How would you like to chat with off-grid expert Nick Rosen? Well, this Coast to Coast interview is the next best thing to talking to him personally. This interview triggered ideas for about half a dozen future blog posts.
natural building
Earthbag Dome Build in Grass Valley, CA 2012
Short video on the earthbag domes we built in the summer of 2012.
Uncommon Good Whole Earth Building
Architect – Claremont Environmental Design Group (CEDG)
Contractor – Oasis Design and Construction
Earthbag/Vault Builder/Consultant – United Earth Builders (UEB)
“Though Uncommon Good is a human services organization, we realize that helping the poor and saving the planet have become inseparable tasks. For when resources are scarce, or environmental disasters occur, it is the poor who suffer first and worst. Therefore, we want to set an example of caring for the environment and caring for each other in the way that we house and operate our organization.
Earthbag Workshop in Missouri
Earthbag Construction: One of the most practical structures is a multi-purpose structure that can serve as emergency shelters, temporary or permanent housing, root cellars or any conceivable structure.
Best Places to Live in Rural America
The cost of building a sustainable home is much higher in urban areas due to the stricter building codes, zoning and other housing regulations. Many readers dream of a simpler, healthier life in rural areas where there are few or no building codes and costs are far lower. But where’s the best place to live? Here are some lists to consider. You could compare the different lists and look for areas that are recommended most often. Everyone has different needs, however, and so you have to work out your priorities. Are you after the lowest cost land? Rural areas with jobs and growth potential? Rural areas with good weather? Minimal pollution? Lakefront land? Outdoor recreation? Good soil for gardening? Lowest taxes? Rural areas with like-minded people? The final choice will likely be based on some balance between these and other factors. Happy hunting.
Land and Farm.com
In your search for rural land with few or no building codes, you might want to try out Land and Farm.com. Their search page enables you to narrow the search by state, county, zip code, type of property (farm, undeveloped, orchard, ranch, etc.), property size, asking price, price per acre, irrigated or not irrigated and quite a few other criteria.