top of page
An Agritourism Experience Sustaining the Environment, Culture, & History of the Grand Canyon Mesa
Projects
Our Flagship Tiny Cabin
Our first Off Grid Tiny House. This home is net zero. This is our launch pad for our recent expansion. The tiny house is available to visit while exploring Whispering Wind Ranches!
This spring, we did restain our exterior and repaint the west facing door and its trim! It really needed it. The sun in the afternoon is blazing! We worked on and expanded our solar system a bit, added some lighting over the sink, in the loft and hooked up our kitchen exhaust fan! The top of our O'keefe and Merritt 1942 Apartment sized stove has had some porcelain work.! Our upgrades are almost constant! We added 3 more solar pannels and another battery to keep us going on recharging our batteries for tools allowing us to work longer on the Content Creation Studio. Our Outdoor kitchen is up and running like a champ in this summer heat.. but let me tell you.. boy has it been dry this summer.The fire hazard is extremely high, so we are extrememly careful! We have added another water tote to the kitchen area and 2x 100foot hoses in case a spark gets away from us! We also added two more firebreaks and have been constanly maining them. It is so important to have a defensiable space; especially in this dry Fire Season!
Our Flagship Tiny House is available touring at this time by appointment and invitation only! While we love guests and showing folks that you can live comfortably and sustainably in a much smaller, more financially friendly place, while utilizing what nature has to offer as sustenance; the road to our place has been greatly improved this spring and summer. We used our machinery to crown the road and fill in the ruts left by passers by in the wiinter and spring months!. We will continue to offer Master Classes over the warm weather months but will only be accepting guests with an invite!. Due to the dry weather, and fire dangers; we follow the guidance of the County at our location and currently are in a Stage 2 Burn Ban.. We ask that you contact us to book with us, and not just show up at our location! We cannot accomodate drop ins, and prefer to tailor your visit so that we all may have the best experience at the Canyon as possible!
We are an environmentally responsible ranch, and hope all of your enounters with us will enlighten you to lessen your footprint, no matter where you go or live! Visiting with us is a learning experience and an exploration of off grid sustainable living. Message us to inquire about custom tailored experiences at our ranch. Click the photo to the right to see the build process of our Flagship Tiny Cabin!
Agrotourism Office and Content Studio
Our Office & Content Creation Studio is coming along nicely. Our outdoor wood fired boiler for our in floor hydronic heating system is here and has been placed. We have the trench dug, pex laid and it all back filled for the insulated pex. We have reconsidered and have decided to do under the floor installation of the hydronic heating instead of over. This will make things so much cheaper and easier for us, as the plywood price still isn't where we need it to be.
We have all of our doors and windows in and even the trim on and painted. We were able to repurpose some stair treads from an old deck that was on the property when we purchased it to make all of our windowsills; and not to brag, but they came out so nice! We are all weathered in and set up with portable heating units so we can work on the insulation, electrical and tongue and groove this winter. Things are looking amazing with the studio! This building will house our offices and we will be able to have our Master Classes (in person and online) right from here!
Let's get ready for those indoor winter projects! Again, you can click the photo to the left to be directed to the album of the Office and Content Creation Studio, you can also follow us on Facebook, insta, and "X" and even watch videos on our Youtube channel!
Certified Wildlife Habitat
As soon as we saw this property we knew we had something special. What an amazing opportunity we had to preserve our natural habitats. Ask us how to Certify your property as a place where wildlife can grow families, feed, water and shelter.
We are constantly expanding and growing our effort, not only on our property but on the Grand Canyon Mesa. This spring I was able to make time to put up a new plaque and paint the door and trim on the Tiny House!
This Spring with the help of all our supporters we were able to plant new saplings, place more birdhouses and feeders, expand our wildlife watering efforts and we even moved some of the fallen trees from the winter and made brush piles for birds and small mammals to make homes in. We are both recognized Statewide and Nationally by the National and Arizona Wildlife Foundation as a Certified Wildlife Habitat. We make every effort to protect, preserve and educate about wildlife, especially as our urban areas begin to sprawl.
