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May 11, 2013 Happy Mother's Day! Even though I did not give birth and we do not have any human kids... I still get the benefits of Mother's Day because we have the 4-legged Newfoundland Dog 'kids'. PLUS, I am the caretaker for the chickens, the farm and the homestead. That's my story and I'm sticking to it! This year my Mother's Day present is an Electric, Cordless, Self-Propelled Mower. Yes, you read the correctly... no, I am not upset about it: I ASKED FOR IT! I love jewelry and girlee stuff, but when it comes to making me happy... give me something that is in line with my attitudes about energy efficiency, going off-grid, and protecting humanity (et al) by protecting the environment. My new mower came a couple days ago and I got to use it for the first time today. You can read my review on the Sustainable Living: Yard page (click here). Moowers Jeff and Dianna were here last night with the stuff to spray on the cattle and to have a home-grown chicken dinner. I didn't get any photos and there isn't much to tell about it; except that the hubby did a TERRIFIC job spraying the cattle. He was patient and didn't press them when they freaked out at first. He let them move away and just kept at slowly approaching them and spraying a little more and letting them move away again. It was lovely to watch. You can get to the Cattle page by clicking here. EggMobile, etc. The pullet chicks are growing quickly. They are telling me they are ready to roam like the hens. So, we are dividing the fenced area so they can come out of the Chicken Tractor and learn to go in and out for the night before we put them into the EggMobile with the hens. This means that they get a wing trimmed so they don't accidently (or on purpose) fly out of the fenced yard... cuz they would not know how to get back in and that would freak them out. You can get to the Chicken page by clicking here. May 3, 2013 May Day - Snow Day?? It is often said about Missouri: If you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes... it will change. Actually, that may be an inaccurate quote, but you get the gist. We have certainly had a change in the weather here! Two days ago it was highs in the 80s and last night it got down in the 30s and STARTED SNOWING! Not just sleet, or hail, but GREAT BIG FLUFFY SNOWFLAKES!! I don't care whether you believe in climate change being created by humanity or if it is just part of the cycles of the Earth... IT IS HAPPENING. Extreme fluctuations, extreme weather events, EXTREMES are the indicators. Now is not the time to place blame... now is the time to figure out ways to live with this new weather reality and prepare for what comes ahead, which if history repeats itself, -- and it always does -- will be an ice age. Too bad we've used up all those lovely fossil fuels that might have gotten humanity through it... I sure hope we can harness the sun and the earth and all the even lovelier renewable energy fuels to get us through it. Personally, I'd rather not be around for it... so best of luck to all of you who are. Moowers Yep, you read that correctly: moowers. As in a combination of Moo (the sound a cow makes) and Mower (the machine that cuts the grass). We have jokingly been calling the cattle, moowers. They are doing a fantastic job of converting the top third of the grass into food and manure, trampling the rest and spreading water from the tank all over the ground. There are new photos on the Cattle page. EggMobile, etc. We finally have moved the hens to their EggMobile. It wasn't easy on them... they were so stressed that they dropped their egg production in half for the last week. And, of course, the snow yesterday and today did NOT help that. But, they will adapt... they don't really have much choice, and it really IS SO MUCH NICER than the Chicken Ark/Chicken Tractor combination. The pullet chicks have LEFT THE BUILDING. (I just love any excuse to say that, LOL). They are living in the Chicken Tractor in the hens fenced area so they can get used to each other before we turn them in with the hens. New photos on the Chicken page. April 22, 2013 Happy EARTH DAY! I've said it before and I'll say it again: Every Day is Earth Day to me. It's such a see-saw... one minute I'm seeing the progress we've made convincing people that they NEED to CARE about the decisions they make in relation to the environment; the next I'm seeing the Big Oil/Gas ads that provide inaccurate, misleading messages as facts, Monsanto having more representation in our government than "we, the people" do.... it's frustrating. It's so simple for me to understand that if we don't consider the air, water, soil and our fellow inhabitants on this planet... humanity will destroy itself. I guess I have longer sight and am able to see the bigger picture... while I revel in the details: the smell of soil, the feel of rain, the sound of wind in the grasses and leaves, the taste of fresh veggies, farm fresh eggs and grass-fed beef, the humorous antics of the critters, the love of my family and friends. Of course, I also enjoy technology that lets me be connected to distant friends, order products on-line, wash and dry my clothes with energy efficient appliances, watch programs on TV and DVDs, etc. etc. etc. I love beautiful architecture and art, music and the cacophony of city crowds. I don't think we have to give up one to have the other. Humans are smart, inventive, ingenious... we CAN have it all and not destroy ourselves and the glorious natural world from whence we come. We just have to put more effort into quality and compassion and less into greed and consumption. Climbing off my soapbox now. It's All About the Poop / Cattle We are now Graziers! Feeding the teaming masses of micro-organisms and aiding the symbiotic culture that makes the soil fertile and plants grow. