Saguache County Stories

Searching for Sovereignty and Security: In Episode 7 of our Finding Home Series, local resident Jae Sanders discusses how displacement and codes affect many in the United States and how her personal journey led her to call Saguache County home. Jae currently owns property in KV Estates and plans on building a custom made home using locally sourced, natural materials.

Christine Gingrich de Mendez Creating A Zero-Waste Lifestyle In this podcast interview Christine Gingrich de Mendez shares the process she went through to create her life here in the San Luis Valley. With the goal of zero waste and no bills, she and her husband built a tiny straw bale house utilizing conventional insulation and solar power to create an off-grid, no-mortgage home in the community that is Crestone, Colorado. Enjoy Christine’s 19-minute podcast interview. —Have a story? Send an email to sag.county.stories@nsclibrarydistrict.org to schedule an interview.

In this podcast interview Mae Folsom describes how she came to live in the KV Estates back in 2000. She shares some of the issues that the KV HOA has faced through the years from the cannabis boom to water installation. Mae also shares the ways that she has contributed to creating affordable housing in the KV. As the KV HOA Board President, Mae’s dream is to create a real sense of community in the KV Estates and develop even more affordable housing opportunities for Saguache County residents. Listen to her 16-minute podcast interview. For those who would like subtitles follow this YouTube link to see a captioned version of the podcast. Also keep up with the latest podcast episodes on Facebook. Have a story? Send an email to sag.county.stories@nsclibrarydistrict.org to schedule an interview.

In this podcast interview Suzanne Rougé describes her vision for an Earthship in the San Luis Valley that she plans to build and why she believes this type of house is important for the future of sustainability. Her journey of becoming a self-taught builder began in her 40’s when she took classes at Home Depot and volunteered on numerous building projects in Colorado and abroad. Her goal of retiring with a smaller footprint is one that she hopes will inspire others to follow in her footsteps. Enjoy Suzanne’s 19-minute podcast interview. —Have a story? Send an email to sag.county.stories@nsclibrarydistrict.org to schedule an interview.

In this podcast interview Wade Lockhart shares his journey to the San Luis Valley and his process for completing his straw bale home. Wade— who first lived in a camper, then the garage he built—paid for his home as he built it. The process was at times stressful for the compounding fees imposed by the POA for building extensions, but in the end Wade finished his home build debt-free. This is the link to a slide presentation with images highlighting Wade’s home. Listen to his 15-minute podcast interview. For those who would like subtitles follow this YouTube link to see a captioned version of the podcast. Also keep up with the latest podcast episodes on Facebook. Have a story? Send an email to sag.county.stories@nsclibrarydistrict.org to schedule an interview.

In this podcast interview Richard Trotter shares his journey to Saguache and his desire to buy a house that became his forever home. Richard shares the history about the house reading from The Saguache County Museum publication Images Of The Past Volume IV —People, Places, Events, available at the Saguache Public Library  . This is the link to a few images highlighting Richard’s historic home. Listen to his 14-minute podcast interview. For those who would like subtitles follow this YouTube link to to see a captioned version of the podcast. Have a story? Send an email to sag.county.stories@nsclibrarydistrict.org to schedule an interview.

In this podcast interview Goldie Mariola shares her years-long journey to build an Earthship home in the Baca Grande subdivision outside of Crestone, CO. The process involved she and her partner working on building each summer for a number of years and paying for the home as it progressed. Now completed and fully paid for, Goldie’s home is regularly featured in the home tours for the Crestone Energy Fair, an event that highlights alternative building practices. This is the link to a few images highlighting Goldies’s building process. Listen to her 9-minute podcast interview. For those who would like subtitles follow this YouTube link to to see a captioned version of the podcast. Have a story? Send an email to sag.county.stories@nsclibrarydistrict.org to schedule an interview.