Right now; through The Grand Canyon Preservation Foundation, the Non-profit side of Whispering Wind Ranches, we are raising money to build additional small animal and bird feeders this winter, purchase more trees for replanting, and of course prepare for Fall 2024. We will need to replace 6 watering locations this year (we are excepting donations of barrels/tanks and or cash to purchase) and expanding the meadowscape for the local bee populations. You can support these and our other wildlife projects via any donate button on this page OR by making a purchase from our shop! 100% of all proceeds from our shop go directly to the Preservation Foundation and are completely tax deductible!
The Learning Place
Our second Tiny where folks who visit the ranch can learn how to use solar power, harvest rainwater, minimize waste, composite, upcycling, and other important skills! This tiny is also 100% off grid and sustainable. It will be eventually available for short term stays to try out sustainable living, as well as learn about sustainability, the Grand Canyon Mesa, and other preservation skills. I know the front looks like it needs a window, and honestly its already framed, it's just the window got broke in transport, so we were able to find another window that someone returned to the store! Big Score for us. As soon as we get the insulation up in the Office Space, we will clear this out, install the window and finish this off in a Farmhouse style with Board and Batten. and tile the bathroom! We did get it cleared out and planned out and set the bathroom and even though we had hoped to get those small projects done this year, we did not. This building is already fully insulated, and we had pushed this project off until winter. We did get a heating system in as well so we can tick off some of the smaller projects if we have the extra time this winter as we'd love more visitors and for them also to have a great place to learn and stay! Again, you can click the photo to the right to take you to a link to see our entire build process! Feel free to message us with any questions!
The Workhorses
Conserving, sustaining and repurposing is the secret to success here at our Ranch. This spring we had to do a heart transplant on one of our Old Ford 8N Tractors. It was pretty beat and rusty, but it still ran like a champ and her tires were good. We found out however, her frame was cracked, and she just wasn't safe to operate anymore. So, we put the tires on one of our other tractors and started to strip her down. She has an old flathead in her; and, a rare feature of a Sherman cable driven transmission. We made all the engine disconnections and pulled the motor and transmission. The motor is completely out and in the workshop. We have some other clients motors to build first, but hopefully we can get to it over the winter months. Of course, we will post photos and videos of that rebuild process; we have been in the business of parts and motor rebuilding for at least 15 years; it's one of the best things we do :) We do offer engine and equipment rebuilding and repair as well as, welding and other machine work and fabricating. Send us an email for more information!
The Workhorses
The majority of wildfires in Arizona are caused by human activity, such as campfires, vehicle fires, and power lines. The state's dry climate and hot weather make it a prime location for wildfires to start and spread quickly.
Arizona and Whispering Wind Ranches are taking steps to reduce the risk of wildfires, such as increasing prescribed burns, clearing brush and other flammable materials from around homes and businesses, and educating the public about wildfire safety. However, wildfires are a natural part of the state's ecosystem, and it is important to be prepared for them. As part of our routine maintenance we have created a a defensible space around our home and office spaces as well as our barns and storage areas. This means clearing away all flammable materials, such as brush, trees, and leaves, within 30 feet of our structures. We also create firebreaks, which is a strip of cleared land that will help to stop the spread of a fire. We must chronically maintain these defenses, as well as have extra water in case we have a fire break out. We are so careful at all times around our property especially careful with fire. We never leave a campfire or any fire unattended, and make sure that it is completely extinguished before we leave it. Never burn anything on your property without consulting the forest service for guidance and making sure we are aware of the weather conditions. The most common time for wildfires to start is during the summer months, when it is hot, windy and dry. If there is a fire danger warning in effect, we are extra careful. Click the photo to the right for nationwide wildfire information and interactive map locations.
Wildfires
928-323-5661
©2022 by Whispering Winds Ranches LLC
bottom of page