Thank you all so much for checking out the video and all the support! Let me know below what you'd like to see in future videos! If you haven't already, I hope you'll subscribe for more updates on Cerro Gordo! If you haven't watched yet, check out my last video where I finally find some Levi's! th-cam.com/video/QUvLJ4larbQ/w-d-xo.html
Hey bro, glad to see you are still alive and well along with the animals. Have you considered checking out ghost towns outside of your immediate area (Like in Nevada), if anything for inspiration? It is cool to see self-sufficiency and self-reliance in what you're trying to do. I think it would be kinda cool to see a "day-in-the-life" video, more in-depth, as to what a day is like for you there, I have seen all of your video's and can't wait to see more. Well enough babble, thanks for your time and content, you should be a motivational speaker on the side, you have a way with words brother. Take care, and "see" you next time.
Hey! Good video as always. My Grandparents are in Bishop and I love the area. Some insight on those mines around Bodie you went too. The photo at 21:41 is the Masonic Mine. It can also be accessed from a road outside of Bridgeport. I have been to that mine before a few years back but its horrible to see the amount graffitti and vandalism that has occured in such a short time. Thanks for all you do and the quality content you provide!
for the winter garden: a greenhouse would be ideal (protects in winter and allows bigger variety of veggies in summer), maybe a heating method might be necessary for the coldest temps and most importantly, look around for seeds/plant breeds that are known to be very cold resistant.
I just realised, this is literally Stardew Valley but in real life. He's set up in a town past its last legs, builds stuff, does farming, probably forages sometimes, explores a mine trying to reach the bottom. Slowly turning the town back into a vibrant community, maybe. The only thing missing is the fishing
We live in a time, where one man and his daily life in a former ghost town is far more interesting than the new Hollywood blockbuster...Thumbs up for Brent!
GARDENING TIP: when composting use alternating layers of dead/brown organic matter, manure, and living/green organic matter. This increases the amount of enzyme development and will increase the speed and quality of your compost yield. Hope this helps.
great tip! Also I suggest laying the top of the soil with organic mulch such as wood chippings and sawdust since this will eventually also decompose and create new soil for the plants to grow in, all while preventing moisture loss from already accessible soil for the plants
For growing plants in the winter I’d say the best option is to build a simple green house. It will heat itself and keep the plants inside warm while it’s cold outside while allowing any sunlight to pass through and reach the leaves. Also I’d recommend switching up what grows where in those planters every year because the soil will lose nitrogen as you grow certain plants so maybe try planting some clover in some planters to help replenish the nitrogen, and as a bonus the clover can be fed to your farm animals once harvested. Keep up the good work!
@@Mannnnnnnn it does! It has a similar effect as alfalfa. Crops like alfalfa and clover are usually grown in alternating plots of land with other food crops to replenish the soils nitrogen levels.
Check in with the Agriculture program at a nearby college. Or a Four H program. They can give you test strips or take the soil in to test, see what the soil lacks. And if you should be germinating certain seeds with others to grow stronger. I've done paper towel, cotton ball, and water for indown germination. So the seed sprouts strong and grows faster. I'm in Ohio though. And I don't plant anything in the winter because of canning and freezer. 3 deer last all year for our family of 5. We buy chicken, fish, and pork loin. And I don't know anything about your dripping technique. Hearty plants don't need watered daily here. While others constantly need moist soil. We let the squashes and melons grow near a pond. And never water them once the vines reach the stocked pond They self water themselves. But Brent doesn't have that option.
READ ME BRENT PLEASE!!! If you are getting the water from the mine it has come into contact with Galena and may contain lead please check the lead content of your water before you start gardening with it!!!
This is what I was going to ask @GhostTownLiving after seeing the first video about pumping the water from the mine. Good point! Interesting, would reverse osmosis solve this problem?
@@ErnestZaslavsky I believe it would water molecules are smaller than lead or arsenic ions... reverse osmosis is what they used to desalinate water so I would imagine if it can get rid of sodium and chloride ions it should have no problem with lead or arsenic.... but don't quote me on that
I just realized Brent is playing Minecraft in real life. Getting to adventure in mines, renovating CG and making buildings from the land and resources already there, he even has little animals too!
I just started watching the series. This is the first I’ve watched. I’m not sure if you’ve done this yet or not but you need to test the water supplies out there for mercury. Vast amounts of mercury have been used to separate the silver from lead ores (Galena). If that water is contaminated then the plants will be as well.
I feel like you and Cody from Cody'sLab would really work well together. He's got his "mars base" in the desert, he's got some knowledge on chemistry, prospecting (got his own mine), refining and also gardening (with his water tanks working as greenhouses) - it might work for the winter even. It would be a real treat to all the fans I bet to see some collabs for sure!
I've been off grid gardening out in the mountains of nor cal for the last 14 years. I know LOTS about almost every system you can use to help automate your set up. One thing I would do right away would be set up your watering tank much higher above your garden so you will actually have enough pressure to water your entire garden at once. Also greenhouses work wonders for winter gardening. You just need to have one that can withstand your snow load. As long as you have power you can use supplemental lighting so you can get plant growth when there is little sun.
The wife and I are hooked on this channel. When you get the hotel rebuilt we are coming for a couple nights. We felt your heartache when it burned down. Keep on living your dream, Brent. You got a shit load of people pulling for you man! 💯
Tomato’s, beans and corn all go really well planted tightly together as they all provide each other with benefits such as nutrients, shade and also natural insect deterrent
Watched three videos of this guy and he's one of the greatest nicest whole hearted guy I've seen in a long time, in the messed up world were living in right now. 100% got a new member and hope all the best for you with your endeavors cheers from Michigan 🍻
The best location for your garden is close to your water supply. A makeshift greenhouse cover for your garden may help in the long run with your elevation in the mountains, this would help with cold weather and late and early frost that occurs frequently at your elevation.
close to the water, for sure. And close to the awailable shit. Am confused about those boxes too... Why so many boxes to do a thing one bigger could do so much better?
@@chriscook509 the ground is a horrible insulator (although a great thermal conductor). It gets really hot really fast, and really cold really fast. The raised boxes are actually a great idea cause he can wrap them in blankets or another insulator when it gets really cold.
I think it would be better if you got 6 or 7 chickens. That is because 10-15 chickens will make way more eggs than you will be able to eat. Also as they age, their egg production will begin to taper off. At that point, you could get more chickens that are younger. That way you have more age diversity. That way your egg production won’t suddenly drop off.
Can't you save eggs for a way long time by putting oil on them . I remember my great grand doing that. She stored in cool place her basement. Idk was wondering. Eggs can be a wonderful source of protein and be used so many ways. A garden that is year round would be awesome
@@jamiefaizfahmy9740 thats true. He still doesnt need that many. With 15 chickens, he’d be getting a dozen eggs per day. He would spend double the money on feed. And have too many eggs to be practical.
@@jamiefaizfahmy9740 As long as you don't refrigerate eggs, they will last quite some time. Putting them in a cold area might be worse than just leaving them on the countertop. People who live on boats and sail often leave their eggs out a couple months. If you get them cold and then warm is where they will go bad after a couple weeks. You don't need oil or anything like that, just put them in a bowl or sack and leave them on the table in the kitchen (fresh eggs, NOT store bought)
the first thought i'm having watching this is hey! if you remove too many weeds and their essential root systems you open up the mountain to potential mud slides during annual thunder storms. mud slides are very common in these types of biomes especially once modern farming practices are introduced and the roots are no longer there to keep the soil in place. please consider building concrete reinforcements around where weeds may have been removed. this might help prevent a disaster in the future.
One of the things i love about Brent is his philosophical narratives almost in real time as he's contemplating not just the nuts and bolts of the town but the romanticism of preserving history and his obvious love and the appreciation of where he's at in the bigger scheme of things..it's all very inspiring and soon i hope to do something similar with a 1908 house untouched since probably the 30s or 40s..
