“This particular solar kiln is the brainchild of Virginia Tech and the plans are available for free online.
Month: May 2017
Domes with Living Roofs and Geodesic Skylights
I’ve been very interested in underground dome homes with living roofs for many years after my dome building Instructable went viral. The other day I was watching a video about Hacking Aircrete that showed the dome home featured here. One side has a geodesic greenhouse and the other has a skylight.
Weeds and Trees: Free Super Soil Builders
This is another segment on how to restore depleted soil on your homestead. Search our blog for numerous related stories. It’s a big topic because most soil now is depleted of nutrients, and of course, plants are only as nutritious as the soil they’re grown in. The cost of depleted farmland is typically far below the cost of rich bottom land, so this soil building technique can save many thousands of dollars when buying land.
How the Mississippi shantyboats helped build a culture
“Long before Wes Modes began planning a journey down the Mississippi, he started building a traditional barge-bottom houseboat in a California backyard out of rustic reclaimed materials (e.g. old fences and chicken coops). Once his shantyboat was complete he hatched a plan to transport it across the country from Santa Cruz to Minnesota to begin a “Huck-Finn style” journey down the iconic American river.
Best Places to Live: Scenic Byways
As a young man, I traveled across Nebraska on Highway 20 that parallels the main east-west interstate across the state. It’s very beautiful country. The scenic byway was far more interesting than the interstate which I had traveled many times going back and forth to Colorado on vacation. Places like this would be a great place to homestead.
Semi-retired Couple Shares Tiny House Experience
“Nicky and Judy decided that a tiny house on wheels would be the ideal solution for the next stage in their lives: retirement. The low cost of living a minimalist lifestyle in 175 square feet allows Nicky to work less (Judy is already retired), and it allows them to enjoy living in their dream home, but with the option of moving to a new location if they so desire.