Patrick Poe

Ahh, so you're dealing with angry neighbors. You can't win. They will hold a grudge for the rest of your life, I'm afraid. I would dress the place up, put it up for sale, and exit the city for some other municipality nearby. That town clearly isn't interested in sustainability, the environment, or personal responsibility.

For a "right now" kind of shelter, all you need is a hole in the ground. Go get yourself a 5' long piece of plastic culvert, about 36-48" diameter. Dig a hole and drop it in vertically. Backfill it, using the extra soil as a berm. It should resemble a military foxhole. Toss in some large gravel or wood chips to cover the muddy bottom, and inspect for critters regularly. Not fancy, but quite effective.

I have some *extremely* generous friends who have a Ford 3000 and a gas BCS, both with multiple implements, which they have let me borrow on multiple occasions for my single acre. The BCS totally rocks for working soil that's already been broken at least once, but two years ago I tried to turn a 50x50' piece of my hard clay yard into a garden, and my ground laughed, as did my friend. He brought his Ford and a chisel harrow to bear, and then I was able to make art with the two wheeler. This February I rented an excavator to repair my septic system, and before they picked it up I decided to go to town on my garden plot, so I double-dug it to 60"! We then tilled in five tons of composted horse manure, and I have to say that it turned out well. I personally can't justify the purchase of a full tractor, but I am looking for a reason! The BCS only started working when I strapped a milk crate full of garden rocks on the front as a counterweight. It needs no less than 100 lbs to maintain traction. If I could get one in hydrostatic with a nearby dealer, I'd be sold.