John F Dean

Hi Tereza,

Interesting approach.  I have an IV book somewhere in my library. I will look for it.  I imagine the information is somewhere on the net.  Of course, most sites just repeat standard nutritional figures for optimal health.  I am wondering how low those figures can go long term without the person dying,

Roughly translated, I am getting about 40 grams of protein for a 150 pound person with kidney damage but not on dialysis.  So I am still left questioning.  People in prisoner of war camps experienced much lower intake than that for many years.

I have shifted to determinate Romas in cages.   Last year I got 90 qts out of 3 raised beds.  That does not count what I used fresh throughout the summer as well as what I froze.   I got tomatoes well into November.

I had a neighbor who build a barn on a foundation of timbers laid on the ground.   This was in the late 70s that it was built.  The barn is still standing. It measured about 48 x30 and had a small loft.  I am going from memory here.  I also had a friend with an old house build on timbers laid on the ground.

How bad is the wind at your location? Is the wind restricted by trees?  Has anyone in your area had a storage shed that was resting on the ground blow away?

Do you have building codes you need to worry about?

I used Tammarac posts sunk 44 inches into the ground. As far as I know, the cabin is still there.  The soil had sand content with good drainage.

Of course, I don’t know your specific needs. I recently saw a high tunnel  where the lower edge of the covering rested in a piece of guttering. The gutter was slightly sloped to feed into a 55 gallon drum on either side of the tunnel. Of course, it does not rain inside a high tunnel, so the drums provided a source of water for the plants inside.

Hi Sam,

The author sunk the posts into the ground below the frost line.  I used a similar approach when I built my cabin in northern Minnesota.  The soil was very rocky there.   I dug by hand and removed the rocks, even ones measuring 3 X 4 feet with the help of a come along.  If I had to do it over again, for the largest rocks I would use the approach suggested by John C Daley.

I find myself kind of like Anne. Presently, I have all the freedom  I desire.

I am not sure what the definition of “wash” is when it comes to rice.  I normally give it a quick rinse.  My views are similar to Thomas’s.  It goes in the Instapot.

There is an older book out there that provides a plan for a house similar to what you describe. The author is Helen Garvy.  I Built Myself a House: A Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Simple Country Cabin With Post and Beam Construction.  

Do be aware that building codes vary by state, county, and township.


Oh yes,  welcome to Permies.

Hi Terri,

Welcome to Permies.