Live naked people

jaizei said:

For rodents, its probably the most effective solution. Having dogs on property helps deter most of the other predators you listed. AK for the hogs.

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I was about to say the same thing...also 'barn' cats will take out the rodents and wild rabbits. I have friends and family in Texas, the hogs will be a problem...they are strong, intelligent, and mean...be careful

So, why did I buy a second property, wasn't 33 acres enough? Fall of 2023 I learned that city property taxes don't go out to rural Texas, not at all. I think Californians might be spoiled, at least I was, about how Proposition 13 tied property taxes to actual valuations based on sales. In Texas, it's just what the county want for expenses and so the tax is raised without regard to property values - based on sales. Also in Texas, there is a privacy law that results in sales prices not being used as a tax basis because it's private information. They want you to report that sales price, but that's voluntary. No, I did not report the sales value.

There are also other schedules for property tax bases. Agricultural and wildlife basis. So once I learned all that tax stuff the search was on. The first property, at 33 acres, had power, a low fence, and direct access to roads on two sides. It cost less than two acres in California, and the tax basis as wildlife designation was low. The selling realtor offered clues to Metal building contractors, well diggers, and insurance people. The costs would have been $300,000 to $400,000. The well drillers did not want to drill a well for someone that intended to plant tree crops, the insurance agent wanted me to fill out the form that would go to the underwriter, and the building contractor had dreams of upselling cabinets and counter tops driving by an imaginary wife - not a plain insulated building, with a divider wall inside.

It's not so simple to deal with contractors from few 1,000 miles away. I offered a local contractor savvy friend $500/day to manage/supervise the contractors that might take the job on. Didn't want it.

So what to do??

I considered buying a warehouse in the area, but then the tax situation is lost, and no doubt some trades work still would need to be done. Being a part time real estate investor I started thinking much more broadly. Maybe there would be another agricultural property already that bit more developed. Many indeed can be found, but at a substantially higher price than my development budget. I did not want a mortgage, so cash. I kept looking and looking. I found the 36 acres place. It had been on the market over 500 days. It had a well, two electric meters, and 40 x 50 x 18 building, city water and a serious $hit show. DIY house. That last bit is why on the market for so long not mortgage possible. It had to be a cash sale.

The realtor that walked me through the first property was onboard to help me sort out the local concerns. This property with a building, well, etc was less per acres than the first place - if we back out the cost of the building. It seemed having been on the market for well over a year created 'motivated' sellers. The deal got better with a live cash offer. So I bought the second place. The first place, the 'north' property will still be developed, at a slower pace, but will be developed. That north property is very remote and trespassers are mostly hunters. The 36 acres place, or south property, is in a more populated area, and the DIY hose qualifies as an attractive nuisance.

I would need someone on site as I traveled back and forth to move stuff, prepare enclosures, and keep idle interest in the property at bay. The Sheriff informed me that they get complaints about vagrants often. They challenged my presence with the first load of stuff moved into the metal building. That becomes the next drag addled person in the story of Lone Star Tortoise Ranches.

Geez, William. Makes me tired just reading about it. Tbhanx for sharing. I look forward to the links to your videos.

@Kapidolo Farms

Yvonne G said:

Geez, William. Makes me tired just reading about it. Tbhanx for sharing. I look forward to the links to your videos.

@Kapidolo Farms

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I was thinking just the same thing! I need a nap lol

Yvonne G said:

Geez, William. Makes me tired just reading about it. Tbhanx for sharing. I look forward to the links to your videos.

@Kapidolo Farms

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I'm living it, with intent.

Kapidolo Farms said:

So, why did I buy a second property, wasn't 33 acres enough? Fall of 2023 I learned that city property taxes don't go out to rural Texas, not at all. I think Californians might be spoiled, at least I was, about how Proposition 13 tied property taxes to actual valuations based on sales. In Texas, it's just what the county want for expenses and so the tax is raised without regard to property values - based on sales. Also in Texas, there is a privacy law that results in sales prices not being used as a tax basis because it's private information. They want you to report that sales price, but that's voluntary. No, I did not report the sales value.

There are also other schedules for property tax bases. Agricultural and wildlife basis. So once I learned all that tax stuff the search was on. The first property, at 33 acres, had power, a low fence, and direct access to roads on two sides. It cost less than two acres in California, and the tax basis as wildlife designation was low. The selling realtor offered clues to Metal building contractors, well diggers, and insurance people. The costs would have been $300,000 to $400,000. The well drillers did not want to drill a well for someone that intended to plant tree crops, the insurance agent wanted me to fill out the form that would go to the underwriter, and the building contractor had dreams of upselling cabinets and counter tops driving by an imaginary wife - not a plain insulated building, with a divider wall inside.

