I'm starting an off-grid comunity.

a reply to: Ghost147

I want to do the same for years now, but I lack the knowledge and skills (and even more importantly, funds) of having such a life (being born and raised in a big city where food comes from the supermarket supposedly).

That is why I have decided to use the skills I do have to achieve it, and I have been working very hard the past 18 months to become a freelancer developer. I'm on the verge of making it, in terms of at least not having to live in a big city and I could travel with my work. That's a start, but hopefully I could buy some land or join a community like yours and get involved. I cannot stand life in a big city, I cannot wait to leave this life behind...

Thanks for the inspiration, and best of luck in your adventure!

a reply to: Shuye

Thanks! I hope you make it too.

I'm actually on the same boat as you for a number of things. I don't have the skills to build a house from scratch, but I learn quickly.I can see how incredibly difficult it would be for a person to do this on their own.

a reply to: Ghost147

Yes indeed, you are in luck of having such companions. :-) Their skills will be worth gold once you will start working together, and it's so much easier to learn as you go when you can follow someone that actually knows what he's doing...

I do have friends that seek this lifestyle as well, but there's one thing of wanting it and another thing of working towards it.

You have a clear plan and a vision, sometimes it's even more important than money or skills. I believe that if you can imagine it, then you can live it. :-) Eventually we will set ourselves free....

I'm wanting to do this as well, somewhere in Missouri, Arkansas or West Texas in a county with no zoning or building codes. As long as you pay your insurance and taxes the government shouldn't bother you. Now if you build a fort or some kind of military compound I can see you drawing the attention of the local authorities.

Anyway once I purchase the property the first thing I wanna do is install some ponds and a swale on contour system that covers the entire property. I want to dig a well at the highest point on the property next to a pond and I would hook the well to a solar pump that would run when the sun shines filling up the pond to over flowing flooding the swales on the entire property. If I do this in West Texas I would have to add a layer of manure at least 3 inches add worms and around 3 inches of mulch or any kind of carbon I can find. The next year I would plant nitrogen positive bushes and trees and 6 months later I would plant fruit and nut trees spaced out between the nitrogen adding trees and bushes. If I do this in Arkansas or Missouri I wouldn't have to add the manure or mulch as much, I would most likely have to cut down or thin out the forests.

My goal would be to have a pond and swale system supporting orchards and grasses that I would paddock off into sections for cows and chickens and pigs. Each paddock would have a refilling water source for livestock daily the cows and pigs (separate paddocks) would graze on the grass and would be moved daily into the next paddock, and chickens (in a chicken tractor free range kind) would follow the following day to spread out the manure and consume the bugs effectively prepping the paddock for new growth. I want between 21 and 30 paddocks for each cows and pigs. I would design a central building for birthing, milking, and wintering.

The pigs would be fed whey (byproduct of making cheese), and all the defective fruit and veggies and small ration of organic grain (hopefully grain I grew).

I also want a aquaponic set up, mostly for feeding family and animals and I want a fish room to breed all kinds of fish, I would dehydrate fish and fruits and veggies to make my own fish/rabbit pellets to use and to sell avoiding farm regulations.

My main products would be fertilizer, worm tea, live fish both tropical and local game types, bait worms, minnows, meal worms fish/rabbit food, lumber, and possibly a pick your own orchard when they have started producing. Possibly other typical farm product like milk, ice cream, cheese, wine, and meat chickens, beef and pork.

The farming aspect would depend on government regulations but my goal would be to feed my family and then some. Everything would be organic and processed or sold live via feed supply stores, farmers markets, and a website.

Every dollar made the "business" would get 2 shares and 1 share for each who work on the "farm." The 2 shares for the business would goto insurance and taxes and capital improvements, its possible I would have to modify this budget.

OP I would research geothermal heating and air system before doing a compost set up, seems like it would be hard crawling under your house removing compose when its done and adding new material. Your group could do geothermal with some study.

Good Luck!

originally posted by: LDragonFire
OP I would research geothermal heating and air system before doing a compost set up, seems like it would be hard crawling under your house removing compose when its done and adding new material. Your group could do geothermal with some study.

Good Luck!

Interesting concepts. Although I think you're imagining the compost set up incorrectly.

Essentially you set up a compost heap (not under your house, just anywhere), but you run piping through the entire heap. The heat from the compost heap heats the piping (which is filled with water). you then pump the heated water where ever you wish. You can use it for in-floor heating, or for warm water for the aquaponics fish if you wanted species that relies on hot water for example.

Since we can get quite cold here in winters, we would build these heaps in outdoor shelters to retain more heat in winters.

originally posted by: Ghost147

originally posted by: LDragonFire
OP I would research geothermal heating and air system before doing a compost set up, seems like it would be hard crawling under your house removing compose when its done and adding new material. Your group could do geothermal with some study.

Good Luck!

Interesting concepts. Although I think you're imagining the compost set up incorrectly.

Essentially you set up a compost heap (not under your house, just anywhere), but you run piping through the entire heap. The heat from the compost heap heats the piping (which is filled with water). you then pump the heated water where ever you wish. You can use it for in-floor heating, or for warm water for the aquaponics fish if you wanted species that relies on hot water for example.

Since we can get quite cold here in winters, we would build these heaps in outdoor shelters to retain more heat in winters.

Now remember that the ground temperature below the freeze line/below 3ft, is a constant 58 degrees, which means that any underground piping/Conduit, can pull/draw that into your living and work space. 6" to 8" inch PVC or Flexible conduit place 25' ft at each corner below freeze line with ducts and filter Or Coiled will keep you warm and cool year round with no further equipment other than fans, which can all be 12volt dc.

a reply to: Ghost147

I have considered a compost set up for a greenhouse to provide heat threw out the winter, It would work for sure but the effort to build a geothermal would be a one time thing. Researching what to do can be just as exciting as actually doing it, there are many opinions to chose from.

This movement is a growing trend IMO

Good luck to you. I am very impressed and am going to incorporate some of you ideas into my own living situation. I don't know much about Aquaponics but am going to learn. Self sustaining is the only way to live. Keep out the corporations and governments...oh wait they're the same thing.

a reply to: SPECULUM

and

a reply to: LDragonFire

The only issue I have with geothermal heating is that the cost to have it done is something like $25,000-$50,000 last time I checked a few years ago. I'm not aware of a way to do this ourselves, but if there was a cheap way, I'd love to hear it.

I agree the geothermal heating really would be the best way to go, but we would already be producing a lot of excess materials (such as fish guts and sawdust) in which we would be using to make large compost heaps as it were. Thus the cost for the heaps would be free (other than the piping)

www.homedepot.com...
Bury this 3ft in the ground 25ft in length on all 4 corners and hook up to 12 volt fans and this will pull between 64 and 57 degrees year round. its cheap and simple and indefinite. just make sure you cap the outer end above ground with a good charcoal filter.

www.duanesworld.net...

a reply to: SPECULUM

I'll have to do more research before I consider. Once we get everything set up and have steady farming we'll be testing out a lot of things like what you're suggesting to see what would be the best form of energy production.

I'd consider it, I've always wanted to try living closer to the grid, like we did as children. My dad was a bit of a survivalist.

I can't even imagine I'd have the resources to pitch into an endeavor such as that.

CdT