My Thoughts on Greening the Desert.

Have you ever thought about turning your desert oasis into a Greenland of food, herbs, and plants? 

I know I have‼️

This is why I set sail on a venture to see.

Is it even possible? 

Is anyone else doing this?

You wouldn't believe what I'd found in my research!

Places like China, Saudi Arabia, and Australia have managed to increase their forest lands by converting desert areas to green land!

Of course, there are various techniques that need to be learned, tested, and improved upon, but others are making the mistakes, so we don't have too. I love learning from others. 

After all, Otto Von Bismark told us. "A wise man learns from another man's mistakes." I've found this to be true.

This is why I created a playlist on YouTube to help you see what others have accomplished, how they did it, and what mistakes they've made. That is if you're interested. 

If you want to learn more about how you can grow food in the desert. Click this link for the playlist. 

But before you do! I just want to share with you some of my random thoughts.

Because Rome wasn't built in a day. We must consider the options of growing little by little. It is in this way we are capable of learning how to sprout seeds and nurture them in a desert climate one at a time. By doing so we are able to get to know our plants well enough to raise them year after year without losing them to being scorched by the sun. Or taken out by a horrible sandstorm.

Each time we introduce plants to our property we are diversifying the ecosystem, enriching the soil, and getting back to the very things that can feed our family and livestock. 

Food prices have increased tremendously over the last few years. Making it hard for people to feed their family. It is time we make the difference in our own lives by growing a lot of our own food. Once we get this practice down. We can easily feed our own livestock. 

Simply put. 

Being self sustaining is a benefit that shouldn't be forsaken.

This is why I've dedicated my land to growing food and building off the land! 

It is our belief system that the town and local city dwellers are going to soon need to stock up on goods that they're not going to find in the stores. 

If every family (household) committed to growing one food or raising one livestock we could make a difference in one another lives via bartering and trade. However, what we see is people looking down on people, gossip, and more. Lawlessness is abounding and corruption is far and wide throughout the world. This is why we will focus on building and growing. In hopes to sow love, honesty, and virtue back into the lives of the people around us. 

We just love our Sierra Blanca, TX community!

The real question is. Can our family green our desert land? If we could. Would you like to follow along? 

Let us know in the comments!

Or email: phoenix@sierrablanca.blog

Income making opportunities for the Off-gridder

Sierra Blanca is considered a "ghost town" by a few of the locals, however so, I've heard some chatter that claims this area is growing quickly. But who takes everything someone says as absolute facts? Not I‼️ 

If you really want to know something (like I always do) you do a little research into the matter.

In my research. I found. Statistics say something different. This area of West Texas has actually been declining in population according to (Data USA).

In 2022, the population was 544, down from 676 in 2021.  Of course, just like every city and town, the town's population has fluctuated over the years. (Almanac) No new data shows the current population beyond 2022. So it is possible that the last two years plus has brought new people to the area!

In the mid-1920s, the population was around 600, but it dropped to 500 in the early 1930s. The population remained around 850 until the late 1960s, when it briefly rose to 900. The population dropped again in the early 1970s to 600. In 2022, the population was 544. 

Now these facts allow me to hypothesize a few things.

1. If you aren't part of the family lines established here you most likely aren't going to find work you can live on comfortably.

2. Unless you know someone (or have favor of the people) you couldn't even run a small business and be successful enough to live a cush lifestyle. 

3. You need to be inventive when it comes to earning a living.

I could very well be wrong about my assessments, but even so, jobs aren't plentiful around these parts.

Although, you could make the drive into El Paso (even though reports show finding a job there is difficult) and the surrounding areas. Or go in the opposite direction to Van Horn and (hopefully) find a job. 

Places like LOVE'S truck stop have been hiring. I hear they would even provide you with living quarters. But if you're doing the off-grid life, wanting to develop your own land and be away from the norm, then you don't want to live anywhere else but on your own land‼️ (which is pretty much the type of resident to be found in the area.)

So...

How do you make it work if you aren't receiving some sort of income consistently? 

Here are just a few ideas to kickstart your creative mind. 

You can couple it with your experience and embark on a journey that will support your lifestyle choices.