Be careful pulling up the flooring if you're doing that! we renovated a similar era house when i was a child and still remember the newspaper clippings that had been used as insulation 😁
@@Skulduggery_P yes i found some in the window frames of our house we have now that is also from 1908,, and an old 70 windex bottle under the bathroom sink..it still works and i use it in the garage now...we shall be careful..!! cheers
@@Skulduggery_P hey I had a similar thing, I think the news papers in my houser were talking about some murder who walked around with his thumbs in his armpits, although I don't remember too well since I was about 8 at the time.
@@stevesmith7339 haha yours is more interesting than mine, I remember I was interested in the price difference of steel/timber, literally cents back then 😆 Must say, I like your username, you ever picked up a cricket bat? 😉
Please get a good, full-face helmet for your rides on the dirt bikes! 50% of head impacts occur in the jaw region and you’re not riding in places where help is nearby. Love your content, stay safe!
As someone who fell off a trails bike the other day and didn't have a full face helmet on, wear a full face helmet. My tooth, lip and cheek would be in much better shape if I had!
I used to own and modify KLR650's and have ridden all over Canada on my fully modified KLR685. Make sure it always has 3/4's of the oil glass worth of oil in it or do not ride it as the newer versions are well known to get damaged because of this, Never start it without checking the oil level. There are many many modifications that can be done to them to make them far better than when in stock form. Enough said about that....lol....BUT....I see you riding without what looks like a padded jacket. Do yourself a favor and buy a proper off road motorcycle jacket. They come in completely mesh jackets with back, elbow and shoulder protection. You are riding on very unforgiving ground as I think you have already found out. Also a good pair of gloves.......I have also snapped my leg in 3 places while riding in sand when the front wheel followed a rut and it threw me off. Hense the motocross boots were bought...lol. The bigger the bike and faster you get riding the worse the damages will be......be safe, buy the equipment to keep you safe and in one piece......We enjoy watching your videos and would hate to see you seriously damaged from a fall. Embedded rocks of all sizes hurt big time..... I have stopped riding now and have a few jackets but I'm a 225 lb person and I expect my old jackets would go around you twice or I would gladly give them to you. I have all the equipment minus the boots now. You are free to have it all, if we can figure out the shipping costs. I'm retired now and do not have an income to support the cost of shipping it all to you. Sorry. Let me know.
Yup, and a proper face-covering makes a bee or beetle strike at speed a lot less of an issue than it would be in an open face helmet. Nothing worse than a mouthful of bee at 60mph+
Been 50 years since I last visited ( was 14 years old) Dad the desert rat, took the family up there in a 1969 Winnebago. Memories!!! Thanks for sharing. I may be one of your original subscribers.... I've been following the page from the beginning.
I cant believe I've watched the town transform over the this 18 months. You've definitely changed it and brought back history. You're in zone 8b. Your first frost is late October. Meaning you can grow a pretty good fall crop. I'd say make yourself a little green house and you should be able to over winter cold crops.
@@GhostTownLiving my first thought too, cover those beds with plastic or build a greenhouse. I watch this channel by Sean who lives up in Canada. He built a geodome type green house. Check him out on My Self Reliance.
@@ildiko1vt I've been watching Sean for years, since he began building his first cabin. His Greenhouse is amazing and would be perfect for your ghost town and he just posted a video this week showing it from beginning to end. I think it would be a good shelter for Sean this winter while he's building his new home. You should really check it out
Love your adventures Brent.. I really need to visit this historic place. My husband grew up in Lone Pine and has great memories of CG. My tip for gardening is figuring out your zone and find plants that do well for that zone. Plants will be tagged for full sun,, partial sun,, or shade.. you will learn as you go.. Also, your soil that you are making should be tested for heavy metals.
Thank you Brent for sharing these videos of your life and living. You are living my dream, and I wish I could do it all over, and be where you are at this point in your life. I am 70 and don’t get around very good, but boy if I could, I would have spent my life exactly as you are doing now. Good luck and keep up the good life. Victor
I can't believe I've watched 18 months worth of Cerro Gordo, it's honestly been such a monthly treat, especially through the lockdown in the UK! Thanks, Brent!!!
Tip: Potato's originally came from the Andes mountains in what is today called Peru. A somewhat similar environment to Cero Gordo. I expect at least some cultivars to do quite well there. Potato's are ridiculously healthy and produce more calories per acre than almost any other crop. No, I am not associated with Big Potato ;)
Winter gardening : plants the will grow in the winter are garlic, japanese onions, spanish radish. large animal manure must be rotted for a year however chicken manure can be used fresh. rabbit manure is also very good.
The only down fall of watching the premiere is I have to wait a week to see you again. I did see the news clip of you and Cerro Gordo. They did a beautiful job at showing what a great person you are and what a beautiful place Cerro Gordo is. I hope that everything falls into place so I can go up and stay and finally meet you! Thank you for all the awesome videos Brent they mean a lot.
If you want to grow throughout winter you'll almost certainly need a greenhouse, alternatively you could pick a mine and wire grow lamps in it and that may be sufficient.
@@DD-ws6cu that actually wouldn't be illegal if he grew less than 7 plants, California residents over the age of 21 may grow up to six cannabis plants.
It's really hard without a greenhouse that high above sea level.With a swamp cooler for hot days.The grow lights would keep it warm when it's cool outside
I’ve just come from the Sam and Colby video of them visiting Cerro Gordo in Sept 2020! It’s amazing seeing how far you and the town has come since that time. Such wholesome and inspiring content 🤩
3 primary nutrients for plants are potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen. Some plants consume a specific nutrient and leave behind another specific nutrient. You can't just plant one crop in the same box over and over, you'll have to look up what you want to grow and rotate the plant types to different boxes after harvest
Greenhouse: Make a frame over the garden boxes. Cover in glass or clear plastic. Capture heat from sunlight, to grow plants during winter. Solar panels & a battery bank, can provide electric heat during the night. Good Luck Brent
Going to need a butt load of batteries and solar panels (money money money) for heating that greenhouse, probably best to just use his existing electric connection for heat.
You inspire our Future Eco-Friendly sustainable city planning and development team. Keep up the amazing journey. We wish you the best for your adventure.
Brent, I highly recommend that you get the water from the mine tested. I would be very hesitant to use water that has been soaking in lead ore. Also, if you put it on crops, the concentration of lead will increase in the plants.
You could do with growing in a polytunnel as at high altitude the sunlight can be quite harsh for growing and it would also help to keep the plants alive and making produce during the winter. Maybe some rainwater capture around the town to use for the plants and to drink if you have the right filtration system. If you move your main water tank uphill above the garden you can use gravity instead of the pump to get water to the garden and just use the pump to fill the main water tank. Paint the water tank black to prevent algae growth also. Thanks for the great videos Brent 🙂
Just a thought and sure you've already got it covered, but it's important to filter that mine water before pouring it into your food. You don't want to be ingesting those heavy metals. Awesome project, love to see it, good luck with the greens!
Congratulations! I just made it to 18 months of off-grid living as of this morning. I'm just across the valley and a little ways south from you at 6840' in a pinyon-juniper forest.
I know this is a little late, but I just happened to find this video and wanted to say that this is so awesome. I actually feel envious, this must be such a freeing experience for you and it is so awesome that you are sharing it.
A green house would help you out a ton, implementing canning to your ghost town would add a bit of spice or you could call it the unsung hero of many towns in in the old west
Well I'm inspired. Your way of living seems like exactly what I've been looking for. I find myself being more and more uncomfortable in the main throws of society, and wanting more and more to be out in the middle of a desert somewhere. I love the connection you talk about through your videos, and I've found that same reward in my videos. Now having seen your channel and your videos, I'm finding myself wanting to be out there and doing it. It's clear a homestead can be carved out and maintained in these remote areas, and I want that :)
Everytime he goes into the caves, I always get sketched out lol. I'd always be thinking about it collapsing. For those in the know, what are the odds of it coming down? Brent is brave for going down into these mines by himself sometimes. Glad to see he has some buddies with him this time.
