The Desert Ranch Project

History

In the fall of 2006 I purchased 5 acres of desert land near El Paso, TX.
Since that time many people have asked me why I bought it and what I intend to do with it.
Let me try to explain:
1) I think it is cool to own a piece of land.
2) It was cheap.
3) It is less than an hour from a decent-sized airport.
4) I have some past/expected future connection to the area (participating in medical trips to Juarez). 
5) I like the aesthetics of the desert- beauty, solitude, expansive space, essence.
6) It stimulates thinking about ways to create value from marginal land.
7) It provides a testing ground for putting those ideas into practice
    (alternative energy, efficient use of scarce water, desert agriculture, etc.)
8) It provides an opportunity to think through and learn how to do logistics for projects in remote areas
    (something that may be useful if I do development work abroad in the future)
9) It provides a site to design and build a small cabin, and to test/learn new construction techniques.
10) It gives me a permanent anchor in Texas, no matter where I may end up living in the future.

The site

The land is a triangularly-shaped parcel 8 miles north of I-10. One corner is in a pond with an earthen dam/levy that rises about 15-20 feet above the surrounding terrain. From this ridge there are nice views of the pond and a plateau to the North. You can look to the South and see the mountains across the border in Mexico. 

The land with approximate corners marked

Progress so far
Foundation Completed platform (plywood painted grey, not concrete)

This platform serves as a place to pitch a tent elevated off the ground and (hopefully) away from snakes. In the future it will form the floor for an open air summer pavillion (good breeze due to elevation and proximity to pond). Here is the tentative design rendered using Google Sketchup:

Future plans

Next trip
1) Make a gate/opening in the barbed wire fence behind the platform for easier access to the pond
2) Start forming terraced steps up the embankment (wood or metal retaining walls filled in with gravel)
3) Make some adobe bricks

Intermediate
1) Build a small shed out of adobe or put up cheap metal shed to store tools/building materials
2) Put up frame and tin roof on summer pavillion
3) Secure access to a pickup truck to use locally when in El Paso

Long term
1) Build a cabin out of adobe or other material
2) Build a water supply system supplied by rain water catchment and/or pond
3) Build or purchase a composting toilet system
4) Build a solar/windpower electric system with battery bank and generator backup
5) Expand the ranch as neighboring parcels become available at tax auction
6) Find some kind of agriculturally/economically productive use for the land such as:
     a) cultivating native candelilla
     b) grow algae for protein extraction or lipid extraction for biodiesel
     c) cultivate prickly pear for novelty wine or salsa
     d) synthetic photosynthesis or solar power station to take advantage of future carbon trading 
     d) other ideas?

Note: To those who are concerned that this sounds like I'm going to run off and become a hippie farmer in the desert, relax. I'm still planning to finish grad school, med school, etc. and get a real job. However, I think this will be a fun hobby/retreat/vacation project for the years/decades to come.

Send your advice/comments/thoughts on desert usage to: dmowen@hotmail.com
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