1. Everyone has a neat little quirk that comes out in a way that you can capitalize on! My mom liked making ceramic dolls, and other porcelain pieces, that she could sell to a lucrative market. If she had the opportunity to be in this international market online. Her love for arts and crafts would've been fulfilling! Her ability to earn a good living wouldn't have been hard either. Certainly her expectations would be superceded!

Now let's apply this to you. 

Do you make tinctures, t-shirts, or some special kind of pies? There's a market out here for whatever you like to do. You could even sell other people's products and services from the comfort of your desert oasis. 

Do you think internet is a problem? 

It's no problem at all.

In fact, you can help other companies sell that service too! By joining one of the many affiliate marketing programs offering competitive compensation that you can earn when you're sleeping!

If you're already self-employed you could take advantage of the SETC (self-employment tax credit) and get money you deserve from taxes you've already paid into! Click the link to see if you qualify!

The online world has endless possibilities! Things like affiliate marketing or selling your own product and service are really quite similar in nature! 

They're not extremely hard either! And you can find literature on every aspect from marketing to competitors for free!

2. Find products you can't find in the area and sell them on Facebook marketplace.

Products can vary. Here are a few examples. First download TEMU and search for products! Here are a few picks I believe would bring in a little something to help with small expenses.

1. Propane Tank Gauge: This product is at an all time low right now. At just over 13$ you could purchase yourself one and experience a huge savings. Imagine purchasing a handful of these and posting them on Marketplace. You could save residents time and gas money by saving them a trip to the store! And there's still cost cutting attributes! Normally residents will order from Amazon which means they've got to wait on the package to arrive! Most of the time people need these things immediately! With that in mind. They have to drive an hour and a half in hopes to find one! Gas and time consuming. With you posting a few on fb marketplace. You can easily save them the troubles! Surely that means you can tell people what you carry and when they need something you have BAM you've earned something on your small investment!

It's a win win type situation!

2. A collapsible rain barrel: everyone knows you get very little rain in Sierra Blanca. But when it rains. It pours! Take advantage of that by harvesting that rain water with one of these Vevor products! When you up the price 10 - 20 more dollars you aren't price gouging. In fact, you are still saving people time and money!

 

3. Charge controller:  This 100A 4800W Charge controller by Roexby is an affordable way to ensure proper battery charging. Things break! People need replacements quickly! 

Of course, there are thousands of items to choose from. My storefront has a selection that's been well researched. Have a look at it to generate ideas or even save yourself some money! After all. A penny saved is a penny earned!

✨Discover Amazing Finds at My Storefront in Temu App: https://app.temu.com/m/mrr9kcsmxau 🎁 Don’t miss out on the special $100 coupon bundle waiting for you. 🌟 Packed with top-notch products at unbeatable prices. 

Click https://temu.to/k/uyz8mn6mnmv now to explore, shop, and save big! 🛍️✨

If you like these ideas and are in search of more follow the blog to be alerted everytime a post is made!

If you're a small business or an entrepreneur in the area reach out to us so we can feature you on this blog for free!

My Go-To For My Mud Home

 I'm inspired by others oftentimes. And this is my style of building. Using old materials people would throw away will help me shape my future dwelling that's going to be warm in the winter and cool in the summer without heating or cooling materials! 

What are your thoughts? Would you like to see me build it? Comment below! Let me hear your thoughts! 

Winter Time in the Desert! Top rated Heating supplies!

Sierra Blanca is growing quickly! Surely there's a few newcomers that didn't expect the drastic temperature changes from the midday sun to the dark and extremely cold nights. For me the low temperatures were a real surprise. Especially because we moved from a mild climate to a blazing hot summer in the middle of the hottest months on record! We were begging for cool and breezy nights after our air conditioner decided it couldn't run on our generator any longer. It was tough!

Talking with residents we were able to gather what a winter night looked like. Lucky for us. Our neighbors knew exactly what to expect. So they gave us tips on how to stay warm.

You can feel the temps drop quickly when you're in a drafty place. 

But we only heard about it. Experiencing it felt different. The first night the temperature dropped we were not expecting to freeze our butts off! 

But we did. We were totally unprepared! The advice out friendly neighbors gave us must've went over our heads and under our toes! No, really...

It's our tight budget. We thought we could get away with sleeping bags and if push came to shove we would light up our propane furnace. 

