Looking for help with projects in Teton Valley, ID, USA

Details

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  Description

  Scott started an off-grid cabin in the wilds of the Teton mountains almost 30 years ago built almost exclusively out of salvaged materials. This land was traditionally Bannock and Shoshone land where they hunted and foraged in spring, summer and fall seasons.
  
  It has served as a remote getaway but now we are living here summers and winters. Emme is a creative soul so we built ian 'artist cabin' summer of 2020.
  
  We salvage materials from the local dump, take down old buildings and gather from other sources. There is So much available in the waste stream that it seems wrong to buy things new (plus it is cheap or free and we dont have alot of money). It has allowed us to stay out of debt and therefore own our own lives. This kind of building is always an adventure and has connected us with many interesting folks through the years.
  
  In the winter, we have to ski or snowmachine 4 miles to the cabin. In the summer we are able to drive to the 6 acre property. We are located about 22 miles North of Driggs idaho, outside the small villiage of Felt, Idaho a couple of miles from the Wyoming border.
  
  The Targhee National forest is a couple hundred yards from the property with the Jedediah Smith Wilderness area, Grand Teton national park and Yellowstone national park nearby, the largest intact ecosystem in the lower 48 states...a true outdoor paradise.
  
  We have many projects going at all times, from chopping/stacking wood for winter use, fixing up cabin, outhouse, sauna, and two restored Silo's on the property. As well as collecting/drying/storing medicinal herbs, edible mushrooms, huckleberries, and other wild food gathering. Emme is an interesting cook so workaways have loved learning and assisting in baking, fermenting, and food storage. She’s often eager to let workawayers take over cooking as well. 🤪
  
  
  Our ideal workawayer is not afraid to learn new things, is healthy and strong, optimistic, posseses common sense, is interested in living offgrid, loves animals, wants to learn, and enjoys the outdoors!
  
  We have a lovely converted Butler Silo, with windows, insulation, propane stove, coleman cook stove and comfy double bed, and writing area for workaways to stay in. It has a basic kitchen and provides you with your own space and privacy. There is solar power in the silo for lights etc. You will have access to a hot shower or a wood-fired sauna.
  
  Scott has been working with, guiding and hosting workaways for over 20 years in Southern Utah. You can type in Boulder, UT and find his workaway host site there. There’s a lot of feedback on that site from past Work awayers.
  Scott hosts in the spring and fall in Boulder, UT, but we'd love to host enthusiastic interesting folks who'd like to learn about our way of life, as well as share their insights to life so far while we are in Idaho which is in Dec-March, and June through octobe
  
  2023 projects that we'd love help with and offer our unique style of building and living with:
  
  Clearing downed Aspens and clearing brush for fire prevention.
  
  We’ll be taking down a 14’ silo in June at a nearby ranch and erecting it on the property that will be used as a guest sauna.
  This year we really need help taking out old standing Aspens in the summer, and cutting into firewood to restock for winter days and nights.
  Continuing 2023 Planting a "wild" garden here and there between the Aspens. Collecting and drying of nettle, raspberry leaves, wild rose and hips in the fall for tea. Emme plans on making goat milk (from local farmers) soap for gifts for upcoming year. A new thing and should be fun.
  Building Masonbee houses, bat boxes and bird houses and putting them up around land.
  
  We salvage weekly at local dump and it's our favorite day. We meet our friends and come home fully loaded every week.
  
  You'll learn lots of construction skills on the cheap, and how to homestead and live free. Also gathering and harvesting wild plants
  
  Many days we head to local water hole in the afternoon and rinse off the day, before returning to make dinner around the fire. We also have two canoes so we occasionally head to the Teton River to float. Many hiking and biking trails right from property, and access within a few miles to trails into the highlands of the Tetons. If you are here for the summer, there will opportunities for backpacking, mountainbiking, fishing, music fests, exploring. You’ll need to have your own transportation to get here.
  
  
  Contact us to see if you would be a good addition to our summer family.... Sincerely, Scott and Emme

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  As stated above, Scott built all his homes/outbuildings using reclaimed materials, we use solar, pump or haul water. We are avid readers. Have limited, but fairly reliable Cell service. No television, internet hit or miss. Emme is an artist, specializing in plant-based nutrition, with over 40 years expereience. She also is an avid knitter, hand spinner of fiber, paints, wood carver of kitchen utensils, gardens, writes and sews. We will be putting up alot of dried medicinal herbs and fermenting our finds. Also plan on making goat milk soap this summer.

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  Help

  Workawayers will learn and build alongside us.
  
  Projects for summer 2023
  on our property include: Clearing underbrush around outbuildings and under evergreens. Chopping and stacking firewood. Building mason bee houses, bat boxes and bird housing
  
  Assisting us in Gathering, chopping, stacking wood from surrounding area.
  
  Learning day to day living skills for living fully off grid.
  
  Putting up two grain silos
  
  Assisting us in building steps up to new covered deck.
  
  Salvaging and building glass windowed greenhouse.
  
  Along with various other projects. Collecting huckleberry, nettle, rose hips, etc.
  
  
  
  Joining us to salvage at dump each week for materials and treasures.

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  Workaways and guests stay in our Sweet old Butler Silo converted into a guest space. Propane stove, camp stove to make your own coffee or tea in a.m. and/or outdoor fire ring (where we cook most evenings...peaches with coconut oil, cinnamon and cardamom is our new favorite). Meals provided by hosts. Outhouse is a few yards away, outdoor solar heated shower or wood sauna available to work a ways .
  Emme loves cooking/baking, so workaways in past have enjoyed beautiful conciously made breakfast, lunch and dinners. And have helped in past to learn nutritional skills.

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  What else ...

  So much to see and do in our area. From hiking, mountain biking, flyfishing, canoeing, backpacking. We have outdoor gear, two canoes Mousbe and Billy, maps galore and will help send you off on adventures. In the winter you can ski out from the Silo, and there are 3 skate ski areas around Driggs, as well as Targhee for downhill. Driggs is only 30 minutes away, and hosts two libraries, a wonderful food co-op like shop, regular grocery, and many microbreweries, coffee houses and restaurants. The West Side of the Tetons is stunning and much quieter than Jackson. However, Jackson Hole is only 45 minutes away and offers a change of scenery and fun.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We have space for small RV or pop up.

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  Can possibly accept pets

  Can not chase our cat or wildlife. Doesn’t bark

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  4-5 hours a day, sometimes more. Five days a week

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