Hugelmounds – Incredibly productive… after a little while!


“Late August 2015 we cleared a small area in the front yard of forsythia and lawn and set it in motion as permanent raised beds. Two growing seasons later and it’s pretty wonderful to see how well it all broke down. Wood chips and chopped up branches and some clay soil and we have the ingredients to make some luscious beds that grow a significant amount of annual crops, perennial crops and nursery work.”

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Best Places to Live with Minimal Building Codes: Small Communities in Decline

There are many small communities across the country with lenient building codes.
There are many small communities across the country with lenient building codes.

Consider investigating small rural communities with lax building codes for homesteading. Many of these communities are in slow decline and eager for new community members. Keep an eye out for properties for sale and related community information online. Many properties come on the market when seniors pass away and children want to live in big cities. Look for areas with good water and established gardens with good soil.

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Ridgedale Permaculture

“A 20 minute overview of how we’re regenerating this small farm up at 59 degrees in Sweden.” This is Richard Perkin’s amazing farm. After just three years people are coming from over 45 countries to see what they’re doing.

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Best Places to Live with Minimal Building Codes: Iowa

Email from a reader: “Within city limits there’s some zoning but in the country there’s nothing except getting well and septic approved. Plus, we’re 35 minutes to downtown Iowa City (birthplace of the Tiny Home movement) and 30 minutes to Grinnell, Iowa, home of Grinnell college. We feel like we hit the jackpot as far as building sites.

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