Self-sufficiency in AZ or NM

[Hope]

Hello,

We, DH & I, are wondering if anyone here on SLF is living a self-sufficient lifestyle in either AZ or NM. If so, how did you learn to do it? We both grew up in the Midwest so neither of us have a clue.

[Mrs-M]

Hi Hope. Kib, a resident and longtime member of the forum will be back real soon and I'm thinking she may have some great advice for you. Until then, welcome aboard! :)

[Gina]

What do you mean by 'self-sufficient'? Growing all your own food and having your own water and paid-for house, etc?

I like to think I'm self sufficient. In some ways I am, but not really. Coastal California here.

[Rosemary]

Water is a big issue in the desert SW. Read the into to B. Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle for some comments on Arizona and self-sufficiency. She grew vegetables and had chickens in the Tucson area but moved to SW Virginia when she and her family decided to pursue this lifestyle.

[iris lily]

Having lived in New Mexico, I can say that those thousands of square miles that you can buy dirt cheap are cheap for a reason.

Now that reminds me of Cousinit--he made it to this new website under a different name but I've not seen him around in a while. He could talk to you about simple living in the desert of New Mexico.

I would never live a back to the land life in NM or AR but that's me. My home state of Missouri has wonderful acres of available land--with water. Not expensive.

[RosieTR]

People obviously were able to do this in the past, or there wouldn't be a bunch of Native tribes around. However, there are some considerations and water is a big one. Altitude is another, because the higher you go the cooler it is and often (but not always) more moisture. Choosing land carefully is a big thing-you'll have to think about the way water flows, how weather systems move, etc. A great place to start is to check out Phoenix or Tucson's permaculture club websites (google them). There is a wealth of information there as well as resources to get you started. So far I've been unsuccessful growing anything other than: bermuda grass, apple trees, peach trees and various citrus trees. One mesquite managed to die over the winter (!) though the other one looks good.
Hopefully your luck will be better, but I'd recommend making some friends near where you expect to live who could give local advice. The climate varies incredibly in AZ and NM, from alpine to hot, hot desert so making recommendations on what to do is going to be very locally based. Good luck with your adventure!