Tag Along Construction
Building off-grid, debt-free, on 12 acres in Cuba, New Mexico — documented in kinda real time.
The Project
Real-time documentation of building a debt-free, off-grid homestead from raw high desert earth. No shortcuts, no loans — just phased, intentional work.
The land sits between the Nacimiento Mountains to the east and dramatic mesa cliffs to the west, at the edge of the Rio Puerco valley. Purchased in January 2023, it was covered in dense sagebrush and some juniper. Phase 0 clearing began immediately and continues today.
The build centers on an L-shaped container home — six shipping containers, east-facing entrance per Navajo cultural tradition, off-grid solar, rainwater catchment, and a year-round greenhouse.
Quick Facts
- Location Cuba, NM
- Acreage 12.111 acres
- Elevation ~6,900ft
- Home Style L-shape containers
- Power Off-grid solar
- Water Municipal + rainwater
- Phase Phase 0 Active
North Boundary — Mesa View
Clearing the Parking Lot — Hand by Hand
Hauling Brush — The Dirt Road Takes Shape
Storm Rolling In — Still Working
South Boundary — Corral & Mesa
East Parcel Survey — Where It All Began
Four Sacred Directions — The Color Language of This Site
Explore the Project
Every aspect of this build has its own page — follow along with the full story.
12 acres in Cuba NM — the four sacred directions, the Rio Puerco valley, and the eastern parcel. Where this all begins.
Phase 0 through 5+ — the full build roadmap from raw earth clearing to finished off-grid homestead. Phase 0 active now.
L-shaped container home — six containers, east-facing Navajo entrance, off-grid solar, rainwater catchment, year-round greenhouse.
Raised garden beds, deer fencing, peach and apple orchard, crop field near the highway, rainwater irrigation, indigenous methods.
Target range, sunken fire pit, glamping and Hogan lodging, stargazing, beehives — raw land encounters at 6,900ft.
The Rio Puerco valley, cottonwood corridor, sunken cabin in the arroyo, yoga platforms. Early vision — developing slowly.
Current Progress
Phase 0 is active — here is what has been accomplished and what is coming next.
Completed So Far
- ✓ Property purchased January 2023
- ✓ Survey boundary markers confirmed with Keith
- ✓ Access road created from Hwy 197
- ✓ Extensive sagebrush and juniper clearing underway
- ✓ SW corner target range area nearly cleared
- ✓ Garden bed area cleared and documented
- ✓ Corral road widened
Coming Next
- → T-post fence line completion around full perimeter
- → Sunken fire pit construction begins
- → Target range completion — targets and stands
- → Access road widening and grading — Phase 0.5
- → Raised garden bed construction — Phase 1
- → Permit and engineering process — Phase 2 npm run dev
Follow the Build
This project is being built and documented in real time. Reach out if you want to follow along, ask questions about the build process, or talk about future visit possibilities on the property.
- Questions about the container home build process
- Off-grid solar and water system planning
- Future property experiences and visits
- General questions about building in rural New Mexico