Building a New Life in a Tiny Home

36-year-old Anders Boisen used to live in apartments all over the city of Aarhus in Denmark. “I had this claustrophobic feeling about living in an apartment, not so much because of the size of it but more because of the lifestyle that seems so predefined,” he says. “If I could build a house that is … Read more

Touring The Crooked Forest Institute’s Land

Yesterday I toured the Crooked Forest Institute‘s land that they recently acquired in the Mimbres Valley in Southern New Mexico via a $200,000 grant . A group of more than a dozen of us who already had some association with the Institute were invited to inspect the 50+ acre property and make suggestions about ways … Read more

Off-Grid New Mexico Conservation Ranch

JJ and Fred Milder were looking for their dream home- they’d spent most of their married life in Boston-, but now with their daughters in college, they were looking to relocate. They stumbled on a former cattle ranch in the high desert outside Sante Fe that was being sold as part of a conservation trust. … Read more

Awareness Ranch: Permaculture and Natural Building In Action

Awareness Ranch uses the ideas of permaculture design to grow food and create buildings. Following the adage of “think globally and act locally” they aim to provide a working model of sustainable agriculture and construction which can be replicated or adapted to many settings. By cultivating an awareness of our interconnected world, they believe we … Read more

Couple Builds Off-Grid Ecovillage with Friends & Leftovers

Emma and Edo were once a hotel stage show dance team, until they quit to live out their dream of rescuing animals (Emma) and farming (Edo) on the island of Tenerife. They bought cheap land and began to transform the rocky, dusty soil into a lush homestead. In the beginning, it was just the two … Read more

Kailash Ecovillage in Portland, Oregon

In 2007, Ole and Maitri Ersson bought the rundown Cabana apartment complex in Portland, Oregon and immediately began to de-pave parking spaces to make room for what today is a huge permaculture co-housing space and urban food forest. Today, the Kailash Ecovillage has 55 residents who all help farm. The community is well-prepared for systems … Read more