It's not so simple to deal with contractors from few 1,000 miles away. I offered a local contractor savvy friend $500/day to manage/supervise the contractors that might take the job on. Didn't want it.

So what to do??

I considered buying a warehouse in the area, but then the tax situation is lost, and no doubt some trades work still would need to be done. Being a part time real estate investor I started thinking much more broadly. Maybe there would be another agricultural property already that bit more developed. Many indeed can be found, but at a substantially higher price than my development budget. I did not want a mortgage, so cash. I kept looking and looking. I found the 36 acres place. It had been on the market over 500 days. It had a well, two electric meters, and 40 x 50 x 18 building, city water and a serious $hit show. DIY house. That last bit is why on the market for so long not mortgage possible. It had to be a cash sale.

The realtor that walked me through the first property was onboard to help me sort out the local concerns. This property with a building, well, etc was less per acres than the first place - if we back out the cost of the building. It seemed having been on the market for well over a year created 'motivated' sellers. The deal got better with a live cash offer. So I bought the second place. The first place, the 'north' property will still be developed, at a slower pace, but will be developed. That north property is very remote and trespassers are mostly hunters. The 36 acres place, or south property, is in a more populated area, and the DIY hose qualifies as an attractive nuisance.

I would need someone on site as I traveled back and forth to move stuff, prepare enclosures, and keep idle interest in the property at bay. The Sheriff informed me that they get complaints about vagrants often. They challenged my presence with the first load of stuff moved into the metal building. That becomes the next drag addled person in the story of Lone Star Tortoise Ranches.

Click to expand...

A force multiplier. I knew I'd need a tractor of some sort, sooner or later. I've spoken with people off and on for a few years regarding what direction to go. I've driven many types and sizes of tractor, and other farm machines or things you drag behind a tractor. Jeremy Thompson (the Kinixiys guy) suggested a skid steer. I'd never used one. A track layer is low to the ground, has a great deal of power, and the implements/attachments are in front, not dragged behind. It's tru, tractors have front end tools, but it seems like an after thought. I had never used a front end tool on a tractor other than 'weed whips' clearing vines from getting caught under the front tires and tearing a vine trellis system over.

Safety as a factor really spoke to my machine selection thinking. Most skid steer operators enter through the front, over the implement. That didn't seem safe to me, But Jeremy suggested JCB. They have a side entry skid steer. The implement utilizes one arm on the side opposite of the door - no climbing over the implement. JCB also has this system with that single arm extendable. They call it a teleskid.

That's what I got a JCB teleaskid. I made a naming contest on my Kapidolo Farms Facebook page. prize was free tortoise food. My brother-in-law via my sister suggested "Force Multiplier". many other good suggestions. I ultimately decided to just call it Kapidolo. It's sorta my midlife crisis vehicle. But instead of a corvette - I got a high end farm work machine.

It serves as a forklift, a scooper with a bucket, a rototiller, and giant pair of pliers (tree puller), a rock/root rake, and more. I've done most of these things manually, it take many hours, lots of calories, and often help. Force multiplier is right. I can remove whole dead trees in minutes, not days. I can prune up all the eye level branches and rake them up in an hour. I built a ramp up to the back rollo-up door for the metal building in a few hours - with a shovel and wheelbarrow that would have been many days.

Kapidolo Farms said:

A force multiplier. I knew I'd need a tractor of some sort, sooner or later. I've spoken with people off and on for a few years regarding what direction to go. I've driven many types and sizes of tractor, and other farm machines or things you drag behind a tractor. Jeremy Thompson (the Kinixiys guy) suggested a skid steer. I'd never used one. A track layer is low to the ground, has a great deal of power, and the implements/attachments are in front, not dragged behind. It's tru, tractors have front end tools, but it seems like an after thought. I had never used a front end tool on a tractor other than 'weed whips' clearing vines from getting caught under the front tires and tearing a vine trellis system over.

Safety as a factor really spoke to my machine selection thinking. Most skid steer operators enter through the front, over the implement. That didn't seem safe to me, But Jeremy suggested JCB. They have a side entry skid steer. The implement utilizes one arm on the side opposite of the door - no climbing over the implement. JCB also has this system with that single arm extendable. They call it a teleskid.

That's what I got a JCB teleaskid. I made a naming contest on my Kapidolo Farms Facebook page. prize was free tortoise food. My brother-in-law via my sister suggested "Force Multiplier". many other good suggestions. I ultimately decided to just call it Kapidolo. It's sorta my midlife crisis vehicle. But instead of a corvette - I got a high end farm work machine.