I'm sure there has been some sponsors that have wanted to be on this program and sometimes I wish Brent would have them, yet then again everything is so pure that I appreciate that not getting spoiled by sponsors. I also have to say there is no patreon on this channel I would be okay donating monthly to the cause and I would be okay he been watching commercials for Brent to get things needs to get to make this successful.
Respect to your drive and motivation to start something like this. I hope to see this town thrive & i would love to visit, even now while it’s unfinished. These mines are amazing as well, so many hidden secrets. But be careful in there man and wish you the best.
You continue to blow me away Brent. As my grandmother used to say about a particularly good person…. You are the salt of the earth. Please don’t ever change. We need more people like you in this world.
Yes!! Everything you said here in this comment is the truth. Brent's astounding personality is really something special. We certainly need more Brents in this world.
About gardening: (in case no one has said anything about it) you can use, used tea grounds to help speed up the growth process on all plants. Used coffee grounds are only good for acidic fruits.
YES, YESS, YESSSSS!!! Today you made my day, Brent! Finally, you're getting CHICKENS! Awesome! I have told you from the very beginning you needed chickens. 🐓🐔🐓🐔🐓🐔🐣🐤🐤🐥🐥!! Now you need a few Guinea Fowl. They also are great "Watch dogs" since the will alert you when people drive into town. They also keep snakes away. But thank you Brent for getting those chickens! I can't wait, I'm planning to visit Cerro Gordo hopefully by next year in late Spring. Keep doing as you are doing, you're excitement comes through on all your videos, and your insight. And your retrospection gives me warm fuzzies. You are no longer a big city boy, you're a desert dweller like many of us that watch your show. Hugs, young man! Stay safe, be gentle to the land you protect and preserve.
With the amount of unbroken sunlight coming in because you’re in the mountains you’ll be able to grow into the winter! But you might need to make a greenhouse once the first frost comes and snow falls. You can do it pretty easily just by buying a greenhouse tarp and nailing it to a wood frame. Have a great day 👍
@@GhostTownLiving old poly pipe made Into a arch with the ends buried & pegged to the ground covered in wire and/or greenhouse tarp. When you make a garden in a desert every hungry/thirsty animal & insect for mile's wants to be your new friend. Good luck
Your videos are wonderful. So different for someone like me, a 67 year old English Grandma, sitting here doing my crafting watching You Tube!!!. Loving your garden! I have been expanding my gardening skills during the pandemic, just had fresh picked, spinach, corn and potatoes for dinner. I am excited to see what you can grow in the mountains.
What is truly amazing is that Brent's love continues to grow for this town and the community that it has created. The fire of his passion is infectious and the power of his story compelling. We as watchers wish we all could go to see this place in person. Maybe one day we all can one day.
I do not know if you realize it or not, but in this video you have made one of the MOST powerful arguments for PRIVATE land ownership. Glad to see that you are still working on Cerro Gordo. I wish you the best!
If u can make a green house and have a heat source and keep the temp around 70 to 85 and keep the humidity around 50 % most plants will thrive in the environment you made hope this helps and look forward to seeing ur progress in future videos
The garden is going to be a huge bonus when you get paying guests there! I would suggest growing a few of the common herbs, Sage, Thyme, Rosemary etc, they make cooking so much better. You might want to create a shade garden as well, because some plants go to seed straight away in intense sun, green leafy vegetables being one type. With your irrigation system be aware that the outlets closest to the source get more water, so you might need to get another header tank at the opposite end of the garden to feed the other end. Just monitor the state of it when the garden is full. Love your work! :-)
Well, looks like you got your workout! Alpaca and goat (ruminants) poop isn't great fertilizer. Chickens on the other hand is fantastic! Goose and duck would be great too because they poop in water which you use directly on the plants. However chickens are better suited to arid environments whereas geese and ducks require a small pool of water year round. If you find your plants start to wither, don't necessarily give them more water. Instead build them shade. Plants only really need a few hours of DIRECT light each day. If you start a compost bin, get worms for both that and your planter boxes. The goats need two things: First, a pile of rocks to climb on. Should be at least half your height. Old tires filled with dirt work. Second is a tire swing. Sounds cray, but they like to head butt them. Make a frame that simply keeps a tire a few inches off the ground and can swing a foot or so. Fill the bottom of it with cement for weight.
One thing that I have learned from watching "Home stead rescue" is if one wants a garden to survive the winter months a greenhouse is an absolute must. It needs thermal regulation though which is easy enough as a few black painted barrels full of water inside of it placed where the daytime sunlight can warm them. (Almost) free, automatic thermal mass temperature regulation. Also, I thought that your new-to-you black motorcycle was a KLR650. Congratulations! They are very awesome! Quite a few have successfully completed the grueling Paris to Dakar rally with minimal, albeit necessary modifications. If I may "plug" a source of all of your lubrication needs: Maxima has every lubrication product that you might need to keep all of your motorcycles in long term working order. They are located in El Cajon, California so you will also be supporting a company in the same state in which you live. I almost got a job working for them and I am sad that it did not work out. They are on the "cutting edge" of the best products available for motorcycles. I say this with 40 years of trusting in them for my own motorcycles as well as my customers back when I worked in a few different motorcycle shops.
just found this channel and i want your life. your editing on this video is mind blowing. the drone footage, cave footage, your story is what we all need. sending love and light brother
It would also be nice to get fruit trees up there. Different fruit trees that will produce fruit at different times. Apples and pears produce in September and October whereas cherries produce in late May and June. Maybe some nut trees like walnuts would be good as well.
having an Aquaponics set up in the desert with fish (tilapia) seems to be the favourite and works very well, a pump and solar panel is pretty much all that's needed other than a tank for the fish of course. You feed the fish a pretty simple granule pallet ther excrement gets pump up out through the grow beds and feeds all your plants resulting in a great crop yield
I really enjoy following these updates occasionally. Living in a city, having grown up in a city, in a small country, these are things on a scale that I am just not used to. But I admire the beauty of simple cause and effect - I build something, or grow something, and there it is before my eyes or in my hands. Like the tomatoes! In the 21st century city living can really disconnect us from our relationship with the land and our dependence on it for life. I also really appreciated your thoughts on enjoying the present. I often feel daunted by the sheer amount I do not know, and it tempts me to feel incapable despite also knowing I can do my job day to day. Just remembering that focus on today's effort, rather than a future result I might have no control over... enjoying the effort of today. It is not easy effort, but at the end of each day it is okay to admire the fruit of our labours and look forward to tomorrow.
For the garden, I recommand looking to getting a grey water system in place, since water is just so scarce up there as is on top of the fact the plants will also possibly love it more too.
Great to see that the casting is coming to Australia. There was a mining connection between California, and Victoria, Australia, when 1000's of miners followed the gold rush here.
This has to be one of my all time favorite TH-cam channels and just things that exist on the internet. Keep on keeping on! You look like a miner lol, love to see people living life to the fullest! We all are here for a short time, we can't be afraid to chase our dreams!
Brent…..When the weather gets cooler…..Remember that you can use old windows to make a cold frame garden!!!!It really works to extend your veggie’s growing time through the cold weather.
Get into gourmet mushroom growing too! Would be awesome. Mushrooms are easy once you’re started, and they grow tons of sustenance for the space and materials put in
So beautiful place! I was at the deserts around Las Vegas couple of years ago, and I so much wanna go there again to take some photos! Cheers from Japan!
Just found your channel & watched it with my boys. They were fascinated & wanted to visit, too bad we are all in Australia & won't have it on the cards for a while. Thanks so much for inspiring them, they non stopped talking about it over dinner to their father. Bless you!
Hey Christine, we have our own ghost towns as well as off grid settlements in Aus if you ever want to travel more locally and look at similar situations:)
They way you are telling the story and creating your own at the same time is very quite charming. Keep going Brent, you are inspiring a lot of us humans.