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out the blog about Soil Health and/or search for Allan Savory and his TED Talk on Desertification. The cattle are a tool to stimulate grass growth... in turn the grass feeds the cattle and the cattle will feed us. So we are happy to announce that we are the proud caretakers of four Belted Galloway (and crosses) cattle. I've put photos on the Cattle page of us going to get our little herd. Chicken News The Hens are doing well and producing about 6 dozen eggs a week now that the weather turned warm (except of course this week we have freeze warnings, agh). We moved them last week, a few days earlier than we had planned when we woke to find that the pasture they were in had flooded and created a small pond in front of the Chicken Ark. No, I didn't get any photos - too busy fixing the situation. Luckily, we had received our order from Premiere One which included 2 (two) new electric poultry fences. So we were able to put up the new fence and shift the Chicken Tractor and Ark while the ladies enjoyed eating the worms coming to the surface due to the water. We herded them into the new pasture and all is well. The chicks are growing quickly and we hope to have them out in the Chicken Tractor next weekend... about the same time we move the Hens to the EggMobile (still under construction... rain and cattle delays). Marketing We sent out our first newsletter this year. You can get your own copy of it by clicking here. The deadline for ordering chickens has passed... but if you are nice to me, I might be able to get your order in on the next batch. So use the order form and contact me (Bobbi). I plan to revamp the website, so don't be too surprised the next time you visit and it looks different. March 30, 2013 Winter -- Spring -- Winter -- Spring... AGH! I am not ashamed to say that I was ready to "chuck" the whole enterprise in February! We had 30 inches of snow over a few days (divided between 15, 10 and 5 in that order). Normally, (now that I don't have to leave the house to get to work) so much snow would not have bothered me since I had previously gone to the grocery store and put vehicles strategically to minimize dig-out. BUT THIS TIME, I had CHICKENS to keep alive AND I was alone due to the hubby being on a business trip. The first big snow was light and dry so the problem was not moving it but walking through it while it was coming down to get food and water to the birds and making sure they had a sheltered spot out of it. We set up the Shelter Logic shed under the assumption that winter storms would hit us from the northwest (as is usual)... but these snows came from the EAST! The winds whipped around and deposited more snow in the south end of the chicken tractor. Plus I'd forgotten to put the tarp over the chicken ark's hardware cloth (the previous shower curtain having blown off weeks before). So I spent the day trudging back and forth between house, garage, and chickens to be sure the ladies were not covered with snow. Adding insult to injury was that I had driven the hubby to the airport, so I was supposed to pick him up. Panic attack! No way I could clear the 300 foot driveway assuming the road beyond was passable. Thank Goodness for Wonderful Neighbors!! I called the Osborns (you'll remember them from their cattle spending July 2012 in our pasture) to see if they knew anyone with a truck and blade that I could hire to clear the driveway. They didn't have a recommendation but offered to do it with their tractor and blade (if they could get down the road). They WERE able to get to our place and had the driveway cleared between the first and second snow. The hubby in the meantime was delayed on his return due to the weather and arranged for a rental car to drive from the airport to home. All's Well that Ends Well -- as the saying goes. The next round of snow was less problematic with the hubby here to help and our wonderful neighbor once again cleared our driveway. This snow was HEAVY and made HUGE drifts. Still out of the east, but with snow drifted around the chicken setup already and a tarp over the chicken ark, they were more protected than before. I was SO happy that we did not have any other livestock during this winter. I don't know what I would have done if there were cattle to deal with and no hubby to run the tractor and haul hay and water. What we learned from this is that we MUST be fully prepared for whatever weather comes our way and this year we were definitely NOT. I've put some new photos on the Chicken page, Business and Taxes We are officially "PlayHaven Farm LLC"! This was recommended to us as a way to protect ourselves. We are adding a rider to the insurance to cover visitors to the farm and also are getting an accountant to be sure we cross our T s and dot our I s. This year I tried to use TurboTax (as usual) but found some of the farm form intimidating... luckily the accountant was great about walking me through it. Next year, we'll rely on the accountant from the beginning! After the snow experience (told above), my intention to get a high tunnel has increased 100-fold! Unfortunately, the EQUIP cost-share program available ended for the season before I made that decision so we missed the window of opportunity to get a high tunnel (through them) in time for next winter. The plan being to use it to over-winter the chickens in addition to spring transplants, etc. DRAT and DOUBLE-DRAT! Egg-Mobile and Some Sad Chicken News Since we opted to expand the egg production part of the farm, we are building a LARGE mobile chicken coop. You can see the construction on that page (click here). We knew the risks going in and so it was not a big surprise... but we had our first Hawk Strike on 3-22-13. Two Red Tail Hawks worked together and were able to catch and kill one of the Black Australorps before we could intervene. The hubby took the carcass down to the farthest end of the farm and left it to whoever wanted it (who knows if it was the hawks or not). We posted the experience on Facebook and were reminded "that's why they call them 'Chicken Hawks'. Yep, it is... doesn't mean I have to like it. At least the ladies are more alert now... hard lesson to learn. We are down to 11 Hens, but the 50 pullet chicks are due this week and when they come of age in September, we should have plenty of eggs (even in the winter). Cattle It is official... we are starting our own little herd of cattle this spring. We'll be picking up a young Belted Galloway (unregistered) bull and a steer from Blackwater Bend Farm the end of April. Also, the end of April, we'll be getting two (2) breed-able Galloway-type (meaning crossed from Belted Galloways with Angus and Brahma) heifers from Worstell Farm. The Galloway is a dual purpose