Farming & ranching the Slabs

[Pheonix]

My name's Pheonix and I have been here for awhile, first came to this site as a retired hobo and current farmer. But shit happened and now I back in CA doing the hobo thing again, good thing I already have 8 years experience in the field of Hobotology. But the thing is I still want to advance my Farming and Ranching experience and want to get another farm.
Lately I've been wondering if I would be able to farm and ranch at Slab City. So I figured I should start doing some research on the Slabs and have many questions that I was hoping I could get answers to here.

Do people have chickens and/or rabbits out there?
Do people have goats out there?
Can I fence in a small area out there and set up camp inside the fence to keep my animals safe and to keep my guard dog corralled with the flock/herd?
How do people get water out there?
What are the electricity options out there?
Is there a way to get internet out there? if yes how?
Can I build a permanent structure out there? I.E. chicken coop, storage shed, greenhouse.

I'm sure I will have more questions later but these are the ones I'm thinking of right now.

 

[happyearthhomes]

Yes to chickens
yes to goats
no to rabbits but wild ones exist
Yes claiming and fencing a camp is possible
you haul it in from town or pay waterboy $15 for 100 gallons delivered to your camp he leases you a tank for a $20 one time fee and he maintains the tanks
you run a generator or get solar stuff.
a local provider called beam speed for $65 a month ok speeds im on it now
sure just be aware at any time you can be evicted by the cops thats why I am leaving to build my place somewhere else o and also the 120!!! degree heat for 3-4 months if you do come out you can try joining up with one of the existing camps that already have the basics done some camps take in people regularly if your cool. the camp i am leaving is well known to stp a few members have and do live here and quite a few more have visited

 

[Pheonix]

That sounds great, here's another question. What cell phone service provider has the best reception out there?

 

[dprogram]

Just curious but...Why can't rabbits come out there?

 

[Pheonix]

I think he meant that no one out there has rabbits. If that's the case I'll probably be the first.

 

[Kim Chee]

Rabbits wont be able to handle the heat (except underground). Even with ample shade/water the heat will have them dropping like flies. Maybe there is a "heat resistant" variety?

 

[happyearthhomes]

U can get 4g on at&t 3g on everything else the reason no one has rabbits is the slab dog packs and coyotes

 

[Pheonix]

yes, I would have to find a heat resistant breed of rabbit, the ones I had last time had heat strokes when the temp got to 110. As for the dogs that's why I want a fence.

Does everyone let their dogs run around off a leash? Can I shoot the coyotes? Are the wild rabbits Jackrabbits? Is there good fishing at Salton Sea? How far is the nearest hardware store?

 

[Matt Derrick]

i wouldn't eat anything out of the salton sea. you'll take one look at it and agree with me. in a lot of places it's nothing but brown sludge, and almost everywhere it smells like crap. there's so many dead fish on the shore that the beaches are largely made up of fish bones, so the sand crunches under your feet.

nearest hardware store is in calipatria, which is about 10 or 15 miles south. there are some dogs running around without a leash, but it's kinda rare from my experience. i mean, i don't think ive seen any dog on a leash, but they're well trained enough that they don't leave their buddie's camp, which makes sense, cause then we would have a bunch of dogs getting in fights all the time, and ive almost never seen that happen here.

you can shoot the coyotes for sure, but they rarely come into places where humans are, especially if youre in the more central slab area.

as for "you may be evicted at any time by the cops" that's extremely unlikely for several reasons that would take a long time to explain. slab city is a piece of land that's fallen under some unique circumstances, and has been that way for over 50 years, so it's unlikely to change anytime soon.

 

[Pheonix]

That's good to hear, my dogs are also well trained. The thing is one of my dogs is a well trained guard dog and I'll have her tied up at camp until I get a fence up, but she won't want strange humans and dogs coming up into camp. So I was wondering if dogs will stay away from my camp and not come running to play with the new dog? I'm also a little anti-social so I would prefer to camp somewhere with less people and not in the middle of the already established camps.

Are there snakes out there?
Are they venomous?

 

[Matt Derrick]

personally i don't think you'll have too many problems with other dogs. as for snakes, yes, there is some, but ive never seen one. i know some people that have, but it's pretty rare, i think they try to stay away from humans though. im not sure if any are poisonous, i kinda doubt it.

 

[Pheonix]

Is the ground loose sand or loose sand on top of sandstone, what I'm saying is how hard is it going to be to dig 4 or 5 feet into the ground?
Will I need a matox?

I guess my main concern should be how to survive a 120 degree summer? huh

I'll be getting on food stamps and I'm sure many people out there have them too. So does that grocery in Niland turn into a crowded free-for-all at the beginning of the month?
Can I pick up cheap dog food in Niland?

 

[Matt Derrick]

not sure about dog food, im sure they have it, but no idea how much it costs. the ground isn't too hard most of the time that you can't dig into it with just a shovel.

 

[Pheonix]

well, it seems like that's going to be the plan. I'll panhandle for a couple months to get money for supplies and then move to the slabs sometime at the beginning of summer.
Anybody have anymore suggestions and what I should bring as far as supplies? or any other advice?

 

[Chris Catastrophe]

be careful of the snakes mid season, especialy if your anywhere near the canal. we caught and ate alot of rattlers there. lived there for a long time. watch other ppls dogs they keep some of them on leash but there are many wild dogs and some coyotes, small game may draw them in. as for water matt said it best the water guy is the best, and if u cant get ahold of him right away the gas station in town has a water tap outside by the bathrooms they will let u fill up any amount. if u use the water there tip, theres a jar inside they use all donations for paying the water bill. the niland beverage store and maves have dog food general foodstuffs at an ok cost, food stamps are easy to get. take the 1$ bus to el centro. if ur going in the begining of summer be preppared for some serious heat, 110+. highest it was when i got there was 126. if u need more info pm me id be happy to answer what i can. good luck

 

[Matt Derrick]

yeah, if you want to get a large amount of staple goods, i think taking the bus to the "food 4 less" in el centro is your best bet. May's (the grocery in niland) is a bit pricey and has a limited selection.

 

[Pheonix]

good to know I can eat snakes out there since jackrabbits and coyotes taste like shit, but is there anything else out there that can be hunted, trapped or fished for food?

How is the toilet situation? Are there community shitters or do I need to make my own?

 

[Chris Catastrophe]

didnt even think of 4 for less, good call. there r a few outhouses build, one by the ''cafe'', another by the kitchen. recommend bucket w seat or dig one. there are some fish in the canal, not much though. rabbits n quail r good eats there. the blue n white church has water n may help w food, plus ppl come in w food as well.

 

[Matt Derrick]

yeah, and karma kitchen feeds every thursday, and the church in the slabs gives away food to occasionally. there's also some other church thing that comes out about once a month to feed and give people stuff. it's kinda hard to starve here.

 

[Pheonix]

I'd imagine the barter system is used out there. What are good trade stock items??