest you, if you'd like to see our resource list on them, or you'd like to help us establish a good resource bank for all of this, please do reach out! It takes a village to do what we're doing, which is why we're enlisting a village to do so! 

Happy new year! 

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