breed, but this first little herd is our foray into meat production... dairy will come later. Once again we are blessed to have friends who are helping us newbees. The Butlers are letting us borrow their vehicle/livestock trailer to get the cattle. Plus, Mr. Worstell is having us out to his place ahead of getting the girls to give us a tutorial on working cattle. Book learning is good, but hands-on is so much better! Marketing We sent out our first newsletter this year. You can get your own copy of it by clicking here. The deadline for ordering chickens has passed... but if you are nice to me, I might be able to get your order in on the next batch. So use the order form and contact me (Bobbi). I plan to revamp the website, so don't be too surprised the next time you visit and it looks different. January 29, 2013 Winter Chickens After the blizzard, things calmed down and on New Year's Eve day we had a lovely wet snow fall that yielded about 2 inches. The girls were not happy about the cold snow, but at least it did not freak them out and we shoveled a path from the Chicken Tractor to the Chicken Ark to encourage them to go lay eggs. I've put some new photos on theChicken page, Excited about Lightbulbs!?! Yes, it is true: I am excited about lightbulbs! (Is that sad or what? LOL) We are committed to using the latest energy efficient lighting available and so all but one (1) or two (2) of the lightbulbs in our house have been CFLs that we purchased from EFI (in bulk) in 2008. With the advances in LED lighting, I have been waiting for lightbulbs to burn out so I can replace them with LED versions... gee, those CFLs last a long time (ha ha). FINALLY, one of the bulbs in the bathroom fixture (4 bulbs) burned out and I jumped at the chance to replace it with an LED. But, of course, since the fixture uses four (4) bulbs, I simply had to replace them all... at least that was my excuse to buy four (4) of the LEDs. WOW, those things are BRIGHT! They are rated to the equivalency of 40 watt incandescent bulbs and what is nice to see is that the comparisons are changing from wattage to lumens! Hurray!! Instead of comparing electricity usage (watts) they are comparing lighting (footcandles)... something I am happily surprised has come to pass. I have a confession. After putting the new bulbs in the master bathroom fixture, I decided to replace them with the extra CFLs (still waiting to be used) stored in the basement. It turns out that the CFLs have a decided plus in that they take a little while to get to full brightness (unlike the LEDs)... probably only an advantage in a master bathroom where a person might need to visit in the middle of the night and likes a gentle illumination to start. So, I've got 4 LED bulbs that I'm trying to decide which other lights to put them in... that is about the most excitement I want to have right now. (Other than winning the Lottery, of course.) Sad News - Bees We finally had a warm enough day for the hubby to do the winter check on the bees. Sadly, I have to report that they have all died. I am talking photos of his inspection so we have documentation for our mentor when he comes out to investigate the cause. From what we can tell, they had plenty of food, so that was not the problem. More to come when we know more. The hubby is still set on beekeeping. He is getting two (2) nucs (small hives on frames already) in the spring from a source that promotes natural beekeeping... as in selective breeding of bees that survive mites, etc. December 21, 2012 : HAPPY WINTER SOLSTICE! (ALSO KNOWN AS "YULE") B-B-B-BRRRR! Sometimes I really feel for our chickens... e.g. the first night after we put them outside in the 'brooder' converted Chicken Ark there was a major thunderstorm. The most recent reason was yesterday's weather: snow and straight line winds; translation: BLIZZARD. Our girls had experienced winds before but not snow; so when they came out of the Chicken Ark pop hole they did not know WHAT to do! I was able to get one photo before dashing out the door, it is on the Chicken page with more of the story. December 5, 2012 Egg Production 'Ramps-Up'! Between the extra light in the Chicken Ark and the girls coming of age (and probably the warm weather), we are seeing a consistent increase in eggs! We figure most girls are laying now because in the last 2-day period we collected 13 eggs. It takes between 24 and 25 hours for a hen to produce an egg, and young hens don't necessarily lay every day. We hope to see 7 dozen a week during peak laying season this spring. And, in case you haven't been following along, the girls free-range (within a large electric poultry netted area that we move as they use up pasture) and are fed NO corn and NO soy. Since we have a limited supply at this time, we are keeping a list of customers and are supplying them as the eggs become available. We are only selling from the farm, so you'll need to be OK with driving out here to pick up your eggs. Contact Bobbi to put your name on the list. We are asking $2.50 per dozen. We know that is less than the going rate at the grocery store for this kind of egg... for us it's not about 'cashing in', we'll make a small profit and you will have to use fuel to come out to the farm. Here is a quick link to the Chicken page so you can meet the ladies. Taking Advantage of a Bad Situation Every cloud has a silver lining and for us, right now, the nasty mortgage/housing debacle that the economy is reeling from is the cloud that allowed us to refinance our property and lower our interest rate by 2% and 1 year... our silver lining. We bought this property before the bottom fell out, so we were unsure if we would end up being 'backward' on the mortgage. We opted to check out the HARP program through our mortgage holder (J.B. Nutter) and found that we qualifed for a very nice, lower interest, no closing costs (and no appraisal needed) refinance. So being 4 years into a 30 year mortgage, we refinanced the balance due with a 25 year mortgage and not only dropped a year of payments, but our monthly mortgage costs dropped as well. I'm not really bragging, I mention this in case you are wondering if refinancing is worthwhile. We like our mortgage company and did not want to change ... partly because they hold on to servicing our mortgage for the life of it (we don't have to worry about who owns our mortgage because everything is fixed and J.B. Nutter remains our connection regardless). I highly recommend working with a business like J.B. Nutter! I Keep Forgetting to Tell You... As you probably will recall, we changed our propane furnace to a geothermal heating and cooling system last fall (2011). Well, I kept forgetting to send in the form that the contractor filled out for the insurance company. It was several months later when I did and a month or so after that we found a check in the mail from the insurance company! What?? It took some investigating, but what we discovered was that by removing the propane type furnace, we reduced the risk on our policy and VIOLA! a rebate/refund of the difference in what the new price of the insurance is from what the old price was for the months that I was slow sending in the form. I did not even think about the possibility of our insurance costs going down because of the HVAC change. How nice of them to be forthcoming... we would never have missed it! Our insurance is paid through our escrow on the mortgage, so it's rather 'invisible' to us. See, Geothermal is the way to go for SO many reasons. Processing Chickens I promised to let you know how the helping friends process their chickens went, and... (drum roll, please) There were six (6) of us: the Butlers (Eric and Jen), us, and 2 friends of the Butlers. Eric had processed before and you know about my and the hubby's experience processing (if not, read about it on the Chicken page). They rented another farms' processing kitchen (nice to know that is an option). The hubby and the other guy worked at the killing cones and scalder (NICE scalder! did 4 birds at a time, rotated them in and out for just the right amount of time, NICE), I worked the drum plucker (also plucked 4 birds at a time) and removing any feathers that it didn't, Jen and the other lady did the eviscerating and Eric moved around working wherever needed. They had around 130 Cornish Cross to process and between collecting the birds, putting them in crates, transporting them and getting the water in the scalder up to temp, it was about 10 a.m. before we were needed to help. We stopped close to 4 p.m. (with a short break for pizza in there somewhere) and figure we processed about 90 chickens. It was a LONG day. About half-way through the day, I slipped and fell, catching myself (luckily) by the armpit over the sink with my legs sprawled in different directions (over the drain in the eviscerating area). I got rather messy but nothing broken (only my ego). I recently made my way to a massage therapist and then my chiropractor to put my muscles and bones back into alignment from the fall - I feel SO much better. The Butlers were either going to do the last 40 (or so) birds themselves or take them to the farmer we used to process the rest. We could have had some chickens as payment for our help, but we would rather exchange one good turn for another. After all, they have a livestock trailer (we don't) and it would be nice if we could borrow it when we get some cows. (Which is OK with them, by the way.) Oh, we did take home a gallon size bag full of gizzards, hearts and livers... they were not going to save them, so we put a container on the table for the ladies to fill instead of throwing them in the waste bucket. Oddly enough, even with the fall, it was a very pleasant day. There is nothing like being around like-minded people, working and laughing. Cleaning Chicken Gizzards So I ended up with 14 gizzards from the Butler's chickens. They were not opened or cleaned, so I spent a morning becoming experienced at it. First I went on-line and watched a video and then I just had at it. I discovered that if you slice through the muscle from hole to hole, you can peel the muscle away from the "sack" that holds the undigested food and stones that the chickens eat to help them grind up their food. This way, it is MUCH less messy than cutting all the way through the gizzard and the sack. After that, I washed the muscle of the gizzard and using a VERY sharp knife, I sliced away the silver/white cartiledge that is on the outside and the whitish lining on the inside. Then I cut each piece of the remaining muscle meat into bite size chunks. All that was left was to cook it! I like gizzards sauteed in butter and garlic... no breading, no frying for me! YUM YUM YUM!!! November 18, 2012 Chicken Coop Lighted If you've been following along, you'll remember that we decided to put light in the Chicken Ark to encourage the hens to produce eggs even at this time of year. I don't know if doing that started the second hen or if she just 'came of age', but we are now consistently getting 2 eggs just about every day. Yippee! This morning we noticed a different hen 'dancing' around and inside the ark by herself... thinking she is 'coming of age' as well. If this is the trend, pretty soon the eggs will be more numerous and more often! I took some photos this morning and have posted them with a few fun shots on the Chicken page. Checking Out Worstell Farms / Grass-fed Cattle Yesterday, we drove 2-1/2 hours to Worstell Farms in Mexico MO for a farm tour. They have grass-fed cattle and we were interested to see their operation. Robert spent the better part of 3 hours walking us around, talking to us about his set-up, answering our questions, etc. and didn't seem to be annoyed when we interrupted him (too often) trying to guess what he was going to say... a hazard of book learning and lots of excitement about a new venture. It was a nice surprise that we got to walk in among his herd of Galloway (and crosses) -- Mommas with calves and a Bull. Their attitude was very different from what I experienced with the Angus that were our guests this summer (the Angus were wary and gave off a "stay away" vibe). The Galloways were watchful but welcoming and one heifer calf was especially friendly: licked my fingers and let me scratch her head and withers! The bull watched us casually from a distance. Today the calves are being removed from the cows -- weaning time. We chose a good day to tour! Thanks SO much, Robert! You can check their website out here: http://worstellfarms.com/ One thing every farmer/writer has recommended is visiting other operations and learn from