Greg and bugout,
I'm not a big proponent of "slash and burn", just figured if the whole 5 acres was going to be logged and there was need to get some payback out of it AND deal with the leftover, perhaps burning the slash would somewhat ameliorate the damage. Personally, I'd prefer to see a lot of native stuff, some of which can be used for food also. However, it doesn't seem to be Bugout's long term plan.
Bugout, how long has your "forest" been in existence? (How old are the trees?) A lot of that area I'm thinking you are in hasn't been fully covered in PJ's for very long, a lot is the result of fire suppression. Your soil under the accumulated duff might just be more grassland type (for that area). PJ encroachment on native grassland/sage areas is a problem now that "we" have been suppressing fires for nearly a century.
Sounds like you've researched your "off the grid living" situation, so good luck with becoming fully self sufficient. A
Are you considering some non-traditional (to those of Northern European descent) food crops like yucca (fruits) Agave (roasted roots), Nopal (prickly pear fruit and pads) and a few others, that require little water and care? Yucca roots were used for soap also.
I'm sure old Euell Gibbons could help too.
Greg and others, thanks for the info re: cardboard. I have and will continue to watch out for the shiny ink stuff.
Geno
I apologize for the delay in reply Sir. I understand your position about slash and burn Geno.
I will start by answering your next point. I too love the indigenous edible species that are already there...Pinyon, Juniper, Manzanita, Gamble Oak, Some Prickly Pear, and some Yucca. The Cacti Species are very sparse though because of the elevation.
But in order to collect enough to stock pile through the non-production season one would have to forage a huge range of area like the Natives had to do. 5 acres just won't do it. Not without trespassing on surrounding Private, Federal, Indian Reservation or State lands not belonging to me. And in Az it is illegal to collect ANY native species except on your own private property.
The property has never been cut or thinned. It is so thick with huge downed Tree trunks from lightning strikes that it is hard to even walk around. So I think there has never been even a natural burn in this area for hundreds of years. These will be the first to cut and stack just to have some useable area.
The live trees are also thick and as close together as they will allow each other to be. I seriously would like it if I could just leave most of these live Trees and plant among them. but due to the nature of these growth inhibiting species in protecting themselves from other species taking their resources it would be hard.
My goal is to have it produce enough food to "make it through" between seasons. It really must have imported "Drought resistant" species in order to do this. There will be a minimal requirement for certain dietary needs to successfully do this. Vitamin C for example, there is very little Vitamin C in any of the native species so I have sourced a Kiwi that grows in Bush form, is drought resistant and still hardy down to -25 degrees.
The Kiwi is just one source of a couple I want to plant for "C". But these are the types of different species I have been making a list of over the years. I have even been growing them experimentally in a very good friend's like kind high elevation garden. He loves it when I tell him "Here's some starters, go plant them at your place and see how they do". I was able to turn him onto many species that he now plants every year in his own garden as a "Must have".
So my crop selections have already been actually proven to do well at my place when it is ready. But I am trying new ones every season. Just sent Greg some seeds to my newest experimental species. ( Greg...they have sprouted and looking good so far )
I am 54 and semi-retired, I have done fairly well for myself and want to have this property as self sustainable as possible by the time I am 65 so that we can live there off of our own independent resources. There is a chance that the Social Security I have paid in all these years will not be there when I get there. We will need to eat...And I do not want to beg for food or be forced into dependency on the Government.
Just never liked that leash and never will. I have always been dependent on only my own two hands and hard work.
