The Why... a.k.a. The Plan

Homestead Build Journey: Phase 0 — Where It All Begins

There’s a point in every big dream where it stops being an idea and starts becoming a plan. This is that point for us. Before the first board is cut, before the soil is turned, before the cargo trailer becomes a tiny, multitasking home on wheels — this is the beginning of our homestead build journey.

This page will be the place where I share the real, hands‑on process of building a small, intentional homestead in southern Colorado. Not the polished version. Not the “Pinterest‑ready” version. The real version — the slow steps, the problem‑solving, the frustrations, the learning curves, the small wins, and the moments that make it all worth it.

Food is still the heart of everything I do. That’s not changing. But the homestead is the ground that heart will eventually grow from.

Why We’re Building This Homestead

The short version is simple: I want a place where life feels grounded again. A place where food comes from the soil under our feet, where the kitchen is the center of the home, and where the pace of life matches the seasons instead of the clock, a place away from all of the chaos.

The longer version is a mix of family, timing, and the kind of clarity that only comes when life knocks you sideways, and then looks at you and says "now what do you got, big guy". I bought a small piece of land in Colorado with the intention of building something stable and simple — a place where my family can live well, eat well, and breathe a little easier.

Originally, this was a slow three to four-year plan. Something to build piece by piece, season by season. But being laid off from my job shifted everything. Suddenly, the “someday” project became a “start right now” project. Not out of panic — out of purpose. Out of the realization that life doesn’t always wait for the perfect moment.

And at the center of that purpose is my mother. She’s blind, disabled with mobility issues, and has already sacrificed more for me than I could ever repay. She deserves stability. She deserves safety. She deserves a place where she doesn’t have to adapt to constant change — especially now, when Tess and I can adapt far more easily than she can. She shouldn’t have to bend her life around mine anymore. It’s my turn to build something around her.

The Reality: Renting While We Build

As much as I’d love to move straight onto the land, that’s not possible — not safely, not responsibly. So, unfortunately, I’ll be renting a place near the property while I build. It’s definitely not ideal. It slows things down. It eats into the budget. But it gives my mother a safe, stable place to be while I’m working on the land.

It’s the right choice. It’s the responsible choice. And it’s the choice that lets this homestead be built with intention instead of rushing.

Phase 1: The Minimalist Cargo Trailer Conversion

Before we can build anything on the land, I need to have someplace I can stay during the long days of the build — safely, simply, and without sinking money into more temporary housing or a camper trailer that doesn’t serve the long‑term plan.

That’s where the cargo trailer comes in.

I am not a fan of things that serve only one purpose, what I call "unitaskers" (I stole that term from Alton Brown, sorry Alton), so the goal is to convert a basic cargo trailer into a modular, minimalist living space that can shift between “home mode” and “hauling mode” depending on what the build requires. I'm in the process right now of looking at a couple of different trailer manufacturers. The design is simple on purpose:

• a simple counter with a hidden sink

• a hidden cassette toilet

• a hidden shower pan

• a modular bed that folds away

• storage that doubles as workspace

• off‑grid power options

• a layout that stays flexible as the build evolves

It won’t be fancy. It won’t be big. But it will be functional — and it will be a place to lay my head, on site, through the early stages of the homestead build.

Tess, of course, has already claimed the future bed as hers. She’ll be supervising the entire process, probably with her favorite rope toy in her mouth

Phase 2 and Beyond: The Bigger Picture

Once the trailer is finished and we’re able to be on the land more consistently, the real build begins. The plan — in broad strokes — looks like this:

• Phase 2: A structure for long‑term housing, I'm currently looking at a few hopefully affordable options

• Phase 3: A greenhouse and small market garden

• Phase 4: One or two small guest cabins for friends and family to come and stay

• Phase 5: Expanding into a small farm kitchen and food‑focused outdoor space

• Phase 6: Slowly building toward a farm‑to‑table lifestyle

This won’t happen overnight. It won’t even happen in one season. But it will happen one step at a time.

Where We Are Right Now

Right now, we’re in the planning and preparation stage — gathering materials, sketching layouts, figuring out what needs to happen first, and making sure the move from New Mexico to Colorado is done safely and intentionally.

It’s not glamorous, but it’s necessary. And honestly, it’s exciting. This is the part where the dream starts to take shape.

What to Expect Here

This page will grow as the homestead grows. You’ll see:

• updates on the cargo trailer build

• early steps on the land

• small victories and inevitable setbacks

• the practical side of building something from scratch

• Tess being Tess

• how food ties into all of it

Nothing fancy. Nothing staged. Just the real journey, shared as it unfolds.

Thanks for Being Here

If you’re reading this, you’re here at the very beginning — before the first nail, before the first garden bed, before the first meal cooked on the land. I’m glad you’re here. I hope you’ll stick around as we build this thing one piece at a time.

NEXT: Why does the Trailer Come Before the Cabin??

Back To: Us and the Homestead