starting at $0 Partial Work-Exchange (Price reduced by work-exchange program)
Terraform Homestead
Bisbee, AZ 85638
Terraform Homestead is a tiny house, eco-friendly, educational community near the amazing small town of Bisbee Arizona.
After building my first tiny home in 2015, traveling the country in a Honda Element, building a second tiny home in 2017... and the hiking halfway across the country on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2019... I finally settled down and purchased land to build a community of like-minded individuals who want to live simply, sustainably, and happily out in the desert.
We are BRAND new. We purchased 100% raw, undeveloped land in Mid-January of 2020 and have been working to build it into a beautiful community. The end goal is to have a self-sustaining community of 5-8 full-time dwellers and a regular flow of travelers coming through.
Community Vibe:
My Girlfriend, Katie and I (Richard) own and run the community. We are both earth-friendly, yogi, liberal, crunchy hippie types and are looking for more people who fit with our ideals.
We are both Vegetarian/Vegan and do ask that community members keep at least a vegetarian diet while on the land. This is not just because of our ideals, but it also helps significantly with keeping away pests, dealing with black water, and dealing with waste since all trash has to be either burned (cardboard/paper) or packed out.
We LOVE board/card games, campfires, good conversations, learning things, plants, and sharing meals and drinks with other people. The main goal of this community is to have people around that we can both learn from and teach and enjoy each other's company.
We are a nudist/naturalist friendly community. There is no requirement to participate, but please know that others may and be respectful of everyone.
If you are interested in learning about going off-grid, construction, permaculture, growing food, harvesting water, producing energy, this is a great place to be. While I have a fair amount of knowledge in construction and solar, we are learning as we go with all of this... we are not looking for people to pay to stay, but rather to bring their knowledge, passions, expertise, and willingness to learn to the community. If there are projects you are passionate about and want to try, we are certainly open to hearing them and if it makes sense for the community to try it out! If you are new and want to learn we are happy to teach. Just be open and willing to learn.
Community Expectations:
We are not looking for monetary contributions... but rather we need help with projects as we build this community.
Skilled labor is great, but not required. Much of the work we have to do out here is very physically demanding. We are open to project ideas and will let you pursue projects/experiments that interest you if they fit within the end goal and budget of the community. We're happy to teach. Artists are also very welcome and if your work fits our vibe, look and feel, we would love murals/sculptures created.
The Area:
Our community is between Bisbee, Tombstone, and Sierra Vista Arizona.
Bisbee (20 minutes drive south): Bisbee is an amazingly small, artsy community tucked away in the mountains. It has a handful of great dive bars, a brewery, regular live music, cute shops, and an all-around great vibe.
Sierra Vista (30 minute drive west): Sierra vista is where we get all of our supplies. They have big grocery stores, home depot/lowes, Walmart, a good library, UPS, co-op, chain restaurants... etc. There is also a large hospital 20 minutes away.
Tucson (1:30 hr drive north): Tucson is close enough to be accessible. They are a large metropolitan city with an international airport. There is free camping near town and makes a great spot for a weekend getaway.
Hiking/Biking/Outdoors: Our property touches BLM land which is accessible for cross-country hiking literally from your doorstep. The Arizona trail southern terminus is a 45-minute drive away. There are TONS of mountains and hiking trails very close to us.
Other Cities: We are within a one day drive of Colorado, Southern Utah, San Diego, New Mexico, and only 45 minutes from the Mexican border. The Grand Canyon is about 6:30hrs away, Phoenix about 3hrs.
Upcoming Major Projects:
• Shade Structures/Workshop
• "Rain Roof" and rainwater harvesting system
• Sandbag/Earth Ship Root Cellar
• Gardening/Aquaponic Systems
• Community Kitchen/Shower
Know before you apply:
We do live in the desert and off the grid. The hots are hot, the colds are cold, and we have a ton of wildlife including rattlesnakes, spiders, scorpions, bobcats, coyotes, and javelina. We are in no way responsible for any injuries that may happen out here and we do have a waiver for all new members.
The purpose of this community is to be a happy, healthy, and sustainable place for everyone involved. If you don't fit the community vibe, you will be asked to leave.
We are 3 miles off of the paved road. Our road is accessible by 2 wheeled drive vehicles, but it can get muddy and slick during rains.
You must provide your own internet service. AT&T and Verizon work well out here (other services should, but I can only confirm the two).
You must provide your own power. Solar is highly encouraged and generators should only be used as a back up if we have multiple cloudy days (which is rare).
We have water tanks on-site a short distance away from our parking spots, but water must be hauled to tanks because the cows and javelina will eat any exposed hoses.
We should have laundry and a community outdoor shower and toilet.
Type of Village
TINY-ONLY VILLAGEAmenities
Community Garden, Community Kitchen, Fire Pit, Greenhouse, Laundry, Meeting Space, Outdoor Seating, Showers, Walking/Biking Path, Yoga Room, composting toiletCommunity Events
Board Game Night, Community Meals, Meditation, WWOOFingCulture
Arts, Burners, Commune, Cooperative, Eco-Friendly, Permaculture, Worker CooperativeEconomics
NoneGovernance
Majority Vote, Landlord, Single LeaderAge Restrictions | Adults Only |
Village Population | 5 |
Local Density | Rural |
Lot Sizes (sq ft) | 1000 |
Number of Lots | 4 |
Village Acreage | 24 |
Landscape | Mountain, Desert |
Pet Policy | Dogs, Cats, Exotic |
Livestock | Bees |