Hello all, my names J.T. and I look forward to learning a lot from everyone on this board. about a year ago I started mulling around several different ideas for more independent and sustainable living. As time went a lot of them streamlined and slowly morphed into a plan, which I divided up into four phases because I don't know... it makes it sound cooler. anyway I decided to share this with you guys to see what the experienced among you have to say.
Phase I
My current pet project is converting my recently purchased 1990 Chevy school bus into a solar and bio-diesel powered RV camper. to date, all I've really done is change a fuel pump and some tires, still have to take out the seats and convert the engine, and I haven't even touched on starting to think about the actual renovation. The biggest obstacle here will be time, I work close to 70 hours a week and nearly every step of this project is time intensive so its going to take awhile. LUckily, I still have two years and a some change in my current living situation before I can go anywhere, so it works out. I'll post more on that as I go along.
Phase II
Upon receiving my discharge from the military, I plan on living in this bus (stealth camping and possibly stealth... farming?
... in NYC) anywhere between 8 and 32 months while I study a wide range of disciplines (mostly electrical/structural engineering, architecture, and carpentry; but also various STE(A)M fields, agriculture, law, nursing, economics, and political theory at SUNY &/or CUNY. The reasoning behind this is that veterans studying in NYC are compensated with an allowance (3000 per/mo, the highest in the country) to offset the high cost of living. However since I will be paying no rent, no utilities and growing (most, if not all of) my own groceries, I will be able to save at the very least upwards of 25,000 a year, which is actually more than I currently make. I'll basically study and build my savings until either my GI bill expires, or my civilization induced claustrophobia sets in; whichever comes first.
Phase III (yay the cool part!)
This is where I move to New Hampshire and begin the construction of a low energy, (passive & active solar, wind, grey & black-water and all that other cool awesome stuff) self contained and self sufficient homestead. This will be done with my own personal design which is a hybrid of the Reynolds Global Earthship, and the Oehler 500$ underground house... with built in dual Peruvian Wallipini's to house both, a livestock of dairy goats, sheep, chickens, and honeybees in the winter, and an extensive aquaponics greenhouse system year round. Note: The homestead is obviously still in R&D, which is why I'm here. as I draw from and incorporate the wisdom and experience on these forums I expect my designs to change very radically from a Reynolds-Oehler inspired crossbreed, to new and unique design completely its own.
Phase IV
if (and when) this homestead succeeds, I will then begin investing my time and resources into encouraging other permies to build similar self sufficient and independent (or at least self reliant and interdependent) homesteads on neighboring plots of land and together, pooling our economic and political resources can build our very own free society. and no, these are no plans for a Utopian social contract which would inevitably fail. I simply recognize that man is a social animal and genetically predisposed to operate in small groups or tribes, and that such social structures are inherently advantageous over the extremes on either end, of a solitary existence or a state run society.
Tah dah! yeah thats it. whatttaya think?
oh yeah, I hear theres a strong prejudice of some sort against using greenhouses to do overwinter farming in cold climates. is this just due to the recourse intensiveness? or are the other forms of reasoning behind this as well?