It serves as a forklift, a scooper with a bucket, a rototiller, and giant pair of pliers (tree puller), a rock/root rake, and more. I've done most of these things manually, it take many hours, lots of calories, and often help. Force multiplier is right. I can remove whole dead trees in minutes, not days. I can prune up all the eye level branches and rake them up in an hour. I built a ramp up to the back rollo-up door for the metal building in a few hours - with a shovel and wheelbarrow that would have been many days.

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A Corvette would of been cheaper lol. Once you have a Skidsteer it's hard to go back to manual labor. Congrats on the purchase.

COmtnLady said:

Good to know all this... I wondered why you hadn't been around as much recently.

Have you tried electrifying the perimeter(s)? I'd think it would get the attention of the rabbits for sure. Pigs might be whole nother ball of wax.

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I don't have electricity in that area.

The process of vetting an onsite groundskeeper/Manager/eyes wide open person.

The first person to respond drove down from Indiana, we talked for quite awhile he said he'd take the assignment. I posted that on Facebook. By the next day he changed his mind and said he would come. I'm not sure but I think he used my offer to leverage a paid position/groundskeeper role at a KOA.

I sought people far and wide. Another person popped up. Had a bit of a checkered past, nothing I had never done, but just never got caught. He actively engaged in smoking pot, not something I've done for a few decades now.

In short, he very nearly never did anything, spread trash in lots of places, stole stuff, The two main charges were to watch over contractor and keep some animals. He failed big time on both. When I landed here full time I evicted/fired him. when renegotiating and I'll do betters did not sway me, he pulled a gun on me. I alive, he ran, sheriff chased him into local hiding. He negotiated with them leaving Texas and never come back. He did. There has been one phone call seeking coming back. NO PATH possible from me, and then that negotiated matter with the sheriff.

I've since spoken with a few others, mostly I think people want to want to do something like what I'm doing. But when it comes time to drive here, and sort out a new life, they don't have it in them. "Homesteading" has become a catch phrase for subsistence or sistence living. Many of these dreamers want to join a community with intention. Translates to, I want to be a child to parents and be told what to do. I have a bunch of intention and will. I'm getting it done. Another set of hands or eyes with space to do their own thing would be great. Synergy as the grove, not chanting for rain.

Over the weekend I'm going to finish cleaning/clearing the shop half of the building and start making fence panels. The tencher will come back from the shop on Monday. I have a tripod, I'll have to spend some time sorting out those first videos. The green house is still 'shipment pending'. But the chicken coops are here and a bunch more cactus to go in the ground - that's what the fence panels will be for.

Plant to go in the ground protected by a chicken coop now include 20 more mulberry tree, and several hibiscus. I hit all the local places that sell plants and have a discount rack. So far only a forsythia did not pull through. I also have a soursop and toon tree now as well.

Yeah, someone pulling a gun is a definite deal breaker.

What about contacting a few Universities with strong Veterinary or Ag programs and call it "Interning"? But warn them that is a tad living rough so Barbie doesn't show up expecting weekends off...

COmtnLady said:

Yeah, someone pulling a gun is a definite deal breaker.

What about contacting a few Universities with strong Veterinary or Ag programs and call it "Interning"? But warn them that is a tad living rough so Barbie doesn't show up expecting weekends off...

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That's a good idea. When I first got here and found Texas tortoises I reached out to a lab at a uni in Corpus Christi (about an hour away). No response. I reached out to Carl Franklin about Texas Tortoises and he asked if I had Horned lizards. (I do), I did not know that then. I got to talking with a few local people with game farms or worked on game farms (very common here). I found out that several game farms, a few well over 100,000 acres can dedicate hundreds of acres to a school for long term research projects, have housing and infrastructure, and may even have long term data that is related to a new specific study, like plant cover, predator stats, pinpoint climate data etc. All I can offer is access. No roads or trails, not infrastructure, (still not even a proper bathroom). I'd have to get a other, different kind of insurance.

I have decided to make the back 2/3 - 3/4 of the south property a wildlife food forest. I'm propagating a native holly like bush that is good for butterflies and birds with flowers and fruit. There are many native plants that support wildlife. I'm working towards increasing those plants. However those are expenses that don't cover costs other than a hunting lease I sold. The first year has been a step learning curve on that activity. I went through a company that vets hunters for criminal background, hunting license, and they cover that person (insurance wise) when they are here. I asked that no reptiles or small animals be killed like bobcats, coyotes, foxes, skunks, opossum, raccoons, armadillos, badgers etc. Well on the south property the guy took two or three does and one buck. Did not remove any pigs. Subsequent conversation with locals indicate that hunter is an A$$hole for taking does. That was not a restriction I placed on the lease. I suppose I could have Googled all that, but I also consider the hunting lease company would have offered that advise. The north property has two people on the lease who bow hunt, primarily for turkeys. There are many turkeys here. You can hear the male chortling often. Sometimes alongside the road, behind a fence you can see flocks of well over 20-30 turkeys doing turkey stuff.

