Saturday, March 28, 2009

First Entry Homestead Dreams






Welcome to our Homestead. We bought 1-3/4 unimproved acres back in October 2008 and are planning to build a permaculture site. Historically, the land has been part of a small farm and most recently a pasture for a few cattle and a horse. It has fertile soil and a southeast facing slope. It is ideal for the plans we have to build a passive solar home as well as for the many elements we will incorporate into the permaculture design; multiple gardens, small orchard, rainwater harvesting, greywater systems, solar hot water and natural building. So far, we have already begun solar drying large timbers harvested locally. we are planning a timberframe with straw, clay and earth plaster wall systems constructed from local materials. Ultimately the homestead will operate as an integrated, low energy and partially self-sufficient mini-farm.

These are the only pictures we have of the land as it was before we started making plans on it. They are fairly low quality, but here goes.