them. So that is one of our goals. I met Greg Judy (another MO farmer from closer to Columbia) who does this type of grazing very successfully and have been reading one of his books. We also have several books by Joel Salatin and a couple by Jim Gerrish to get through this winter. We are planning to do High Density Grazing (also known as 'mob' and 'strip grazing') next year with cattle. We'll have to start small and have lots of very small strips since we'll probably only have 2 or 3 cattle. That is OK. It will give us lots of experience moving polywire, configuring grazing spaces, working with water, etc. HRES Tour The HRES tour last Saturday was great! The contractors who were able to attend gave excellent information and answered a host of question. The group was smaller than I'd hoped, but then I tend to have high expectations. Everyone went home with a small packet and hopefully lots of ideas for their own projects. Here is a link to their website. On the other hand, there has been a distinct increase of visitors to this website, which I am attributing to people taking the tour virtually. Welcome All and Thanks for Stopping By! Processing Chickens We are helping friends with processing their chickens. Yes, you read that correctly. Eric Butler (the contractor who did our insulation) and his wife are farming about 10 miles from us and have a batch of broilers ready to process. We know what a job that is and how much we wished we'd had a couple of extra hands to help us. So when we heard last Saturday they were doing it just the 2 of them, we could not help but offer our assistance. Besides, it's good to help friends and establish mutually beneficial relationships. It could be next year we might be able to coordinate both of our processing chickens the same date and help each other again. Wouldn't that be nice. I'll let you know how I do (LOL). November 3, 2012 Shedding Some Light to the Situation At this point, we are getting one (1) egg almost every day. So obviously we need to make some adjustments to our chicken situation. We've decided to put some light into the Chicken Ark with a timer so that it comes on around 3:00 AM. Everything I've read tells me we need the chickens to have about 12 hours of light and this is the solution most often presented. For the heavy-set birds we have, they recommend 5 watts; so we are getting a string of white LED holiday lights to string in the tip of the "A" and I'll also wind it around the outside so it also lights up the screened area. I'll post the photos soon on the Chicken page. Small Farm Conference in Columbia MO The last couple of days have been tiring and regenerating for me. I've been attending the National Small Farm Conference put on by Small Farm Today Magazine in Columbia MO at the Fairgrounds. This is the 20th Anniversary and it has lots of great people attending and presenting and exhibiting who think about farming the same way that we do! Even the hubby attended on Thursday and enjoyed it (this was his first time). I attended last year specifically to see a presentation on Pasture Raised Rabbits. This year I'm focusing on the chicken and mob grazing info but have also learned a lot from other presentations and just talking with people. I highly recommend it! Visit the Small Farm Today Magazine Website. A Local Renewable Energy Group is Coming to Tour As you know (if you've visited recently), I've been working to get us more exposure and I think the Geothermal installation has started things moving again. The Heartland Renewable Energy Society (HRES), a local affiliate of the American Solar Energy Society, has scheduled a tour for Saturday, November 10th from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. Here is a link to their website. Many of the contractors associated with the various projects will be on hand to answer questions. October 24, 2012 Which Came First? the Chicken OR the Egg... In our paradigm, it was the Chicken! (LOL) We've gotten four (4) eggs, but that appears to be it unless we make the hens think that there is enough daylight to produce more. There's a picture of my 3-eggs sunny-side up breakfast on the Chicken page. South Porch is SEALED!! The weather was not very cooperative, but I got the Earthpaint Rainforest Sealer applied and it looks great! Probably needed another gallon because I was really stretching it out to get it all covered. We'll probably have to sand and seal it again in the early summer, just to be on the safe side. Read more at the South Porch page. A Local Renewable Energy Group is Coming to Tour I've been working to get us more exposure and I think the Geothermal installation has started things moving again. The Heartland Renewable Energy Society (HRES), a local affiliate of the American Solar Energy Society, has scheduled a tour for Saturday, November 10th. Here is a link to their website. As soon as I have further info (time, etc.) I'll let you know on our Facebook page, etc. Decorated for Fall I promised myself that once the south porch was sealed, I could decorate the outside for the Fall (and Halloween). There are some pictures of the results here. October 17, 2012 Chickens... We moved the flock to their winter home on Sunday morning. 300 feet away and two (2) hours later, everybody is happy with a new supply of bugs! Do you want the good news or the bad news first? Let's get the bad out of the way. We feel really sad and have to report that we lost one of our hens... the little Dark Cornish girl: #66. Heavy sigh. The good news is we discovered our first EGG yesterday! New pictures on the Chicken page. Bees... This has been a truly odd year for beekeeping... not just for us but everybody around here. I've updated the page, and I'm thinking it's about time I have the beekeeper submit reports so I don't keep missing details. Visit the Bee page for NEW pictures. Good Fences Make Good Neighbors This is a phrase I think we are all familiar with... it basically means physically you want to have barriers to keep your stuff from encroaching on their stuff and vice versa. But it also works philosophically in that it's a good idea to maintain boundaries between people. I bring this up because after one of our neighbor's cattle stayed with us over the summer, our next door neighbor is now interested in using that pasture for