I got an email this morning from Clay Greathouse who is beginning to build an earthbag house for his family in Cochise County, Arizona. He writes, “Cochise County offers a Building Inspection Opt-Out , which we are taking advantage of, but they are trying to change this, so a # of us folks are working … Read more
Avid blog reader Phil Dodd wrote, “Are you aware that in mid-Wales, UK, a sustainable-living practitioner is now coming to the end of his second earthbag build on his land? Kris Harbour has now nearly finished building a large workshop with earthbag walls, and a turfed timber roof. One of the notable features of the … Read more
About 15 years ago, Antonio Gutiérrez took a wrong turn and ended up in the mountains of Cantabria surrounded by cabins. Beginning in the 16th century these “housebarns” were built in the region’s high valleys to house livestock on the ground floor and people or hay on the floor above. Enamored with the lush greenery … Read more
In 1996, Raghava inherited a coconut plantation from his grandfather. Unlike his ancestors who had practiced agriculture for seven generations, Raghava, then an undergraduate, had no connection with the soil. “I grew up on a healthy diet of inspiring stories of local and international entrepreneurs. This was one of the reasons that motivated me to … Read more
Elliston, a tiny town in Newfoundland, Canada’s most eastern province, was traditionally a fishing community. Cod was king, until in 1992, the Canadian government imposed a cod fishing moratorium. Overnight, thousands of livelihoods were wiped out. Many locals left for work in other provinces. Some enterprising residents decided to put some of the legendary Newfoundland … Read more
In 2016, at the peak of his career in the Silicon Valley, San Francisco-based Vivek Shah decided to quit his job and return to India with his wife Brinda. “Living in San Francisco made us a lot more aware of our surroundings. Being full-time professionals ourselves, we started realising how our lifestyle was fluctuating toward … Read more