I'd keep my eye on those garden box legs. They at minimum need decent cross bracing. I'd recommend beefing them up a bit. There's a lot of weight in dirt that's going to be entirely supported by those 2x4 legs
Well, all this while it looked like you were surviving, but now it’s looking like you are living. You are growing food, seeking little joys. I feel very happy to see this video today 😁
Hey Brent, I know you are a very busy man with his own interests and hobbies; but I have an idea for a new hobby you should explore. I notice that you have spent a lot of time pouring over old maps of the mines and being disappointed when the exploration of those sections doesn't go as planned. I think the history of Cerro Gordo is ongoing and you are a part of that history. What I would love to see is you looking into making some updated maps of your explorations. Right now you are the one man with the most knowledge of the actual explorability of those mines and the state they are in as of today. As your focus has been preservation and historical accuracy it would be fitting if you began looking into charting the passages you have explored for the future of exploration and the historical record of the mines of Cerro Gordo. TLDR: Those old maps are of limited use to you or anyone living today. Want updated maps and you have the experience and knowledge of what actually exists down there. Please look into cartography.
Hi With all the video footage it should be possible to link the map locations with actual video footage, like a virtual exploration for us armchair explorers. Or the basis of mine map for a game.
@@eugenepeters465 the mine has changed many many times over the years and the maps aren't accurate anymore due to collapses and such. You got to remember he said something like 23 miles of tunnels to explore.
@@jamesthegardener338 YA use a three d printer and you could include all the collapses also that way he would have an updated plane .and a visual reference to refer to.
Love your Channel. Gardening tip. You need the focus your attention on building a greenhouse, because this would suit your needs, be more controllable, and you could grow fruits and vegetables all year long. Do it, because it will be highly successful.
This is one of the most wholesome channels on TH-cam. It's all because of Brent. He is a likable guy, with good intentions, investing in his dream exploring the natural world. His positivity makes us wish the best for him.
I have not much interest in American history, but your determination brought me to subscribe. It’s fascinating to see you live your best life, doing something you truly love and are passionate about- I hope you continue to live out your dreams, and that you bring this musky old ghost town back to life at full capacity! Much love from civilized Florida!
I wonder with the mines having a lot of lead in the rock how much of it leaches out into your water especially since the water is coming from deep down in the mine, you might want to consider getting some sort of filter system for yourself & your garden.
While i agree it's good to test it, i would guestimate the lead seepage is on the low end of the specturm. Besides, Brent doesn't have too much water to use on the plants anyway so accumulation should be even less of a problem. That said, water filters that are designed for lead are not that expensive so i might still install one, just in case... There are lead pipes in use today around the world and they are within the limits so the presence of lead does not automatically make water bad.
About the garden, I'd suggest getting some kind of trellis for the tomatoes. I don't know what strain you got, but the ones I've been growing here on my Stockholm apartment balcony have gotten from 20cm tall to like 2 metres tall. And it happened FAST
I was very pleased for "Bill". of Australia who won the plaque that you created. Australia is a big country like the USA, but wouldn't it be fantastic to run into Bioll soo that we could exchange stories related to Cerro Gordo. I check my email daily and sometimes more often than that waiting for your response to a "Hoodie" with Cerro Gordo printed on. it. One day this will happen !!!! Neville
Been living on a homestead for a while now and two things I think you might need the most is rain water collection and a greenhouse for winter months and what not.
As a musician, I am incredibly inspired by your videos. Regardless of what you do, having a genuine passion for it is contagious. When you mentioned having that “positive feedback loop” it resonated with me on multiple levels, and that type of energy and drive is exactly what fuels me to compose something a amazing. I hope to visit Cerro Gordo and meet you one day!
I do love the idea we have of freedom and this guy buys a whole town and a bunch of land out in the middle of absolutely nowhere. And hes waiting on building permits. Ohhh the laaaaand of the freeeee.
This was the first video on this channel I found and I was just scrolling down and it looked interesting to me so I clicked on it and I wanted more so I went back to the beginning sand I’ve been watching these videos for months now and I’m so happy I found this channel because honestly it’s my favorite channel at this point. THANK YOU BRENT
Thank you all so much for checking out the video and all the support! Let me know below what you'd like to see in future videos! If you haven't already, I hope you'll subscribe for more updates on Cerro Gordo!
If you haven't watched yet, check out my last video where I finally find some Levi's! th-cam.com/video/QUvLJ4larbQ/w-d-xo.html
Hey bro, glad to see you are still alive and well along with the animals. Have you considered checking out ghost towns outside of your immediate area (Like in Nevada), if anything for inspiration? It is cool to see self-sufficiency and self-reliance in what you're trying to do. I think it would be kinda cool to see a "day-in-the-life" video, more in-depth, as to what a day is like for you there, I have seen all of your video's and can't wait to see more. Well enough babble, thanks for your time and content, you should be a motivational speaker on the side, you have a way with words brother. Take care, and "see" you next time.
Hey Brent i DMed you on insta could you please Read it sorry if i reacted twice i dont see my first one
Day in the life video? Heck yeah that would be cool!!
Hey! Good video as always. My Grandparents are in Bishop and I love the area. Some insight on those mines around Bodie you went too. The photo at 21:41 is the Masonic Mine. It can also be accessed from a road outside of Bridgeport. I have been to that mine before a few years back but its horrible to see the amount graffitti and vandalism that has occured in such a short time. Thanks for all you do and the quality content you provide!
for the winter garden: a greenhouse would be ideal (protects in winter and allows bigger variety of veggies in summer), maybe a heating method might be necessary for the coldest temps and most importantly, look around for seeds/plant breeds that are known to be very cold resistant.
I just realised, this is literally Stardew Valley but in real life. He's set up in a town past its last legs, builds stuff, does farming, probably forages sometimes, explores a mine trying to reach the bottom. Slowly turning the town back into a vibrant community, maybe. The only thing missing is the fishing
yea ik I was thinking this while watching the video.
Yoooo
Man made lake.
On a different note though ...I really hope people know about harvest moon. Stardew is pretty much the mobile version.
@@GVoodoo harvest moon was my favorite game growing up lol
We live in a time, where one man and his daily life in a former ghost town is far more interesting than the new Hollywood blockbuster...Thumbs up for Brent!
He really found purpose of life
This is quality living right here
indubitably
It truly is !
So true
GARDENING TIP: when composting use alternating layers of dead/brown organic matter, manure, and living/green organic matter. This increases the amount of enzyme development and will increase the speed and quality of your compost yield. Hope this helps.
Also it needs to be moist. And sometimes turned.
Also: some good earthworms :)
great tip! Also I suggest laying the top of the soil with organic mulch such as wood chippings and sawdust since this will eventually also decompose and create new soil for the plants to grow in, all while preventing moisture loss from already accessible soil for the plants
For growing plants in the winter I’d say the best option is to build a simple green house. It will heat itself and keep the plants inside warm while it’s cold outside while allowing any sunlight to pass through and reach the leaves. Also I’d recommend switching up what grows where in those planters every year because the soil will lose nitrogen as you grow certain plants so maybe try planting some clover in some planters to help replenish the nitrogen, and as a bonus the clover can be fed to your farm animals once harvested. Keep up the good work!
Clover makes nitrogen in soil?
@@Mannnnnnnn it does! It has a similar effect as alfalfa. Crops like alfalfa and clover are usually grown in alternating plots of land with other food crops to replenish the soils nitrogen levels.
@@thorkelleon thats cool af
Check in with the Agriculture program at a nearby college. Or a Four H program. They can give you test strips or take the soil in to test, see what the soil lacks. And if you should be germinating certain seeds with others to grow stronger. I've done paper towel, cotton ball, and water for indown germination. So the seed sprouts strong and grows faster. I'm in Ohio though. And I don't plant anything in the winter because of canning and freezer. 3 deer last all year for our family of 5. We buy chicken, fish, and pork loin. And I don't know anything about your dripping technique. Hearty plants don't need watered daily here. While others constantly need moist soil. We let the squashes and melons grow near a pond. And never water them once the vines reach the stocked pond They self water themselves. But Brent doesn't have that option.