After the first frost. It was came on. I was going to find good solutions. Here are recommendations based on my own purchases, reviewers, and they had to be budget and solar power friendly!

As an affiliate marketer I earn commissions for your purchases through the provided links at NO extra cost to you. 

Here are the results based on the criteria above:

My first go to didn't make it through the hot summer with me. The good ole heating pad! At just 125 watts I could ideally use it for around 4-5 hours with no problem. The problem is I've owned three in less than a year and a half. Spent over 100$ and none of them lasted an entire year. (probably because I like to sleep with mine on. But that's not here or there. I can't keep buying these things that don't last! So throw that idea out of the window! 

When it comes to keeping warm. You need your choices to work when needed!

A good friend turned me onto something better! 

A heated throw! 

Throws are made to be wrapped around you! So bye-bye to having to toss it after one seasonal usage. They're made to do the job! This one in particular is at the lowest price in 30 days!! ⤵️

📢 Reaks Heated Throw Blanket Electric, 50" x 60" Heating Blanket with 5 Fast Heat Levels & 3 Hours Auto Off, Soft Warm Flannel Sherpa Blankets for Home Office, Machine Washable, Red & Beige 

Of course every household needs a low wattage, more heat and less noise, space heater with an emergency shut off (in case one of the animals kicks it over!)

Coming in at just 500 watts, this little heater has some amazing reviews and the price is a no-brainer. Who knows just how long winter may last this season?

📢 Amazon Basics Ceramic Space Heater, Mini Heater for Office Desk, 500 W, Portable Tent Heater for Camping (Indoor Use), With Tip-Over Protection, Lightweight (1.4 LBS), White, 5.9 x 3.2 x 6 inches : Home & Kitchen

The reviews on this item are stupendous! I had to spring into action and pick me one up too! You would think with the size it wouldn't make much of a difference in large rooms. One reviewer said their room is about 100 square ft. (to put that into perspective that's about half of the square footage of a 26 ft Class C RV) and their room is kept nice and cozy. Then, when the room temperature hits a certain warmth the heater shuts off on its own! The price is budget friendly and consumers love it! The biggest selling point for me was the price and the length of time Hanna said she has had hers! (3 years)... On around 280 ah battery bank you could run this thing throughout a frosty night and keep from freezing for under 5 pennies a night for the next 3 years! It's perfect for emergency situations or everyday use!

This next item is one of my all time favorites. 

📢 Bwarm Electric Heated Mattress Pad Mini Twin Size, 31" x 55", Bed Warmer, 9 Heat Settings, 1-12 Hours Auto Off, Deep Pocket, Fast Heating, Machine Washable, Soft and Cozy!T his easily hand washed or machine washable pad is a favorite because the bed stays warm for the five of us! Of course, we needed a larger size than the twin linked here. But you get the picture to a perfect bed warmer that can even keep the dogs from wanting under the cover on the below freezing temperature nights!

This next one is admittingly only suggested by other content creators and consumers far and wide for staying warm and healing! My "to buy" item in this category is a bit more pricey and has a lot more amenities. This pick is still one for the taking!

📢 Amazon.com: UTK Heating Pad, 660nm Photon Light,Amethyst,Tourmaline and Jade Gemstone, Far Infrared Heat Pad, Adjustable Timer & Temperature (Pro21''x 39'') FOR HEALTHY Living

That's right! Not only can you stay warm with this heating pad you can heal! I've done a lot of reading on this new technology. If you'd like to learn more about how and why it would work head over to Bioelectric.Solutions and start your learning journey today! In the meantime, check out the reviews on this photonic healer and hearing pad! It's worth the investment!

Just look at Marina said on July 11, 2024 here https://a.co/d/2SuUsPl

Another amazing way to stay warm is to drink something warm and cuddle up to your significant other or your fur babies (heck, I like both)... 

And when you incorporate these items it gets so warm at night you have to turn the heat down! 

If you haven't experienced a West Texas, Hudspeth County winter, don't be caught off-guard. And if it's too late; you're already freezing. Jump into action! I've a strange feeling we haven't seen the worse cold this season. We haven't hit the coldest month of the year yet (which is February if you didn't know!)

Stay warm!