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Converted Shed | Tiny Home

In just two years, Kelly and Beau sold their house in the suburbs, bought 7 acres of raw land in Texas, started a permaculture homestead, and transformed a 16′ x 48′ shed into a beautiful and functional small home where they live, work online, homeschool their kids, and run their growing homestead. Their goal is to be debt-free in their 30’s so they carefully spaced out each building project to avoid financing and stay out of debt. In this video they’re going to give us a full tour of their shed to house project, including the spacious open-concept kitchen and living room, the kid’s sleeping lofts, the single bathroom they have for all 6 humans in the house, and the outdoor laundry room, and they’re also going to talk about the building process and why they chose to convert a shed into a house. 

For more on this couple check out their youtube page

200+ Fruit Tree & Urban Garden In Tempe, Arizona

As you plan your future that may include; off grid living in a tiny or small home, or living off the land, or homesteading, as many in the tiny and small house movement are doing, this video by, DIY Homestead Project provides some great food for thought.  They visited, Jake, a vegan marshal arts athlete in Tempe, Arizona, to get a tour of his home's amazing garden he created to get some ideas and input for their homestead not far from Tempe. 

Arizona Tiny Homes, Arizona Homesteading, Arizona Tiny House Plans, Arizona Fruit Garden, Arizona Water Harvesting, Arizona Small HomesDIY Homestead Project is a young couple,  Derick and Hannah, who have purchased land and built a 24' feet long tiny house from scratch in the Arizona desert.  They are also digital entrepreneur nomads and promote a minimalist, debt free, lifestyle. They have some really great "How To" video's about their journey and we will be sharing some of those video's for those of you planning on building your own tiny or small home paradise.  

 

Rainwater Harvesting Tour

Joe, of Homesteadonomics, who is located out in Arizona has done a really nice job of designing, installing and living off a rainwater harvesting system for he and his family.  This video gives a detailed tour of his system. The following video is a Q and A on his system.

Granbury, Texas where Texas Tiny Homes is planning to build some small luxury homes averages around 35" inches of rainfall each year. Adding a rain-harvest system to supply the water needs for our homes is something I believe is possible, but have not sat down with the county health department to confirm that. I like the concept and will be exploring the possibilities, designing a workable system and its pricing.


Kitchen Sink | Black Water Recycling For Garden Use

Grey water filtering systems are one of the options we are looking into and considering in an effort to help make the starting price for of our new site-built, luxury homes in Granbury more affordable, since septic systems are SO expensive.

This particular video shows how Ben Jamaya designed an above ground system to treat his kitchen sink water, which is consider black water. His approach is pretty complex and not sure if it’s over kill or not, but it’s definitely food for thought, and some folks might enjoyed nurturing this type of system like gardeners enjoy their focus. His above ground approach could be done at ground level with multiple ponds with fish and streams with plants that the treated water them runs into a buried holding tank at the end, which holds the water for watering plants, garden, or lawn. I don’t know about you, but I find this approach in saving money on a septic system and using the recycle water for a good purpose rather than flushing into the septic system or sewer, very interesting.

Having been a luxury home builder since 1977, this approach is new to me, and it’s a fun learning process, but I assume this approach would not work for black water from toilets. However, if this kitchen black water filtering approach is acceptable with the health department, along with the grey water filtering systems we are also looking at, which would filter the water from the shower, bath sinks and washing machine (which I plan to share some video’s on that) are acceptable with the health department, along with the composting toilet, the homes could be totally organic and not require an expensive septic system. I know some of our prospective build-job clients would not go for an organic approach, but I believe some will, since it saves water, puts used water to good use, and it’s approved by the health department. It’s definitely worth exploring and working up designs and the cost of these options.

Earth Day 2016

Earthday 2016Trees 2The movement continues!

We are now entering the 46th year of a movement that continues to inspire, challenge ideas, ignite passion, and motivate people to action.

In 1970, the year of our first Earth Day, the movement gave voice to an emerging consciousness, channeling human energy toward environmental issues. Forty-six years later, we continue to lead with groundbreaking ideas and by the power of our example.

And so it begins. Today. Right here and right now. Earth Day is more than just a single day — April 22, 2016. It’s bigger than attending a rally and taking a stand.

This Earth Day and beyond, let’s make big stuff happen. Let’s plant 7.8 billion trees for the Earth. Let’s divest from fossil fuels and make cities 100% renewable. Let’s take the momentum from the Paris Climate Summit and build on it.

Let’s start now. And let’s not stop.

Whether you believe if climate change is real or not, trees reverse the impacts of land degradation. They provide food, energy, and income. Trees help communities achieve long-term economic and environmental sustainability. They filter the air and help stave off the effects of climate change both globally and locally. They are a natural, resilient, and long-lasting safety buffer to extreme weather events such as hurricanes, floods, and blizzards. And the longer the trees/forests grow and stay in place, the more powerful these protections become.

Earth Day Network works on the ground with organizations worldwide that strengthen communities through conservation. Using sapling and seed distribution, urban forestry, agroforestry, and tree care training, we have empowered rural and urban people alike to conserve, repair, and restore tree cover to their lands. We have already planted millions of trees on six different continents. You can help us continue this important work.

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Click here if you prefer to donate through PayPal.

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Find out more about Earth Day by clicking on this link!