A potential alternative to a greenhouse would be a poly tunnel, but not sure how it would cope with the wind!
READ ME BRENT PLEASE!!!
If you are getting the water from the mine it has come into contact with Galena and may contain lead please check the lead content of your water before you start gardening with it!!!
@@gwyn192 I would be more concerned about lead poisoning than I would about a little bit of plastic contamination.
This is what I was going to ask @GhostTownLiving after seeing the first video about pumping the water from the mine. Good point! Interesting, would reverse osmosis solve this problem?
@@ErnestZaslavsky I believe it would water molecules are smaller than lead or arsenic ions... reverse osmosis is what they used to desalinate water so I would imagine if it can get rid of sodium and chloride ions it should have no problem with lead or arsenic.... but don't quote me on that
Hey look...Erin Brockovich over here!😢😒
@@mattypatty7179 i got lost in hinkley few years back lol dont ever try it
I just realized Brent is playing Minecraft in real life. Getting to adventure in mines, renovating CG and making buildings from the land and resources already there, he even has little animals too!
wow he actually is
I really think you got that backwards. You finally found what minecraft is based on is what you should've said. Self sufficient living.
I bet that there is atleast one comment about Minecraft for every video :D
@@alwyzbrknsaab5485 Yeah it's troubling that people aren't seeing it that way hahahaha
He also bring a cat to avoid creeper lol
I just started watching the series. This is the first I’ve watched.
I’m not sure if you’ve done this yet or not but you need to test the water supplies out there for mercury.
Vast amounts of mercury have been used to separate the silver from lead ores (Galena).
If that water is contaminated then the plants will be as well.
I feel like you and Cody from Cody'sLab would really work well together. He's got his "mars base" in the desert, he's got some knowledge on chemistry, prospecting (got his own mine), refining and also gardening (with his water tanks working as greenhouses) - it might work for the winter even. It would be a real treat to all the fans I bet to see some collabs for sure!
I've been off grid gardening out in the mountains of nor cal for the last 14 years. I know LOTS about almost every system you can use to help automate your set up. One thing I would do right away would be set up your watering tank much higher above your garden so you will actually have enough pressure to water your entire garden at once. Also greenhouses work wonders for winter gardening. You just need to have one that can withstand your snow load. As long as you have power you can use supplemental lighting so you can get plant growth when there is little sun.
When is the Cerro Gordo OG coming out 🤔
@@valleybreaks lmao
#TheFieldLab guy built a greenhouse in the desert where the roof collects rainwater to tanks. The biggest problem he had were pests..
Here's his greenhouse/rainwater collector: th-cam.com/video/6gqPDjDdRis/w-d-xo.html
Do you have a channel? I would love to see how you go about your every day life in such an amazingly independent way
The wife and I are hooked on this channel. When you get the hotel rebuilt we are coming for a couple nights. We felt your heartache when it burned down. Keep on living your dream, Brent. You got a shit load of people pulling for you man! 💯
Thank you so much for the support!! Hope you all can make it out sometime.
I’d love to come out.
Tomato’s, beans and corn all go really well planted tightly together as they all provide each other with benefits such as nutrients, shade and also natural insect deterrent
potatoes and tomatoes are best friends. plant the potatoes between the tomatoes
Watched three videos of this guy and he's one of the greatest nicest whole hearted guy I've seen in a long time, in the messed up world were living in right now. 100% got a new member and hope all the best for you with your endeavors cheers from Michigan 🍻
The best location for your garden is close to your water supply. A makeshift greenhouse cover for your garden may help in the long run with your elevation in the mountains, this would help with cold weather and late and early frost that occurs frequently at your elevation.
Agree,, greenhouse
Im confused why his raised beds are on legs. Wouldnt you save water and keep a more consistent temp on ths ground?
@@chriscook509 probably to avoid pests eating the plants or at least make it more difficult to get to.
close to the water, for sure. And close to the awailable shit. Am confused about those boxes too... Why so many boxes to do a thing one bigger could do so much better?
@@chriscook509 the ground is a horrible insulator (although a great thermal conductor). It gets really hot really fast, and really cold really fast. The raised boxes are actually a great idea cause he can wrap them in blankets or another insulator when it gets really cold.
I think it would be better if you got 6 or 7 chickens. That is because 10-15 chickens will make way more eggs than you will be able to eat. Also as they age, their egg production will begin to taper off. At that point, you could get more chickens that are younger. That way you have more age diversity. That way your egg production won’t suddenly drop off.
Can't you save eggs for a way long time by putting oil on them . I remember my great grand doing that. She stored in cool place her basement. Idk was wondering. Eggs can be a wonderful source of protein and be used so many ways. A garden that is year round would be awesome
That's a good suggestion! Noted and thank you.
@@jamiefaizfahmy9740 thats true. He still doesnt need that many. With 15 chickens, he’d be getting a dozen eggs per day. He would spend double the money on feed. And have too many eggs to be practical.
@@jamiefaizfahmy9740 As long as you don't refrigerate eggs, they will last quite some time. Putting them in a cold area might be worse than just leaving them on the countertop. People who live on boats and sail often leave their eggs out a couple months. If you get them cold and then warm is where they will go bad after a couple weeks. You don't need oil or anything like that, just put them in a bowl or sack and leave them on the table in the kitchen (fresh eggs, NOT store bought)
I don't know what kinds of animals live out there but I can imagine hawks eating both maybe chickens and maybe other animals might eat the vegetables?
You're like a friend I've never met yet. Brother, I love you and proud of you for what you are doing with this town. I WILL visit one day.
the first thought i'm having watching this is hey! if you remove too many weeds and their essential root systems you open up the mountain to potential mud slides during annual thunder storms. mud slides are very common in these types of biomes especially once modern farming practices are introduced and the roots are no longer there to keep the soil in place. please consider building concrete reinforcements around where weeds may have been removed. this might help prevent a disaster in the future.
i dont think that will be a huge problem, he literally took out like 20 weeds
One of the things i love about Brent is his philosophical narratives almost in real time as he's contemplating not just the nuts and bolts of the town but the romanticism of preserving history and his obvious love and the appreciation of where he's at in the bigger scheme of things..it's all very inspiring and soon i hope to do something similar with a 1908 house untouched since probably the 30s or 40s..
Be careful pulling up the flooring if you're doing that! we renovated a similar era house when i was a child and still remember the newspaper clippings that had been used as insulation 😁
@@Skulduggery_P yes i found some in the window frames of our house we have now that is also from 1908,, and an old 70 windex bottle under the bathroom sink..it still works and i use it in the garage now...we shall be careful..!! cheers
@@Skulduggery_P hey I had a similar thing, I think the news papers in my houser were talking about some murder who walked around with his thumbs in his armpits, although I don't remember too well since I was about 8 at the time.
@@stevesmith7339 haha yours is more interesting than mine, I remember I was interested in the price difference of steel/timber, literally cents back then 😆
Must say, I like your username, you ever picked up a cricket bat? 😉
@@stevesmith7339Ha! thumbs in his armpits..wonder what his colorful mafia name would be,, pitty thumbs?
Please get a good, full-face helmet for your rides on the dirt bikes! 50% of head impacts occur in the jaw region and you’re not riding in places where help is nearby. Love your content, stay safe!
As someone who fell off a trails bike the other day and didn't have a full face helmet on, wear a full face helmet. My tooth, lip and cheek would be in much better shape if I had!
