Aiden’s Property in Paonia

Visit Aiden’s Place

This past Summer I traveled out to the east coast and then to Albuquerque and went from Meow Wolf to the Earthship Community in Taos. From there I returned home, before heading out to Paonia, CO and then to the San Luis Valley. A friend of mine had bought property, a few acres, 2 houses, several sheds, a chicken coop, and an outdoor kitchen. The farm is located in the North Fork Valley, near Paonia and Hotchkiss. The North Fork Valley is an agricultural hub, lots of alternative and experimental agricultural operations. Fields upon fields of hemp and a prime growing climate for apples and other fruit, lots of orchards, vegetable farms and gardens, and a few vineyards.

The property has an amazing view of the valley, the West Elk Mountains, and you can see the Grand Mesa National Monument, to the West.

Aiden is currently working to restore the land, the soil was completely degraded and the entire field was dry and dead. The land all slopes down to the north west corner, and the ag water runs from the south east of the property, through a series of small channels that Aiden dug. When I was visiting, the field had lots of grasses, greens, and wild vegetable patches scattered along the banks of the irrigation canals. Many rich nitrogen builders and about a hundred sprouting trees are helping to regenerate the soil.

The red shed, the chicken coop that’s going to be converted to a living/sleeping area, the cooking area and the outdoor living space.

Aiden’s vision is of a Permaculture Story Garden, a multi level food forest that would allow individuals to walk on Hugelkultur burms, burms with buried scraps of wood to the lumber yard down the road. The scraps of wood help to retain and store water over time. Visitors could walk through the canopy, picking apples, and other fruit, and then walking down to the lower stories of the food forest, picking herbs and berries before heading to the ponds. Perhaps the field will someday have vast quantities of hemp or other crops, but for now the soil is still recovering from years of overuse and nutrient depletion. The way he describes his vision is an experience in itself. The way I describe the experience of Aiden’s Place is permaculture meets DIY creativity, art, design and music, recycled materials and amazing, odd creations, the freedom to experiment, create and build an experience of place and purpose, something wholesome and edgy at the same exact time. 

Aiden is looking to develop an inclusive and ever evolving community inviting to artists and permaculturalists as well as travelers and spiritual folks. The property is an open space in need of creatives to help build and design the experience as well as to help develop the info structure, fixing and adding to buildings, designing new spaces, and adding to the functionality of the property as a community space. 

You can contact Aiden through Hipcamp, and arrange a stay. Indoor spaces are mostly rented for long term tenants. But there are plans for a short term rental spot, an AirBnB sort of thing in the future. Other indoor spaces, like the chicken coop are slowly being converted to living/cooking spaces. The property is currently open to visitors spring, summer, and fall.

Aiden and the Awning

It rained the first morning I was there and the water from the roof of the shed was dripping onto the outdoor kitchen space. I was chilly, and a bit soggy, and in need of a hot breakfast. I thought that if I were somebody visiting and paying to camp, I would surely like the outdoor cooking space to be accessible even in the rain. That’s how the idea for the Awning of Joy and Suffering began.

I wanted to build an awning over the space, something that would catch water and be built using all recycled materials, from his property.

When Aiden purchased the property, it came with tons of old farm equipment, pieces of metal, and other scrap materials.

I found two L shaped iron posts, some 2×4’s and scrap wood, a long aluminium sheet for the gutter, and sheet metal roofing.

Carson and I put it together over the next week, working hard on our own schedule. Trouble shooting and problem solving as we went.

Night riding light writers – Carson’s light writing with the long exposure the night we finished the build.

We assembled the awning, battling wind, and sharp metal edges to get it finished, with a few cuts here and there we celebrated the finishing of the awning and as I took pictures, we found that during the long exposure, the flashlight that we were using was able to write in light as the photograph was exposed. The joy and suffering the awning project brought us was amazing and painful, beautiful and useful. I was thoroughly satisfied at what we had built and how we built it, over time, sourcing recycled materials, talking through problems and building something we were both proud of in the end.

The awning being built, sunset, night awning, West Elk Mountain range, mail boxes and mountains, water catchment and chain.

Aiden’s place is constantly evolving, he’s looking for help to develop the place as an inclusive community. A changing and growing community of creatives, travelers, artists and permaculture folks. If your in western Colorado and looking to camp, build, design, grow, paint, and create, then get involved in this amazing and ever evolving community. Please click the link below.

Aiden and Gaylin, Old and new structures in the valley, View from Aiden’s front driveway.

 

Visit Aiden’s Place