After some months of research and investment my girlfriend and I are making a huge push towards our goal of sustainability and self reliance. The ultimate goal is to be able to use this land (a little over 3 acres) that I was very lucky to get quite cheap, to produce an abundance of food so that I can later give back to the community. Likewise if I can get sustainable energy systems set up to help network others in the community to do the same. This would be my goal, but as with anything, one step at a time.

I am going to pick up the finalized drawings for the house tomorrow. Given that I have to wrestle with building codes and other criteria we have decided to build a monolithic dome. According to what I have read such buildings are about 30% more energy efficient than a standard home, likewise they are resistant to abuse. Since we live in an area prone to tornados and violent storms, having a home that can take the impact of a tornado will be quite useful, and will last without the need of too many repairs later in life.

The plan for the utilities would be to have a septic system and a well system. Initially we will have to be attached to city power, but slowly we plan to bring in solar and maybe other energy systems to wean ourselves off the grid. We also plan on minimizing and utilizing efficient appliances to reach this goal. Also in addition to the well, I do want to set up cisterns to collect rain water. Our city does have limitations on the size of rain collecting cisterns, but what they don't know will not hurt them .

Once the house is built the first thing I will do with the land is to have a friend of mine (a quite skilled carpenter with a knack for sacred geometry) build a greenhouse (a geodesic one). Then we will attempt to set up a couple of beehives on the land utilizing local bees (my carpenter friends wife, is a skilled beekeeper). Also on this land is a very tiny pond which I may use to grow lotus. That is what we are pushing for, and I set up the major step next week with dealing with the contractor. Which is intemmidating as I have never done anything like this in my life, my existence as an adult so far has been the vicious cycle of work a job and then pay rent, but I am ready to end that phase of my life and move on to something better.

In all honesty there are so many things I would love to do with this property, but, I don't know fully how to go about many things. I'm a suburban raised boy, making the push to be a man of the land. I have a very small garden on the land I currently live at, a tiny backyard with wimpy yields. My thumb is still a bit brown.

So with all of that being said, I'm just looking on advice and maybe some wisdom. There are situations that are sure to come up that I have not thought about. Also in relation to the nexus, in the long term I would like to grow plants, not only for their nutritious value but for their medicinal (entheogenic) value as well and share them with those in need.

So for this home I truly want to be as self reliant as possible in everything. I have recently learned how to make my own soap (a calculated chemical reaction of lye and oil) and I have read that you can make your own lye, by leeching wood ash (we plan on building a brick grill outside) in water. So in that regard does anyone know of other ideas on sustainability?

Wow man I really hope that works out for you

I've not seen many stand alone self sustainable people. The ones I know of are community based so there is backup on all fronts. Like when you get sick for 2 weeks then not everything going into chaos. Each do a part and all parts together form the sustainable total, well mostly, as much of these communities are not 100% self sustainable but as far as they can go. And they settle with the idea of part sustainable.

For example I know an eco community that has to buy food in the low seasons to eat, but in the harvest seasons they have soooo much plants that they sell on the local markets. It really takes management and a ton of privileges must be scarified. It's really hard work and little to no free time at all. I have much respect for people who dare to concur the "modern" world.

Thank you Jees, yeah I guess I should mention that I do have some of a community to help, though we are separated by miles. I have a friend who manages the city's community garden and another friend who is working for more sustainability on their land and their green thumb is much more vibrant than mine. The hope is for us to grow different things and trade with each other. Another of my friends I get advice from on food sustainability is vegetarian and she told me that 80% of what she eats comes from her garden alone. As far as food sustainability, I live in the subtropics bordering on the tropics with huge river systems, where I plan on fishing. Even if everything is up and running and I do need to buy food it should be cheap enough to be relatively insignificant, the forage alone where I live can sustain a person if they know what to look for. Though my skills in that department revolve around blackberries lol 😊though I'm learning bit by bit.

Thank you for mentioning the focus on the community, that is quite important, I can't do this alone, I'm lucky to have several friends that share this goal with me. Slowly but surely at least we will take steps towards it.

So just to utilize this thread as a journal for my progress. The land has been cleared in preparation for the house. We need a nice landing site for it

For those concerned for the deforestation of 1.2 acres, rest assured that the pines will be put to use, maybe for beams, maybe for some nice tables idk. But let it be known that I tagged every single magnolia tree there so later in life their gorgeous flowers can be harvested at the appropriate time and only occasionally to be distilled into essential oils for soap making. As well as their bark utilized to experiment with magnolol and honokiol sporadically for their dental uses as well as anxiolytic potential.

After the chat yesterday, yes this was the thread I remember it now Psychelectric
Thanks for updating
Again much of my best wishes for success

About sustainable base: IIRC some Colombians (kogi) burn sea shells (calcium rich) and mix the ashes with water to make their base paste, they lick this paste out of the pot with a stick and chew coca leaves and have activation that way.

That's a really cool way to do coca. Interesting.

And thanks for the wishes, ill need all the luck I can. I'll keep the updates as this project unfolds.

I am so happy for you Psychelectric!!!

My wife & I just recently came into a similar situation & I'm telling you now, it's nothing but pure, hard, back-breaking work, but worth every drop of blood, sweat & tears! It also helps to have a stash to micro-dose a lot with!

We've done a lot of things quite illegally anywhere we possibly can get away with it, which is generally the way I have always rolled, for better or for worse. I am no fan of any authority whatsoever, but I will placate the estblishment if it is needed to reach some other, illegal goal. LOL.

Anyway, I wish you & your's the very best of luck with your new endeavor.

You're welcome to PM me any time with questions.

How totally cool & exciting!

Peace

Thank you for the kind words, as I get to building I'm sure I'll have more to discuss. Trying to get past the limbo of waiting on surveyors and setting up the loan and such is its own purgatory.

Glad to read another is going for a similar goal.