So the funds the hunting lease brings in is my wildlife food forest budget, just $$, time is when I can.

The intern idea has been suggested by others, I've been a volunteer/intern in several venues, as well as been responsible for them. All in all, it's about community outreach, PR, and ego (look what I'm doing). A few interns volunteer may pursue whatever you offer as a life time vocation/career. I'm living proof of that. I volunteered at zoos and wildlife/natural history centers for over 20 years collectively.

This is what lead to the idea of taking on a homestead kind of person. That movement has evolved into a dating/romance connection. I figured there are many people who might have an enterprise idea that overlaps with my interest and some synergy could develop. Cut Flowers, meat rabbits, haired sheep for milk and meat, tower gardens for food crops, beekeeping, etc. Those are all allied things I have space for. I'm going to sort out a biochar kiln - I have blueprints readily available and a local machine shop that can build it. There is a great deal of wood here to run through it. I'd like some of the end result for the soil here and sell surplus. I have the capital but limited labor hours. A way to make a living is here for someone who would actually do the work. A nursery plant manager - land is here, startup capital is here, for Kapidolo Farms getting some of the output you can have that here and make good money.

The druggies who think this is all easy money, don't know how to actually work, no kinetic capabilities at all. Most women seem to think they will become concubines (perhaps secretly hope so - so they can laze around most of the time?).

I've met a few people who have a real interest and capability, but they want a salary while they develop their own enterprise on my land and capitol. I consider them some kind of siphon of resources. It's like an admission they know they can't make it work - but hey, in the mean time I can try something out. "Well, that's alot of risk" No kidding, me too.

One woman I spoke with came back very negative about how I'd need insurance, "do you have a book keeper," etc. Trials she's gone through that rocked her boat and came at me like I didn't know any of that.
The topper of her POV regarded having an outlet, how would I sell organic botanicals, no road side stand would support that kind of infrastructure. I indicated I'd been selling 'that stuff' for ten years now and that's what bought 70 acres. She blocked me.

I just keep pushing the rock, and block it so it won't roll back down the hill when I need a rest. I don't see all this as a romantic version of farming and ranching. I don't want to colonize mars, I really love the tortoises, and want the best foods possible.

The first video, just 30 seconds. Shows the basic layout with pine sticks for approximate location of a greenhouse and a tortoise coop. I dry fitted the tortoise coop in the garage, flat clean surface. I'd drop a nut or bolt in the soil and loose patience with myself for the first build. A second video is spinning up. It's been a few years since I have done anything with TouTube, so a steep learning curve, all over again. I'll start all the videos from the same spot and then walk around, so orientation can be maintained.

Each day starts with animals husbandry and sales order fulfillment. Then, farm/ranch development. This will not be super quick. The first one will be slow so kinetic memory can be laid down. I imagine by the time I'm building from scratch they will go up in a few days.

Kapidolo Farms said:

The first video, just 30 seconds. Shows the basic layout with pine sticks for approximate location of a greenhouse and a tortoise coop. I dry fitted the tortoise coop in the garage, flat clean surface. I'd drop a nut or bolt in the soil and loose patience with myself for the first build. A second video is spinning up. It's been a few years since I have done anything with TouTube, so a steep learning curve, all over again. I'll start all the videos from the same spot and then walk around, so orientation can be maintained.

Each day starts with animals husbandry and sales order fulfillment. Then, farm/ranch development. This will not be super quick. The first one will be slow so kinetic memory can be laid down. I imagine by the time I'm building from scratch they will go up in a few days.

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I posted two more videos to YouTube and KapidoloFarms Facebook page, all three are steps for laying out the tortoise coop and the green house. Today I cut most of the area with the trencher for the coop to have aluminim siding into the ground about a foot, and the green house's footer. Next video post will show the coop over the trench while I'm fitting the siding on it, and maybe some/all of the form for the greenhouse footing.

I'm thinking I'll need to modify the coop with another vertical pipe where the aluminum skirt and chicken wire will meet. I'm also considering putting piers into the footing, so post holes (pier holes) will be needed. I think I inherited the "over build it" gene from my Dad and Grandfather.

The soil is well compacted, I made a good choice to get the trencher.