Building
1

Stumps and Rocks

The first area that I will be adding will be the water room. It is currently loaded with stumps and rocks. The rain barrels will be set up here, and so the sink will be nearby, and the next room over will be the bathroom. They need to be close …

Building

Getting to Digging

The ground is just thawed and dry enough to get in some digging on the sunnier days. I have a lot of digging ahead of me, and so I have to take advantage of all the time I can get. An addition will be put on the house, including an …

Building
3

Additon Step 2: Make a Flat Spot

This is the second area I am flattening out for the addition. The other side was put up in a hurry, so I forgot to take pictures. Obstacle 1 on this side is the tree stump. Obstacle 2 is the gap alongside the house. I stacked rocks to form a …

Building
6

Change in Plans…Again…

We have been hard at work on the cordwood house for a couple a months now.  Although it appears to me as though we have hardly been working.  Everything is moving painfully slowly and outside situations keep putting a hold on the the build for one annoying reason or another.  …

Building
1

Mini Cordwood Build: Gathering Flooring Tiles

The floor we intend to use is a dirt floor.  I will get into the details of that aspect when we do it, but it is not just dirt beneath your feet.  It ends up nicely sealed so that you aren’t getting dirt all over the place.  What I am …

Building
3

Mini Cordwood Build: Building the Clay Sifter

We need a lot of clay and gravel for the cordwood build.  We are going to have to collect and sift through all the clay we need to not only get the smoother clay, but to also get all the gravel out of the caly so we can use that …

Food Forest
1

6. Produce No Waste

The next permaculture principle is produce no waste.  No wasting things can be anything from recycling to being efficient and not wasting time.  Much of the “waste” we produce can be used for other things with just a little creativity. One of the most obvious sources of waste is simply …

Materials
1

Mini Cordwood House Plans: Why Natural Building

One of the more commonly seen natural homes out there is the Hobbit House.  Thank you to Being Somewhere for the photos. Natural homes, in my opinion, are the most beautiful homes you coud build.  When our house is done, it will be beautiful just because it is a natural …

Food Forest
1

5. Use and Value Renewable Resources and Services

The fifth permaculture principle is use and value renewable resources and services.  I know what you’re thinking, solar power! but it is so much more than that. We always try to make the most of our renewable reources here on the homestead for a few reasons.  Anything we can gather …

Food Forest
1

2. Catch and Store Energy

The second permacuture principle is catch and store energy.  When you think of “catch and store energy,” solar power tends to be the first thing that comes to mind.  This is a great start, but energy that can be caught and stored can be so much more than just solar. …