Surely there is someone out there in the in the industry that can sponsor him and donate a helmet ? Come on fellas, step up and help a brother out 😉
I used to own and modify KLR650's and have ridden all over Canada on my fully modified KLR685. Make sure it always has 3/4's of the oil glass worth of oil in it or do not ride it as the newer versions are well known to get damaged because of this, Never start it without checking the oil level. There are many many modifications that can be done to them to make them far better than when in stock form. Enough said about that....lol....BUT....I see you riding without what looks like a padded jacket. Do yourself a favor and buy a proper off road motorcycle jacket. They come in completely mesh jackets with back, elbow and shoulder protection. You are riding on very unforgiving ground as I think you have already found out. Also a good pair of gloves.......I have also snapped my leg in 3 places while riding in sand when the front wheel followed a rut and it threw me off. Hense the motocross boots were bought...lol. The bigger the bike and faster you get riding the worse the damages will be......be safe, buy the equipment to keep you safe and in one piece......We enjoy watching your videos and would hate to see you seriously damaged from a fall. Embedded rocks of all sizes hurt big time.....
I have stopped riding now and have a few jackets but I'm a 225 lb person and I expect my old jackets would go around you twice or I would gladly give them to you. I have all the equipment minus the boots now. You are free to have it all, if we can figure out the shipping costs. I'm retired now and do not have an income to support the cost of shipping it all to you. Sorry. Let me know.
Yup, and a proper face-covering makes a bee or beetle strike at speed a lot less of an issue than it would be in an open face helmet. Nothing worse than a mouthful of bee at 60mph+
This guy is living the dream that many of us have always dreamed of
It blows my mind how anyone can go down in those old claustrophobic mines! Balls of steel! Respect from Down Under.
Been 50 years since I last visited ( was 14 years old) Dad the desert rat, took the family up there in a 1969 Winnebago. Memories!!! Thanks for sharing. I may be one of your original subscribers.... I've been following the page from the beginning.
That's pretty cool Bruce, your Dad and my Dad would have the same explorative bug.
I cant believe I've watched the town transform over the this 18 months. You've definitely changed it and brought back history.
You're in zone 8b. Your first frost is late October. Meaning you can grow a pretty good fall crop. I'd say make yourself a little green house and you should be able to over winter cold crops.
Good to know! Thank you.
@@GhostTownLiving my first thought too, cover those beds with plastic or build a greenhouse. I watch this channel by Sean who lives up in Canada. He built a geodome type green house. Check him out on My Self Reliance.
@@ildiko1vt yes we love that channel also
@@ildiko1vt I've been watching Sean for years, since he began building his first cabin. His Greenhouse is amazing and would be perfect for your ghost town and he just posted a video this week showing it from beginning to end. I think it would be a good shelter for Sean this winter while he's building his new home. You should really check it out
Or maybe invite Sean to come and stay!! All expenses paid 🤣
Love your adventures Brent.. I really need to visit this historic place. My husband grew up in Lone Pine and has great memories of CG.
My tip for gardening is figuring out your zone and find plants that do well for that zone. Plants will be tagged for full sun,, partial sun,, or shade.. you will learn as you go.. Also, your soil that you are making should be tested for heavy metals.
Thank you Brent for sharing these videos of your life and living. You are living my dream, and I wish I could do it all over, and be where you are at this point in your life. I am 70 and don’t get around very good, but boy if I could, I would have spent my life exactly as you are doing now. Good luck and keep up the good life. Victor
I can't believe I've watched 18 months worth of Cerro Gordo, it's honestly been such a monthly treat, especially through the lockdown in the UK! Thanks, Brent!!!
Tip: Potato's originally came from the Andes mountains in what is today called Peru. A somewhat similar environment to Cero Gordo. I expect at least some cultivars to do quite well there. Potato's are ridiculously healthy and produce more calories per acre than almost any other crop. No, I am not associated with Big Potato ;)
I hate how everyone used the word healthy wrong when describing dietary value. Anything is no longer ‘healthy’ if you have too much
@@CorruptInfinityOfficial You're right. But I'm not. Whole nations lived and died almost exclusively on potatoes in the 19'th century.
@@davidschaftenaar6530 *cough cough* The Irish great potato famine
@@zachthetruememeking and here I was, trying to be all subtle about it.
I wonder wether that is the reason why potato is called peruna in finnish
Winter gardening : plants the will grow in the winter are garlic, japanese onions, spanish radish. large animal manure must be rotted for a year however chicken manure can be used fresh. rabbit manure is also very good.
Love what you're doing man! Such an incredible adventure! We should collab on silver sometime 😃!
Hey silver picker
Didn't expect you to be here. Hello!
The only down fall of watching the premiere is I have to wait a week to see you again. I did see the news clip of you and Cerro Gordo. They did a beautiful job at showing what a great person you are and what a beautiful place Cerro Gordo is. I hope that everything falls into place so I can go up and stay and finally meet you! Thank you for all the awesome videos Brent they mean a lot.
is it available to watch on youtube?
@@whateverdude1821 it is called a ghost towns care taker by cbs news
If you want to grow throughout winter you'll almost certainly need a greenhouse, alternatively you could pick a mine and wire grow lamps in it and that may be sufficient.
start a weed growing operation in one of the mines
jk lol
@@DD-ws6cu that actually wouldn't be illegal if he grew less than 7 plants, California residents over the age of 21 may grow up to six cannabis plants.
@@DD-ws6cu He could grow the most unique high-altitude Purple Gordo strain....
It's really hard without a greenhouse that high above sea level.With a swamp cooler for hot days.The grow lights would keep it warm when it's cool outside
@@acquacow 🤣😂
I’ve just come from the Sam and Colby video of them visiting Cerro Gordo in Sept 2020! It’s amazing seeing how far you and the town has come since that time. Such wholesome and inspiring content 🤩
3 primary nutrients for plants are potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen. Some plants consume a specific nutrient and leave behind another specific nutrient. You can't just plant one crop in the same box over and over, you'll have to look up what you want to grow and rotate the plant types to different boxes after harvest
Greenhouse: Make a frame over the garden boxes. Cover in glass or clear plastic. Capture heat from sunlight, to grow plants during winter. Solar panels & a battery bank, can provide electric heat during the night. Good Luck Brent
I agree
@Teagan LaPiere Closed ‘Aquaponics’ system. That’s an excellent idea.
Exactly what I was gonna suggest lol
Going to need a butt load of batteries and solar panels (money money money) for heating that greenhouse, probably best to just use his existing electric connection for heat.
I'd be cautious of a greenhouse in this climate, without fans to control the daytime temps. Might easily cook everything
Idea for the garden: Cerro Gordo Bristlecone pine saplings? They seem to enjoy the climate and could replenish local woods or make for neat souvenirs.
You inspire our Future Eco-Friendly sustainable city planning and development team. Keep up the amazing journey. We wish you the best for your adventure.
Brent, I highly recommend that you get the water from the mine tested. I would be very hesitant to use water that has been soaking in lead ore. Also, if you put it on crops, the concentration of lead will increase in the plants.
You could do with growing in a polytunnel as at high altitude the sunlight can be quite harsh for growing and it would also help to keep the plants alive and making produce during the winter. Maybe some rainwater capture around the town to use for the plants and to drink if you have the right filtration system. If you move your main water tank uphill above the garden you can use gravity instead of the pump to get water to the garden and just use the pump to fill the main water tank. Paint the water tank black to prevent algae growth also. Thanks for the great videos Brent 🙂
Just a thought and sure you've already got it covered, but it's important to filter that mine water before pouring it into your food. You don't want to be ingesting those heavy metals. Awesome project, love to see it, good luck with the greens!
@Oliver Baron Let's hope he considered that
@@aprilmay1700 yeah, but not yet for plants
@@aprilmay1700 in the video he said he filled the tanks with water from the mine and that was what he would be using for the plants
Congratulations! I just made it to 18 months of off-grid living as of this morning. I'm just across the valley and a little ways south from you at 6840' in a pinyon-juniper forest.
Ya should go say hi
I know this is a little late, but I just happened to find this video and wanted to say that this is so awesome. I actually feel envious, this must be such a freeing experience for you and it is so awesome that you are sharing it.