their cattle. Hmmm, ummm, well, the trouble is they LIVE NEXT DOOR ... I mean RIGHT next to us -- the 10 acre pasture (lovingly referred to as PlayHaven West) is on the east side of the fence that divides our property from their property. The other part of this is that they don't want to pay for water, so that would mean opening the fence (putting in a gate) down by their pond so the cattle could come and go to their pond. And while I was hem-hawing about it before learning this bit about the pond; I was sure it would not be a good idea afterward. I've copied this section to the blog so that you can comment on it, if you like. They Say Change Is Good... South Porch What can you rely on? Change. Yep, that's really about all you can rely on... that things change. Yes, you read a bit of frustration in my writing. We have been ready to finish the south porch for MONTHS. I've been corresponding with Synta about getting the Deck Restore ... whether they are still interested (yes), how to get it here, etc. And it has simply been like pulling teeth to get them to (1) respond and (2) actually DO what they finally said they would do. Read more at the South Porch page. October 7, 2012 Chickens... Well, there are no longer any male chickens on our farm. They are all now food. The transition from one to the other is something (I think) everyone should experience so they can have a better respect and appreciation for the animals that feed us. We gave those chickens the best life we could and gave them the easiest, quickest death we could as well. They in turn are providing us with nourishment... really tasting, mouth-watering nourishment! We are ever so grateful! The hens are adjusting to life without the boys. No eggs yet, but there should be soon. New pictures on the Chicken page. Bees... This has been a truly odd year for beekeeping... not just for us but everybody around here. I've updated the page, and I'm thinking it's about time I have the beekeeper submit reports so I don't keep missing details. Visit the Bee page for NEW pictures. Perennial Pasture So, while I type this, the hubby is driving the tractor to return the manure spreader he borrowed. One of our neighbors has a stable of horses and about six (6) months of green manure in a pile behind the stable. The hubby has made an arrangement to help him get rid of it... spread it on our pastures (that REALLY need it)! Today he has been putting it in areas of the pasture where the cattle were less generous with their own leavings. We also learned that the grass that flourished after the cattle come off in July is Johnson Grass. In Southern Missouri it is considered a noxious, invasive weed because (while it was brought to the US for the purpose of pasture grazing) it flourishes in warm climates and gets into the rivers and wetlands taking over and crowding out native species. We are further north where it is less of a problem and when I consulted the NRCS about it, Doug said he'd LOVE to have Johnson Grass in his pasture. So we are HAPPY. I've also noticed that seed suppliers are advertising forage blends to hunters to draw wildlife to them. The mixes are very close to what has been recommended to us. Isn't that nice! A Local Renewable Energy Group is Coming to Tour I've been working to get us more exposure and I think the Geothermal installation has started things moving again. The Heartland Renewable Energy Society (HRES), a local affiliate of the American Solar Energy Society, has scheduled a tour for Saturday, November 10th. Here is a link to their website. As soon as I have further info (time, etc.) I'll let you know on our Facebook page, etc. August 23, 2012 The Glory of Geothermal Cooling! Here in the Heartland of the USA, we have been experiencing desert-like conditions; but air conditioning our house has not required taking out a second mortgage. In fact, we used 47% of the electricity usage in July 2011 (another way to put that is 53% LESS). Lest you think that could be attributed to something other than improving our structural envelope (insulation) and changing to the ground source heat pump, here are weather comparisons between July 2011 and July 2012. Click here to see the info. Chickens... Coming Down to the Wire for the Boys The days are a bit cooler and the chickens are a bit more active. We moved them to new pasture on Sunday night and they had SO MUCH fun chasing all the bugs that thought they were safe (BWAA-HAA-HAA). I've even found a fun little game to play with (primarily) the boys. First a little preface to the story: the chickens like to eat the downy feathers they molt. OK, so, I was trying to figure out a way to mark the feathers that I don't want to collect rather than keep picking them up and finding them not suitable. So I decided to strip the shaft on the ones I'd rejected. As I was doing this, the chickens made mad grabs for the pieces! Some of the boys actually took them from my fingers. I took some pictures of them last week so you can see how mature they are getting. I've decided to let the hubby build a "plucker" since I've accumulated so many nice molted feathers. Harvest will probably be a few days after the Labor Day weekend. New pictures on the Chicken page. Bees... Ragweed is Close to Blooming Nothing new to report on the bees. We have been told that the last big rush for nectar and pollen is when the ragweed blooms and it sure is growing fast these days. I've seen a few plants with buds. Hoping there is plenty of room in the hive for them to store enough honey et al for this winter. Visit the Bee page for pictures. Perennial Pasture One of our goals is to change our predominantly cool season grasses and legumes pastures into healthy, perennial, year-round pastures. I've been corresponding with Doug Peterson of the NRCS (Gallatin, MO) about how to do this. I'll be putting up a page with information as it becomes available. Just wanted to give ya'll a "heads-up". LINK to the Article about the QHCA Award to Eric Kjelshus for our Geothermal HVAC Installation As you probably already heard, we are VERY excited! Eric Kjelshus (the contractor for the Ground Source Heat Pump installation) let us know that he WON an award for it! He submitted the project to Contracting Business.com's Quality Home Comfort Award contest (a National Magazine/Contest) and was a WINNER!! Here is the link to the article.
