When you don’t have a clean water source in the immediate vicinity, wells are an option worth looking into, especially if hooking into city water is not viable. However, depending on your location, having someone out to drive your well can be quite expensive too. So, here are a few links about driving your well on your own! It’s not a good option for everyone, but it’ll work for some.

• Mother Earth News has an article with well-driving tips.

• Waterhole: How to Dig Your Own Well, by Bob Mellin, looks like a good resource. Available HERE.

• Types of wells are described at THIS page.

While root cellars might not do much to increase your personal efficiency, they will help you become more self-sufficient. Much of your garden produce can be stored in a root cellar… if you have one, so here are several links with different ideas for building your own out of materials you might just have on hand!

• The Pallet Root Cellar

• THIS site has lots of info about different types of root cellars, but not too much about building your own. However, it looks very helpful.

• Build Your Own Underground Root Cellar, by Phyllis Hobson, looks like a really good resource as well. HERE

• More root cellar tips HERE.

• Thefoodguys.com has a clever variation on traditional root cellars.

Wood stoves are becoming increasingly popular for heating entire homes, but the ones on the market are still quite expensive. Here are a few links by folks who have built their own wood stove, and are willing to share their experience with others who have the same dream of greater self-sufficiency.

Old, discarded water heaters are the material of the day:

• THIS website has pictures with plenty of instructions.

• Mother Earth News has an old article with steps for building one of these heaters.

• HERE are step-by-step instructions as well.

Water. It is probably the most underutilized of the three major renewable energy sources (the others being solar and wind). Strangely enough, it also has the potential for being the most reliable and powerful; you’ve just got to harness all that energy somehow. Here are a few links to help you in that endeavor:

• RE-Energy.ca has plans for a very small micro hydroelectric generator. It’s more like a school science project, but it could be very helpful as a starting point if you want to build you own generator and have had minimal experience.

• Oregon.gov has many tips for helping you determine everything you need as well as how much power is available from the water source.

• THIS site gives step-by-step instructions although they are a bit vague.

• And THIS site has quite a lot of information about all types of micro hydroelectric systems.

THIS website has several workshops, including a couple for building your own solar water heater! The hands-on experience would, no doubt, be worth the money spent, and much of the cost can be paid by work exchange.

The Sustainable Village has a 30-gallon passive solar water heater kit that looks like it wouldn’t be difficult to assemble. Kits would definitely be easier than starting from scratch, even if it is a bit pricier.

Here are several links all about ethanol. This includes instructions for making your own still to produce your own ethanol, and helpful tips for converting your vehicle to run on ethanol, if you don’t already have a flex fuel vehicle.

• Making Your Own Fuel

• Ethanol Fuel: Journey to Forever

• myownfuel.com

Wind power is a wonderful source of energy, IF you can harness it. It’s even better if you can harness it cheaply, and that’s easier to do if you can build your own turbine. So, here are a few links to help you in your turbine adventures.

• THIS man built his own turbine in rural Arizona. His article has pictures and links throughout the process.

• Instructables also gives step-by-step instructions with photos.

• THIS SITE has things to consider before you begin making your own wind turbine.

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There are a few articles that show how to build a solar panel much cheaper than you could buy one. Here are a few links:

• TheSolarPlan.com has an article with photos.

• THIS SITE gives instructions as well as links to places where you can obtain the materials online.

• THIS ONE tells how to make a solar panel for heating your water.

A small-scale, off-the-grid water system doesn’t have to be expensive; in fact, you can build your own without too much trouble.

Rainwater is a fairly obvious approach; you can even build your own cistern using concrete blocks or bricks. If you’re not that much of a do-it-yourself person you can purchase a concrete cistern from the local septic tank installer. The cheapest option is probably buying a large plastic holding tank from the farm supply store.

If you are going to use this water for anything other than watering your garden it will need filtering. A cheap filter is sufficient for most operations. Getting the water to the desired area is another thing to consider. If your cistern is elevated then the water can probably be easily gravity fed, but if not, electric pumps or, if you’re completely off-the-grid, battery-powered pumps will most like do the trick.

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There are a couple of popular websites that instruct their readers in how to make their own passive water heater. One website, Instructables, gives step by step instructions for making your own solar thermal water heater for less than $5, if you’re willing to go rummaging for your materials. The other website, probably even more well known, is taking forever to load… Anyway, Mother Earth News, tells how to build your own passive solar water heater.