STORYTELLER, TEACHER, HISTORIAN, EXPLORER AND PHILOSOPHER. Brent you are all of these things. You bring joy to so many. Thank you Dr.C
A green house would help you out a ton, implementing canning to your ghost town would add a bit of spice or you could call it the unsung hero of many towns in in the old west
I started canning and fermenting this year, I made SO MANY pickles!!! it's the best, im going to continue canning and fermenting for years
Great idea
Well I'm inspired. Your way of living seems like exactly what I've been looking for. I find myself being more and more uncomfortable in the main throws of society, and wanting more and more to be out in the middle of a desert somewhere. I love the connection you talk about through your videos, and I've found that same reward in my videos. Now having seen your channel and your videos, I'm finding myself wanting to be out there and doing it. It's clear a homestead can be carved out and maintained in these remote areas, and I want that :)
Everytime he goes into the caves, I always get sketched out lol. I'd always be thinking about it collapsing. For those in the know, what are the odds of it coming down? Brent is brave for going down into these mines by himself sometimes. Glad to see he has some buddies with him this time.
I assume it's an auto-drone, but boy, that's allows for filming something today that only a helicopter could have done years ago. Beautiful.
I'm sure there has been some sponsors that have wanted to be on this program and sometimes I wish Brent would have them, yet then again everything is so pure that I appreciate that not getting spoiled by sponsors. I also have to say there is no patreon on this channel I would be okay donating monthly to the cause and I would be okay he been watching commercials for Brent to get things needs to get to make this successful.
I would donate as well, even though I'm in New Zealand and will probably never get a chance to visit. The videos are worth it alone!
Take the sponsors Brent
I agree. Pick some thoughtful sponsors. Maybe check in with the folks at Mother Earth News.
There actually is a patreon. www.patreon.com/ghosttownliving/posts
I agree he should have sponsors
Whenever that hotel is finished I want to go see this place! It's been really cool watching you build this town up!
Respect to your drive and motivation to start something like this. I hope to see this town thrive & i would love to visit, even now while it’s unfinished. These mines are amazing as well, so many hidden secrets. But be careful in there man and wish you the best.
You continue to blow me away Brent. As my grandmother used to say about a particularly good person…. You are the salt of the earth. Please don’t ever change. We need more people like you in this world.
Yes!! Everything you said here in this comment is the truth. Brent's astounding personality is really something special. We certainly need more Brents in this world.
VERY TRUE ..LOTTS MORE LIKE HIM WORLD WOULD BE A BETTER PL.
I hope you can make your own Cerro Gordo stamped coins from the silver. I would love to see that!
About gardening: (in case no one has said anything about it) you can use, used tea grounds to help speed up the growth process on all plants. Used coffee grounds are only good for acidic fruits.
It’s amazing how many hobbies you can pick up when you have money. Have fun
YES, YESS, YESSSSS!!! Today you made my day, Brent! Finally, you're getting CHICKENS! Awesome! I have told you from the very beginning you needed chickens. 🐓🐔🐓🐔🐓🐔🐣🐤🐤🐥🐥!! Now you need a few Guinea Fowl. They also are great "Watch dogs" since the will alert you when people drive into town. They also keep snakes away.
But thank you Brent for getting those chickens! I can't wait, I'm planning to visit Cerro Gordo hopefully by next year in late Spring. Keep doing as you are doing, you're excitement comes through on all your videos, and your insight. And your retrospection gives me warm fuzzies. You are no longer a big city boy, you're a desert dweller like many of us that watch your show. Hugs, young man! Stay safe, be gentle to the land you protect and preserve.
With the amount of unbroken sunlight coming in because you’re in the mountains you’ll be able to grow into the winter! But you might need to make a greenhouse once the first frost comes and snow falls. You can do it pretty easily just by buying a greenhouse tarp and nailing it to a wood frame. Have a great day 👍
Noted! I'll do my best.
@@GhostTownLiving old poly pipe made Into a arch with the ends buried & pegged to the ground covered in wire and/or greenhouse tarp.
When you make a garden in a desert every hungry/thirsty animal & insect for mile's wants to be your new friend.
Good luck
Visions of the movie The Martian... 6 mil poly stretched on framing, improvising a steam capture system to water the potatoes.
This guy moved into this town around when covid started and holy shit it’s been like a year and a half
Watching from Brazil!!! Great channel and project!!! Congratulations!!! I find your experience very expiring, please continue with the great job!
Your videos are wonderful. So different for someone like me, a 67 year old English Grandma, sitting here doing my crafting watching You Tube!!!. Loving your garden! I have been expanding my gardening skills during the pandemic, just had fresh picked, spinach, corn and potatoes for dinner. I am excited to see what you can grow in the mountains.
I hope you had a very nice dinner!
Love from an English men living in tea gardens of Darjeeling, India.
Well done, Grandma!
What is truly amazing is that Brent's love continues to grow for this town and the community that it has created. The fire of his passion is infectious and the power of his story compelling. We as watchers wish we all could go to see this place in person. Maybe one day we all can one day.
I do not know if you realize it or not, but in this video you have made one of the MOST powerful arguments for PRIVATE land ownership.
Glad to see that you are still working on Cerro Gordo. I wish you the best!
If u can make a green house and have a heat source and keep the temp around 70 to 85 and keep the humidity around 50 % most plants will thrive in the environment you made hope this helps and look forward to seeing ur progress in future videos
The garden is going to be a huge bonus when you get paying guests there! I would suggest growing a few of the common herbs, Sage, Thyme, Rosemary etc, they make cooking so much better. You might want to create a shade garden as well, because some plants go to seed straight away in intense sun, green leafy vegetables being one type.
With your irrigation system be aware that the outlets closest to the source get more water, so you might need to get another header tank at the opposite end of the garden to feed the other end. Just monitor the state of it when the garden is full.
Love your work! :-)
Depends a lot on the quality of the water.
Also those herbs are way easier to grow
Well, looks like you got your workout!
Alpaca and goat (ruminants) poop isn't great fertilizer.
Chickens on the other hand is fantastic! Goose and duck would be great too because they poop in water which you use directly on the plants.
However chickens are better suited to arid environments whereas geese and ducks require a small pool of water year round.
If you find your plants start to wither, don't necessarily give them more water. Instead build them shade. Plants only really need a few hours of DIRECT light each day.
If you start a compost bin, get worms for both that and your planter boxes.
The goats need two things:
First, a pile of rocks to climb on. Should be at least half your height. Old tires filled with dirt work.
Second is a tire swing. Sounds cray, but they like to head butt them.
Make a frame that simply keeps a tire a few inches off the ground and can swing a foot or so. Fill the bottom of it with cement for weight.
I respect what you're doing, man. Keep up the good work.
Brent, I absolutely love these videos. You're awesome!
One thing that I have learned from watching "Home stead rescue" is if one wants a garden to survive the winter months a greenhouse is an absolute must. It needs thermal regulation though which is easy enough as a few black painted barrels full of water inside of it placed where the daytime sunlight can warm them. (Almost) free, automatic thermal mass temperature regulation. Also, I thought that your new-to-you black motorcycle was a KLR650. Congratulations! They are very awesome! Quite a few have successfully completed the grueling Paris to Dakar rally with minimal, albeit necessary modifications. If I may "plug" a source of all of your lubrication needs: Maxima has every lubrication product that you might need to keep all of your motorcycles in long term working order. They are located in El Cajon, California so you will also be supporting a company in the same state in which you live. I almost got a job working for them and I am sad that it did not work out. They are on the "cutting edge" of the best products available for motorcycles. I say this with 40 years of trusting in them for my own motorcycles as well as my customers back when I worked in a few different motorcycle shops.
just found this channel and i want your life. your editing on this video is mind blowing. the drone footage, cave footage, your story is what we all need. sending love and light brother
Glad to see you’ve survived the winter. And it’s cool to see you’ve essentially made a small compound.
