Tiny Homes Tiny Permaculture Footprint

Hi all, I'm in the process of moving from my rural home (on a small lot) to a bare land purchase in need of septic, well, and electric hookup. The electricity is at the lot line, the well is in place, and the septic needs to be installed. I plan to bring in a new or used modular home or mobile. Other than rainwater collection (and the weather), I'm wondering what watering systems I should put in place early in the process? If you have advice or resources, I'd be grateful for the information. I found some great ideas for laying things out on the YouTube video, "Stunning Tiny Permaculture Backyard Kitchen Garden with 30 fruit trees" YouTube

Planning is the most important thing you can do.  Knowing that the plans will change is probably the most important thing you can know.  I would suggest running some pipes well underground to multiple frost free hydrants.  This way you have water wherever you may need it.  This is my plan, anyway.  Then map it out, take measurements, etc, so you can find the pipes again.

Hi Dan, I very much appreciate the advice! When you say "frost free" do you mean like this type of hose bib?

dan hazlett wrote:Planning is the most important thing you can do.  Knowing that the plans will change is probably the most important thing you can know.  I would suggest running some pipes well underground to multiple frost free hydrants.  This way you have water wherever you may need it.  This is my plan, anyway.  Then map it out, take measurements, etc, so you can find the pipes again.

Where I live that style is called a Hydrant and they're awesome. People have been know to laugh at us,  because in my climate they are only required a few weeks of the year, but when you need them they work and you don't have to worry about pipes freezing.  We only have one, and would like them in more locations, but it hasn't made it to the top of the priority list yet.

I put in 3 on my homestead maybe 3 years ago. I wish I had put in 6 and done so 20 years ago.

If you have a property that is say 100ft by 100ft. you can actually plant alot more than 30 fruit tree, esp if you plant dwarf cultivars.

And with a 1000sqft greenhouse. You could grow most of your food for the winter and summer.

For a watering system, I would say mulch and bio-char. Then have a big barrel as a bio-reactor (pond/aquarium water + kefir + IMO) that you then use to spray all the leaves and mulch once a week or so, to make them hardy. For the greenhouse, Just weekly flood irrigation.  

Hi Lisa,

I am in year 3 of starting from scratch on a tiny homestead.  I have been living in a tiny house on wheels while I build the still small but larger than Tiny house.  

The BEST thing I did was get an electric mini excavator.  I dug all my own trenches and did my own foundation work.  Moved rocks for the french drain, and logs to be cut up into firewood.  I just finished the septic plan that would have cost thousands to have someone else to do.  

Another consideration aside from being able to work at your own pace and make decisions on the fly, is that contractors are in the biz to make money.  They will do things fast and efficient - which also means turning your new property into a moonscape.  Getting a small electric excavator means that you can surgically dig without crushing the soil and killing everything all around your build site.  It's quiet, and you can stop on a dime so as to not crush some bird or toad that is fleeing for it's life.  It has been very important to me to impact my little space as little as possible.  

I was able to install the electric pedestal just in time for the excavator to charge up.  No sloppy petroleum or exhaust fumes,  and very little maintenance.  Silent running and just as strong as the diesel and gas counterparts.  I can't see why it wouldn't be possible to charge it with solar and an inverter.

I'm about ready to sell mine since I have finished my major digging chores and the warranty still has three years on it.  Wouldn't make sense for you since you are 3000 miles away, but you may find one on the Left Coast.  

And regarding the water, I put in a dug well with both an electric pump, and a hand pump.  I don't regret that one iota.  The hand pump has a below the frost line bleed hole to drain the water down so it won't freeze in the pipe above ground.  When I lose electric I know I can still access water.  The thing that has not worked so great is the yard spigot like the one you picture.  For whatever reason I am having rust problems with that one.  It does not have a weep hole, so I shut it off in winter.  If you don't it freezes up and breaks.  

Happy Homesteading!
Alice

@AliceWegner you are an inspiration! Thank you for the very helpful post.