Moving to the Ranch: What's Next for FiberMaiden
I'm writing this with dust on my boots and a fist full of pine shavings. The first raised bed is framed out in the desert sun, and after three years of building this place six visits per year, we're finally here to stay.
This is where my years of experience, daily practice, and learning will all be tested to the fullest extent in the desert. No more dreaming and working vacation visits. It is real daily life now.
From Raw Land to Home
Three years ago, we had nothing but dirt and sky. No water lines, no power grid, no shade. The first two years were pure survival camping, pitching tents on different parts of the land, packing up before sunrise to escape the 100-plus degree heat that would turn any campsite into an oven.
We learned the land by living on it the hard way. Which spots caught the worst wind. Where water would actually flow during the rare desert storms. How fast the sun could make metal too hot to touch.
Eventually we upgraded to a large shed that became our base camp. Then a carport for shade. A rough bathhouse that's still half-finished. Everything has been built in stages, in whatever state of completion we could manage during those brief visits.
The learning curve was steep. Some experiments failed spectacularly. But we kept building, one small system at a time, until we had something livable.
Now the ranch isn't just a project anymore. It's home. And being here full-time means we can finally finish what we started: completing the bathhouse, installing the full solar array, tying the water catchment into the buildings, establishing the garden, planting fruit trees, and setting up for the goats and chickens that will make this place truly self-sufficient.
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Disclosure
Some links on FiberMaiden are affiliate links. When you click and purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I partner only with brands and tools I trust and use in my own kitchen, studio, and garden. Your support means a lot.
What I'm Not Changing
The heart of FiberMaiden stays the same. I'm still making herbal remedies, working with natural fibers, cooking from scratch, and preserving what we grow. These aren't new skills I picked up for ranch life, they've been part of my daily routine for over 20 years, whether I was in the city or out here in the desert.
That foundation doesn't shift with geography. I'll still be dyeing wool with plants I forage, making tinctures from herbs that thrive in harsh conditions, and turning whatever we harvest into meals that last. The scenery might change from urban backyard to high desert, but the core practices remain constant.
If anything, these skills matter more than ever out here. When the nearest store is an hour away and you're responsible for your own power and water, knowing how to make what you need from what you have isn't just satisfying, it's essential.
What's Different Now
Everything happens in a new context. Off-grid living means every project has to earn its place. Does it work in 110-degree heat? Can I do it with limited water? Will it hold up to desert winds? What are my own physical and experience limitations? How long will that take? How much will it cost?
That filter changes everything:
Desert gardening that actually produces food in extreme heat
Water systems you can build and maintain yourself that are low lift, low cost, and water efficient
Fiber projects sized for small spaces and harsh conditions
Food preservation methods that work in desert heat
Plant medicine and Dyes from what grows wild here
But the bigger shift is sustainability in every sense of the word. There's no calling someone to fix what breaks. No running to the store when you're out of something essential. I will have to learn to adapt to new pests that thrive in this climate, weather that can destroy months of work in one afternoon, and the reality that convenience isn't an option anymore. I will miss you most of all Door Dash. Everything has to work with what you have on hand, what you can grow or make yourself, and what will actually survive in isolation. It's self-reliance tested daily, not just talked about. There are no more easy wins. It will take planning and flexibility to make it work.
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Your Front-Row Seat
Consider this your invitation to the workshop. Every post will show you the full process: what we built, why we chose that approach, what went wrong, and how to adapt it for your situation.
You'll get the material lists with actual costs, the tools that matter versus the ones that don't, and the mistakes I made so you can skip them. When something takes three attempts to get right, I'll walk you through all three. When a "simple" project turns into a weekend ordeal, you'll know why and how to plan better.
This isn't about inspiring you with glossy photos of perfect results. It's about giving you the real information you need to actually build, grow, and make things that work. No Instagram perfection. Just real builds, honest mistakes, and practical solutions you can use whether you're on five acres or a city balcony.
The goal is always the same: less guessing, more doing. Less buying, more making. Less dependence, more capability.
What's Coming
First up is a raised bed for fall and winter brassicas. This will be my first garden in the desert and I already know it's going to present some teachable moments. I've done as much research as I possibly can to help with the learning curve, but I know from my experience out here there are going to be extra challenges that I haven't accounted for.
I saved up my pennies to get some lovely ollas for passive watering. I'll need row covers and shade cloth (yes, probably still in the fall), frost cloth, and probably some things I don't even know I need yet.
That's exactly the kind of real time problem solving you'll see documented here. Plus shade structures, succession planting schedules, and those quick "field notes" when something works better than expected or fails in interesting ways.
The real education happens in the details nobody talks about.
Come Along
This is the handmade life without the filter. Dust, sweat, failures, and the occasional breakthrough that makes it all worth it. And cute projects that I can’t live without. I am still me after all.
I invite you to this new chapter of my life and everything I have left to learn about off grid living and sustainability to help you while you are in your era of learning. Just like so many before me who helped me on my journey. I hope you will join me in this process and help me celebrate the wins and help me lick my wounds when I fail. So much exciting stuff coming up that I can’t wait to share with you. But for now, here's to new chapters and new opportunities to grow.