It would also be nice to get fruit trees up there. Different fruit trees that will produce fruit at different times. Apples and pears produce in September and October whereas cherries produce in late May and June. Maybe some nut trees like walnuts would be good as well.
having an Aquaponics set up in the desert with fish (tilapia) seems to be the favourite and works very well, a pump and solar panel is pretty much all that's needed other than a tank for the fish of course. You feed the fish a pretty simple granule pallet ther excrement gets pump up out through the grow beds and feeds all your plants resulting in a great crop yield
Wouldn't that be difficult at Cerro Gordo, because Brent needs to haul litres of water up there every time the tank needs to be cleaned?
Lay off the meth
@@LanceBeckman bro what?
I really enjoy following these updates occasionally. Living in a city, having grown up in a city, in a small country, these are things on a scale that I am just not used to. But I admire the beauty of simple cause and effect - I build something, or grow something, and there it is before my eyes or in my hands. Like the tomatoes! In the 21st century city living can really disconnect us from our relationship with the land and our dependence on it for life. I also really appreciated your thoughts on enjoying the present. I often feel daunted by the sheer amount I do not know, and it tempts me to feel incapable despite also knowing I can do my job day to day. Just remembering that focus on today's effort, rather than a future result I might have no control over... enjoying the effort of today. It is not easy effort, but at the end of each day it is okay to admire the fruit of our labours and look forward to tomorrow.
Nice project , just be safe and take all precautions when it comes to exploration inside the mine!
For the garden, I recommand looking to getting a grey water system in place, since water is just so scarce up there as is on top of the fact the plants will also possibly love it more too.
Ooh, good idea. Eek every possible use out of every drop.
Great to see that the casting is coming to Australia. There was a mining connection between California, and Victoria, Australia, when 1000's of miners followed the gold rush here.
We should organize for some Broken Hill lead to send to Cerro Gordo!
A gold bar from Bendigo would be a great surprise🎁
This has to be one of my all time favorite TH-cam channels and just things that exist on the internet. Keep on keeping on! You look like a miner lol, love to see people living life to the fullest! We all are here for a short time, we can't be afraid to chase our dreams!
Brent…..When the weather gets cooler…..Remember that you can use old windows to make a cold frame garden!!!!It really works to extend your veggie’s growing time through the cold weather.
Get into gourmet mushroom growing too! Would be awesome. Mushrooms are easy once you’re started, and they grow tons of sustenance for the space and materials put in
So beautiful place! I was at the deserts around Las Vegas couple of years ago, and I so much wanna go there again to take some photos! Cheers from Japan!
My condolences..
@Dr. Mantis Toboggan don’t lie
We’d love to have you back!
Just found your channel & watched it with my boys. They were fascinated & wanted to visit, too bad we are all in Australia & won't have it on the cards for a while. Thanks so much for inspiring them, they non stopped talking about it over dinner to their father. Bless you!
Hey Christine, we have our own ghost towns as well as off grid settlements in Aus if you ever want to travel more locally and look at similar situations:)
@@BatteredWing This would be awesome, how do I look for them?
@@adornAUS I would start with looking into old gold mining settlements :)
They way you are telling the story and creating your own at the same time is very quite charming. Keep going Brent, you are inspiring a lot of us humans.
Ghost Town Garden is gonna need to turn into "Ghost Town _Greenhouse"_ real quick if you want to sustain that through the winter.
Exactly cos it will be an EPIC FAILURE.
I'd keep my eye on those garden box legs. They at minimum need decent cross bracing. I'd recommend beefing them up a bit. There's a lot of weight in dirt that's going to be entirely supported by those 2x4 legs
Water too! Eight pounds a gallon!
Well, all this while it looked like you were surviving, but now it’s looking like you are living. You are growing food, seeking little joys. I feel very happy to see this video today 😁
I hadn’t checked-in in a while. Incredible to see what you’re accomplishing. Fantastic idea with the garden
Hey Brent, I know you are a very busy man with his own interests and hobbies; but I have an idea for a new hobby you should explore. I notice that you have spent a lot of time pouring over old maps of the mines and being disappointed when the exploration of those sections doesn't go as planned. I think the history of Cerro Gordo is ongoing and you are a part of that history. What I would love to see is you looking into making some updated maps of your explorations. Right now you are the one man with the most knowledge of the actual explorability of those mines and the state they are in as of today. As your focus has been preservation and historical accuracy it would be fitting if you began looking into charting the passages you have explored for the future of exploration and the historical record of the mines of Cerro Gordo.
TLDR: Those old maps are of limited use to you or anyone living today. Want updated maps and you have the experience and knowledge of what actually exists down there. Please look into cartography.
Hi With all the video footage it should be possible to link the map locations with actual video footage, like a virtual exploration for us armchair explorers. Or the basis of mine map for a game.
I was about to ask if somebody has tried to -- or is thinking about -- making a 3D model of the shafts and chimneys od Cerro Gordo.
@@eugenepeters465 the mine has changed many many times over the years and the maps aren't accurate anymore due to collapses and such. You got to remember he said something like 23 miles of tunnels to explore.
@@Moonsauc3 Party pooper it's still a good idea .
@@jamesthegardener338 YA use a three d printer and you could include all the collapses also that way he would have an updated plane .and a visual reference to refer to.
my heart cry's with joy when another human being finds the freedom you get from off-road riding..💕👌
Love your Channel. Gardening tip. You need the focus your attention on building a greenhouse, because this would suit your needs, be more controllable, and you could grow fruits and vegetables all year long. Do it, because it will be highly successful.
We appreciate the time you take to make these videos.
The mine water will be so potent with good minerals for the plants to grow
This is one of the most wholesome channels on TH-cam. It's all because of Brent. He is a likable guy, with good intentions, investing in his dream exploring the natural world. His positivity makes us wish the best for him.
Enjoying the journey with you 😊💜🌏 The mom in me however, wants you to be safe.
I have not much interest in American history, but your determination brought me to subscribe. It’s fascinating to see you live your best life, doing something you truly love and are passionate about- I hope you continue to live out your dreams, and that you bring this musky old ghost town back to life at full capacity! Much love from civilized Florida!
I wonder with the mines having a lot of lead in the rock how much of it leaches out into your water especially since the water is coming from deep down in the mine, you might want to consider getting some sort of filter system for yourself & your garden.
For sure... Heavy metals in water for drinking or for agriculture is no joke.
While i agree it's good to test it, i would guestimate the lead seepage is on the low end of the specturm. Besides, Brent doesn't have too much water to use on the plants anyway so accumulation should be even less of a problem.
That said, water filters that are designed for lead are not that expensive so i might still install one, just in case...
There are lead pipes in use today around the world and they are within the limits so the presence of lead does not automatically make water bad.
About the garden, I'd suggest getting some kind of trellis for the tomatoes. I don't know what strain you got, but the ones I've been growing here on my Stockholm apartment balcony have gotten from 20cm tall to like 2 metres tall. And it happened FAST
I was very pleased for "Bill". of Australia who won the plaque that you created. Australia is a big country like the USA, but wouldn't it be fantastic to run into Bioll soo that we could exchange stories related to Cerro Gordo. I check my email daily and sometimes more often than that waiting for your response to a "Hoodie" with Cerro Gordo printed on. it. One day this will happen !!!!
Neville
Been living on a homestead for a while now and two things I think you might need the most is rain water collection and a greenhouse for winter months and what not.
As a musician, I am incredibly inspired by your videos. Regardless of what you do, having a genuine passion for it is contagious. When you mentioned having that “positive feedback loop” it resonated with me on multiple levels, and that type of energy and drive is exactly what fuels me to compose something a amazing. I hope to visit Cerro Gordo and meet you one day!
those old hondas will run until the ends of time. had a 100 for a long time as a kid, loved it
I do love the idea we have of freedom and this guy buys a whole town and a bunch of land out in the middle of absolutely nowhere. And hes waiting on building permits.
Ohhh the laaaaand of the freeeee.
This was the first video on this channel I found and I was just scrolling down and it looked interesting to me so I clicked on it and I wanted more so I went back to the beginning sand I’ve been watching these videos for months now and I’m so happy I found this channel because honestly it’s my favorite channel at this point. THANK YOU BRENT