The benefits of building your own solar water heater are immediately seen. Compare the cost of a normal water heater, or even of conventional solar water heaters, to that of the water heater you could build. Although you may not be able to provide your entire household’s hot water with these, it could certainly reduce some of your energy costs.

… for a new clothes washer? Here are several points to consider if you are:

Of course we all know to look for the Energy Star when we’re in the market for something like a clothes washer, but there are some other things to look at once you’ve found the Energy Star. Here’s a quick list of some of thos things to watch for; we’ll look at each point in more depth in different articles:

• Watch for washers with the highest Modified Energy Factor (MEF) and the lowest Water Factor (WF).
• Front-loading washers are usually more efficient than top-loading models.
• It needs to allow you to adjust the water level for smaller loads.
• Options are always good, especially when it comes to wash and rinse cycle options.
• Faster spin speeds will be more efficient in the long run.

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It is possible. These people have done it, even with small children!

These videos show how ordinary people have done the extraordinary, and how it is possible for everyone. They are also great examples of how an off-the-grid home has to incorporate several different energy efficient things in order to have enough power for a relatively normal American lifestyle.

When installing a VDR it is important that it be continuous and as perfect as possible. This is not quite as important in very moderate, heating dominated climates. Also, any tears, openings, or punctures in the VDR that occurred during the construction should be completely sealed. If all the appropriate surfaces are not covered there is an increased risk of dampened insulation. The thermal resistance of damp insulation is extremely decreased, and, if the situation continues over a protracted period of time, could eventually create mold growth and wood rot.

Specific places for VDRs to minimize condensation and moisture problems include: walls, ceilings, floors, under concrete slabs, and crawl spaces. Be careful though, it is against some building codes to seal crawl spaces completely. It is important to use a VDR with a perm rating of less than 0.5o if the house is in an area with a high water table. For those more moderate climates mentioned above painted wallboard and plaster wall coatings are acceptable VDRs, and no other VDR is necessary.

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There are many ways to compost, so I think I will just mention a few and post some links.

You can build your own compost bin out of pallets or fencing, or you can buy a compost barrel. The barrels usually have some sort of built-in turning system that makes it much easier to keep the compost moving along. Here are some pictures of both types, and some links to several articles and websites.

How to Compost.org

Compost Guide

How to compost on Wikihow

Eartheasy: Composting

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It’s really easy to see the benefits, so I thought we’d look at that first.

There are many environmental benefits. It has the amazing ability to regenerate poor soils. The micro-organisms break down the organic material to create extremely nutrient-rich humus. Compost is also able to clean-up contaminated soil; it absorbs odors and volatile organic compounds. It also traps heavy metals preventing their getting into the water. By using compost it is like organic recycling. The soil will improve which will enhance your garden produce, making them healthier for you.

Now, however, it’s time to take a moment to look at the disadvantages of composting.

Composting takes time. You’ve got to be willing to collect, pile, and turn you waste. It also requires at least some amount of land, somewhere to pile your compost and allow it to age. It takes a good deal of labor too. If it is not done properly compost can have a disagreeable odor, but this can usually be remedied by adding more carbon material. Depending on what you put into your compost pile, it can also attract animals. This obviously isn’t usually the most beneficial thing that could happen for your compost.

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Compost is organic material that can be used to amend the soil or even as a growth medium. It is a way to organically rid yourself of the kitchen and yard waste. After a period of decomposing and aging, the compost turns into a wonderful material that can be used on your garden. Compost drastically helps eliminate the need for other fertilizers as it puts natural nutrients back into the soil. However, there are some disadvantages to composting. We’ll look at this subject more in the next few days.

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Okay, so you’ve planted a rather large garden, and now you have the produce coming like crazy. What are you going to do? The only answer, besides let it all go to waste, is preserve it in some way or another. We have briefly looked at root cellars; that’s one way to do it, especially for those crops that don’t can well (potatoes, carrots, melons, etc.). Tomatoes, beans, relishes and pickles, jams and jellies, and juices can very well; corn, squash, and peas freeze well. Preserving is yet another thing that must be done if the garden is going to be efficient. You can get lots of produce from it during the growing season, but it is worth so much more when you can still get produce from it, indirectly, in the winter. Some things, like herbs, dry well and can be stored in cool, dry places waiting to be put to use. Preserving is an excellent way to “stretch” you garden! There are lots of places out there to guide you step by step through just about any canning/freezing/drying/preserving method you could want.

