Steve Palmer wrote:Not sure how the prices in the Ozarks measure up but about 120 bucks for a locally delivered cord. Oak and Hickory is the norm here. 4-5 cords would be a good number for most here. I use my stove in a poorly insulated unattached garage which i use for a shop, metal working, wood working and a Ham shack. I would burn 2 cords when i made sure nothing would freeze and work time.
... The real beauty of all of it is cheap enough to build and rebuild until it suits the space i am using.
I really want to thank you for sharing the information you have about RMH's. I am sure that there will be a venue for you if you want to come to Southwest Missouri and do a workshop.
Thank you, and I'm glad you have found it useful.
People often wonder why we are focusing on heating. Don't poor people live in cities, or hot places where they only need fuel to cook? We describe how "there are mountains in Africa, and deserts are cold at night; very few of the world's people live on a warm beach eating coconuts." Here we are in the northernmost US mountains, playing "colder than thou" with Midwestern friends, and we can still be surprised to remember that it snows in Virginia, and the southern states use heat. Not just in the mountains, but in what we would call hills, and cool valleys, and in the winter. One of our biggest projects so far was in California; their climate is not that different from coastal BC.
We had an invitation to Florida this week, and the folks in Virginia are still wondering if we can come by. We could potentially swing southward after the end of September in New England, and work our way back across the southern states in October and November.
What it takes: People willing to commit to host an event, either by paying us directly for a site visit, or by recruiting enough people that their total, affordable contributions cover our time and travel.
If it's the only event in a region, the travel costs are steeper.
There's a fair amount of legwork to get a workshop to cover costs. It helps if the host is an established community member with a good mailing list or grapevine. Even a new person can find local grapevines, though: permies, farmers, librarians, handymen and -women, survivalists, thrifty homeowners, matriarchs, college students, co-ops, and really good old hardware stores. The occasional retired mason, architect, fire marshall, or back-to-the-lander cop make great company too.
If there are philanthropists or a local business willing to sponsor a workshop so others can attend more affordably, we have an Oregon not-for-profit that can take deductible donations for education events. Their charter is creating learning opportunities for tribal youth, but they can facilitate anything that provides publicly-accessible education.
(About "free" vs "affordable" education events: Free public presentations at schools or libraries are great; or as part of a larger community event. People expect to find free information in these situations, and we like to contribute to public knowledge and promote our pet projects. We can showcase a wide range of clever wood-heat devices, and make a compelling case for clean-burning biofuels and natural building as contributions to a sustainable local (and global) future.
In the longer hands-on workshops where supplies are needed, eager participation can make or break the experience. 'Free' can lead to freeloading or disrespect of the opportunity. We prefer that attendees pay at least a token amount, or contribute a donation to a community heating fund or food bank, rather than having the event be completely free. That way, we both know that they value the experience, and it's not merely a quixotic crusade on our part or our sponsors'.)
Please feel free to PM us if you want to make this happen. Or start a thread in the regional forums, to see if anyone else is interested in making the SE and Gulf states part of our tour this year.
Yours,
Erica