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We slightly touched on the topic of a “green” garden in this post. We mentioned the importance of truly organic gardening, and gave the reasons for avoiding the big companies. We also told about the fuel and grocery savings when you have your own in this article. So now I wanted to write about the amazingly aesthetic and flavorful benefits of an organic garden, and how you can be a part of an organic garden indirectly.

Can you ever drive by a beautiful, thriving garden and not think about how good the corn and beans taste? What about your grandparents? Wasn’t all the food out of their garden so much more flavorful than the exact same thing from the grocery store? That is because the fresh produce from the grocery store has to be able to be shipped all across the country or even world! Sometimes the produce is even harvested way before it’s ripe because it will ship better that way. Obviously this does nothing beneficial for the flavor. With the rising fuel prices the fresh section’s prices are also soaring. This is something you can help by growing your own. It doesn’t really matter, if you’re only going for flavor and savings, if you don’t know how to grow anything. Buy a couple of tomato plants down at the local co-op and water them well. Allow the tomatoes to get good and red before you pick them; almost nothing beats fresh, homegrown tomatoes. Of course, being if you’re going for a “green” garden, you can’t do this. The seed you use must be heirloom, so that you can save them for next year’s garden. And, obviously, you must save them! This is ultimately the best option, in my opinion, but there are a lot of things to learn in taking a step like that if you’ve never done a garden that way before.

I mentioned being a part of an organic garden indirectly earlier. This is another way to get delicious produce without actually doing the work yourself. Farmers markets are great for every-now-and-then customers, but if you love a variety fresh veggies all the time a CSA is the way to go. CSA is a Community Supported Agriculture. Most are vegetables, but some, where the laws allow, have farm raised meat too. Each week the operators of the CSA will put together a box or basket of the produce that is fresh that week. Granted you probably don’t have as much say in what you get like picking things out at a farmer’s market; instead you buy shares in the farm, and then pick your box up at an appointed time. Here is a good article about a new CSA explaining how it works. Here is their website.

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Let’s take a few minutes to look at this aspect of gardening. First, glance at the interstate. What do you see? Despite the rising fuel costs there is little change from when fuel was reasonably priced. There are still a lot of cars, probably more SUVs, and tons of semi trucks. Focus in on the semis for a second. Now think, many of those semis are bringing in grocery items from various parts of the country and world. There are, in my opinion, at least two things wrong with this picture: 1) the food they often truck in is not the best quality, it’s nothing like you can grow; 2) diesel exhaust accounts for approximately 26% of the total hazardous pollution in the air, and 66%  of the particulate pollution from on-road pollution. Those truck create noise and smog; they’re just not good for us or our environment. One way that we can do our part in not contributing to bringing those big trucks through our area is to buy locally grown produce from local suppliers. By reducing the demand it is conceivable that the trucks, who bring in the supply for the demand, will drastically reduce also.

Okay, so you don’t really want to pay the higher prices for the premium produce from the farmer’s market. How are you going to do your part? There’s that ugly patch of nothingness out in the back landscaping. Why don’t you turn that spot of uselessness into a lushious garden that gives you top-notch vegetables for not much more that your labor? This would be the best option because you would, at the same time, not demand anything from the suppliers who use the semis to truck the produce in, and reduce your own air pollution by not going to the grocery store or even the local farmer’s market. I would imagine that if you had a green roof this would also be a wonderful area to transform into a productive garden. Gardening can be very therapeutic. You can pull up weeds when you angry, and watch the plants grow when your meditative. They’re a great way to work out stress.

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We had looked at green roofs and root cellars pretty well recently, so I think that this topic comes in quite seamlessly. Gardening is an excellent way to save on energy. Growing your own food would save a good bit of money both in the fuel it takes to get to the market and in the produce you would normally buy there. How extensive your garden is is entirely up to you, the amount you feel capable of handling, and how much space you have available both for the garden itself as well as the area for the food you decide to preserve.

If a garden is going to be truly “green” it should be based on heirloom varieties and utilize “organic” methods. If the garden is not primarily heirloom and “oraganic”, then it is necessarily connected to gigantic seed and chemical companies. These companies do not have a policy of protecting our environment through the production of good seed and safe chemicals. their policy is instead one of profit. They will sell whatever as long as it rakes in a bundle of money. As I thought about this article I took a look at one very major seed company and its policies. There are fears that this company has too much influence in the government and that it is developing “Terminator” seeds. Terminator seeds are those that cannot be saved. The mature plant develops seeds, but the seeds are unable to complete the natural cycle and grow  into mature plants. This is feared by many because of its potential to completely wipe out the small farmer who has been growing and saving his own seed for generations. There is even a campaign that is completely against this seed company.

This is another reason for doing your own gardening. You are able to control what seed you are able to use and what chemicals you apply. It would be a major step in both personal and even national security if people would once more turn to gardening for their food supply. It makes complete sense that the more food products we import the more we make ourselves vulnerable to subversive attack. Just think for a minute, we import food from hostile countries as a political move. That is endangering the entire country by opening it up to any sort of poisoning that the hostile country could come up with. The inspections that the food undergoes is not perfect, and all the hostile country would have to do is come up with a new type of lethal poisoning that the inspections would not catch and they’d have the whole country in its power. We’ve got the same thing going on here in the food industry as we do in the oil industry! Think national security and personal protection, people! Pull your head out of the lion’s mouth quickly before he decides to bite!

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I linked to a couple of websites about root cellars yesterday, including one that told how to change an old freezer or refrigerator into a root cellar. I thought I’d do the same thing today. So, without further ado, here are a few links that tell how to make root cellars, how to pack root cellars, and so on and so forth:

This site tells how to make a root cellar out of pallets.

In this article, Mike Wells tells about his root cellar adventures.

The Return of the Root Cellars is a rather long, but informative article that covers several aspects of a root cellars.

This article tells how to turn a  corner in your basement into a root cellar.

Here’s another article taking you through the steps of turning a basement into a root cellar.

This page lists several food items and what they particularly like in the root cellar.

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The key to root cellaring is knowing when to harvest the produce. There are fairly specific times when only the best produce is harvested for that type of storage. This website has a lot of information about several types of produce that can go into the root cellar as well as having a handy chart at the bottom of the page that shows what temperatures and humidity levels are optimum for many types of produce. For example, winter squash, pumpkins, onions, and garlic like the humidity level much lower than celery, beets, and parsnips.

As well as know when to harvest and how to store though you’ve got to have a working root cellar. Many root cellars are like hobbit holes, if you will, but there are some that are made of things that you may well have in your trash pile. Do you have a use for that old, broken refridgerator? or perhaps it’s a deep freezer? or maybe just a trash can that you don’t have a use for? Well, turn trash into treasure! Solve two problems with one cellar. Don’t worry about hauling that freezer off; use it! This website gives the steps involved in turning your old freezer into a root cellar.

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Have you ever visited an old farmstead or a living history museum where they allow you to go down under the ground into a dark, cool, and damp room? What were your thoughts? Perhaps you thought that it was something akin to the modern day basement. Possibly. Or maybe you immediately guessed the significance of that room for the early pioneers. Root cellars were just about the only way they had to store crops that needed to stay cool in the heat of the summer. They were also used, in the more northern areas, to keep things from freezing in the winter. Well, root cellars are still capable of doing that today. They are a cheap and effective way to store your potatoes, carrots, apples, etc. In the early pioneer days people would have to dig out their cellars with pick axes; today we have the modern convenience of a back hoe.

There are basically three types of root cellars: 1) The ones that are built into the side of a hill. 2) The ones built flat on the level ground, and 3) those that are in someway connected to the main house. We’ll look into these different types in a later post. The main purpose is, and has always been, temperature control. The most effective temperature control is attained about ten feet under ground, but going that far down is not always feasible or practical.

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Poured earth is a very similar technique to concrete. The primary difference is that it uses ordinary soil as aggregate instead of sand or gravel. Poured earth also uses Portland cement as a binder, but it generally uses much less. It can be considered a moderate strength concrete. Minimal maintenance is required on a poured earth structure since it has very high resistance to the weather.

The ideal soil is low in clay, and somewhere between silt and three-eighths inch aggregate. Testing needs to be done on the material to assure the quality of the product. It must be tested for shrinkage and compression strength. The mix needs to have little or no shrinkage in the drying process, and it needs to have compressive strength of 800 to 1200 psi.

Poured earth buildings have an added benefit of being capable of having a steel insulating grid within the wall. This increases the thermal mass and overall strength of the structure. However, because of iis rather customized nature, a poured earth house is usually ten to twenty percent more expensive than traditional construction.

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