August 3, 2012 Lughnasadh Lughnasadh (Irish: Lúnasa; Scottish Gaelic: Lùnastal; Manx: Luanistyn) is a traditional Gaelic holiday celebrated on August 1st. It originated as a harvest festival. (Info provided from Wikipedia.) It is my opinion that everyone's holidays are worth celebrating (any excuse for a party!). We did not have a party for this one, but I mention it because we had the most GLORIOUS full moon this day! All the wildfires (added to the pollution and other airborne particulates), while being devastating make the sky at the horizon very dense and the moon rising goes through a range of unusual colors. Last night's moonrise was almost as beautiful. Wish I'd had the camera to capture it and share with you. Chickens The boys and girls are growing up and are acting like teenage humans with all the bullying, popularity contests, etc. that we associate with that time. I wrote about it on the blog "Chicken High School?". We've been assuming that the hatchery was able to correctly 'sex' (determine the gender of) the chicks and that we had 25 male Dark Cornish and possibly one (1) female (since they sent us an extra). Well, it's really difficult to tell the sex of chicks and as they have been growing we've been watching for the tell-tale signs of their gender. In the last couple of weeks, we have begun to suspect that there are at least two (2) Dark Cornish pullets. Now we are sure there are at least three (3) pullets. As for whether the Light Brahma and Black Australorps pullets were correctly sexed... so far so good. Since they gave us an extra Australorp, we are wondering if one of them is a male. That one's crown is just a bit more pronounced than the others, but that is not a conclusive factor. So, this all means that we will be putting a few LESS birds in the freezer. Girls (unlike some human cultures) are given preference because they lay eggs. It also means that my initial Chicken Ark, while it is really nice for 3 or 4 hens, is definitely not going to work for 13 or 14 hens! We truly thought that with our inexperience that we would lose several hens. (Not to jinx it of course.) New pictures on the Chicken page. Busy Bees The hubby opened the hive to remove the Queen Excluder today. We actually saw one bee trying to go through and it was just every so slightly too big to do so. Which explains why they have not been storing honey in the supers. He also had added another body with frames in between the original 2 hive bodies. They appear to be using it (yeah!). Visit the Bee page for pictures. The Cattle have Left the Pasture We knew they wouldn't be here long, but we did not know how much we would miss them being there. I was lucky to be home when the neighbors came for them so there are a few new photos for you on the Cattle page under Farming. LINK to the Article about the QHCA Award to Eric Kjelshus for our Geothermal HVAC Installation As you probably already heard, we are VERY excited! Eric Kjelshus (the contractor for the Ground Source Heat Pump installation) let us know that he WON an award for it! He submitted the project to Contracting Business.com's Quality Home Comfort Award contest (a National Magazine/Contest) and was a WINNER!! Here is the link to the article. July 4, 2012 HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! We live in the United States of America and today is the day we celebrate the Declaration of Independence from the British Empire in 1776. Before I lived on a farm, this day meant heading to our family's cabin on the lake (near Bellevue Nebraska) to swim, boat, play, light fireworks and eat foods like hot dogs and hamburgers, potato salad, cucumbers and onions, baked beans, and (of course) watermelon! When all of us kids moved away and as the folks got older, the cabin became too much so they sold it. But lots of good memories remain! On the farm it's different because it doesn't matter that the calendar shows the day is a holiday... livestock must be fed and watered, fruits and vegetables don't harvest themselves. So, we'll celebrate the holiday by getting all the chores done as early as possible and then RELAX the rest of the day. I think fireworks seen via the TV sounds good in this heat. Chickens The cockerells and pullets are starting to look and sound like chickens! The combs are beginning to form on several of their heads and the boys are getting "cocky". They all get a bit more freedom starting today. Yes, a sort of Independence Day celebration! The electric poultry net fence is in place and the Chicken Tractor is inside it. While it is still somewhat cool, we are letting them out into the fenced area to catch one at a time and clip a single wing and put a numbered band on the boys. We want to be able to tell which of the boys are more feisty (they get to become broilers first) and which is the most docile (he may get to become a rooster). I've added some photos of the expansion AND I've added a couple of fun pictures. New pictures on the Chicken page. Busy Bees Good news and bad news. The colony is very healthy and all is well in that regard. The girls are "bearding" because of the heat - odd thing to see; check out the pictures. While the hive was open for inspection (and to figure out why they hadn't started using the honey super) a crop duster sprayed pesticide on the field across the road and we are sure we have a smaller colony than before; because any bees caught in the spray or overspray will have been killed. Visit the Bee page for the latest pictures. There Are STILL Cattle On Our Property! They probably won't be here much longer because 32 cattle (units) on 10 acres will overgraze the grass. But all is well and we've enjoyed having them stay with us! I'm hoping to be here and get photos of them catching and loading the cattle. Crossing fingers and toes. Check back (to see if I was lucky) on the page under Farming. Article about the QHCA and Eric Kjelshus As you probably already heard, we are VERY excited! Eric Kjelshus (the contractor for the Ground Source Heat Pump installation) let us know that he WON an award for it! He submitted the project to Contracting Business.com's Quality Home Comfort Award contest (a National Magazine/Contest) and was a WINNER!! Memorial Day Weekend, their professional photographer (Tim Ryan) flew in to take photos (I took a couple of pictures of Tim at work; see them on the HVAC page). The reporter contacted us a couple weeks ago to get some quotes for the article. He sent us the draft of the article... if it goes to press as written, they used MUCH of the info from this website! What a compliment. How exciting this all is! As soon as I have a link to the published article, I will pass it along. June 21, 2012 HAPPY SUMMER SOLSTICE! Yes, I know it was yesterday... but better late than never, I say. We were blessed with 1.25 inches of rain overnight. We REALLY needed it. The weather here in Northwest Missouri has been reminiscent of August -- hot and dry! Thank goodness for the new ground source heat pump! We are having no problem keeping the house cool with it! I set the programmable thermostat for 65 overnight, then it goes to 70 at 7:30 in the morning and then 75 at 2:30 in the afternoon. With the great insulation and tightness of the house, most days the system doesn't have to come on until late afternoon. It's so easy to keep the house at least 15 degrees cooler than the outside temps. We do let the fan run all the time to keep the air circulating in the house. You can see the thermostat for yourself, click here. Chicken Tractor The chickens are growing very quickly now. They were in the Chicken Ark for 2 weeks and had started to use the roost when we knew it was time to move them to the Chicken Tractor. So, on June 10th, we set up the poultry net fencing (without electricity this time) around both structures and set about capturing each bird to put it in the Tractor. That was a funny thing! A few of the birds found their own way and all we had to do then was open the hatch. They are SO happy in their bigger space with lots more roosts. New pictures on the Chicken page. Chicken Prcessing Workshop The Hubby and I attended a Chicken Processing Workshop put on by Growing Growers on June 16th. A pasture-raised chicken farmer who is part of a coop that shares a mobile processing unit hosted the event. We had the option of processing a chicken (for the cost of the chicken, since we would get to take it home) and so I signed up for me to do that. Came the day and I "chickened out"... but the Hubby was not squeemish and he did the processing of our chicken. I am conflicted about posting the photos from the event; so, for now, I won't. The thing I discovered from the event is that once the chicken is dead, what is left is just meat (with feathers). The chicken is very calm when it is resting upside down in the "killing cone" and the death is quick. What is disturbing is that muscles contract after death making it appear that there is still life. In processing, sanitation is KEY. Busy Bees We went to our second class on bees on June 2nd. Learned that we have been doing alot of things very well. Also learned about many diseases and problems to watch out for. Since then our girls have been given a honey super to store more honey in and they have not even started to draw comb on the frames. We are concerned and the Hubby is busy trying different suggestions to entice them to use the space. Visit the Bee page for the latest pictures. Japanese Beetles In case you haven't been following our blog or Facebook page, I've added a page under the Farming section about what we are doing to minimize the infestation of Japanese Beetles around here. I hope you get something useful from the information. Visit the page here. There Are Cattle On Our Property! Have you been following us on Facebook? If so, then you already have heard the story. If not, check out the new page under Farming and find out how we now have 20 cow/calf pairs and 2 bulls on the 10-acre lot we purchased originally. Article about the QHCA and Eric Kjelshus As you probably already heard, we are VERY excited! Eric Kjelshus (the contractor for the Ground Source Heat Pump installation) let us know a few days ago that he WON an award for it! He submitted the project to Contracting Business.com's Quality Home Comfort Award contest (a National Magazine/Contest) and was a WINNER!! Memorial Day Weekend, their professional photographer (Tim Ryan) flew in to take photos (I took a couple of pictures of Tim at work; see them on the HVAC page). The reporter contacted us a couple weeks ago to get some quotes for the article. Today he (Ron Rajecki) called to say the draft of the article is on it's way for us to see. How exciting this all is! As soon as I have a link to the published article, I will pass it along. Recycling There is a new page on the website about Recycling and Repurposing. I don't know how I missed it for so long... after all, I did the blog entry back in December. Anyway, I've copied that entry over and have added a section about Repurposing that I hope you will enjoy. Click here to get to the Recycling page. June 1, 2012 The Chickens Have LEFT the Building! Yes, it's true. At 3 weeks of age, we had had enough of the dust and the (beginnings of) odor and evicted the chicks from the starter/brooder in the basement. But, not to worry! They got an upgrade to the chicken ark. Since the coop area is insulated, we simply converted it (temporarily) to a brooding house. The chicks now have access to pasture and are not sure WHAT the HECK to do about it. They are becoming funny to watch. New pictures on the Chicken page. The Sweet Sound of BUZZ The bees (or "the girls", as the hubby calls them) are off the sugar water and are multiplying like -- well -- like bees! Visit the Bee page for the latest pictures. OH Crop! (pun intended) In addition to the chickens and bees, we have been planting perennials each year... mainly berry bushes and trees. This year we added more PawPaw seedings. After the failure of the potato barrels last year (will try that again another year), we planted red and russet potatoes in a raised bed. They are looking marvelous and I could not resist sharing a few pictures of them with you on the Farming - Raised Beds page. Say "CHEESE!" We are VERY excited! Eric Kjelshus (the contractor for the Ground Source Heat Pump installation) let us know a few days ago that he WON an award for it! He submitted the project to Contracting Business.com's Quality Home Comfort Award contest (a National Magazine/Contest) and was a WINNER!! Their professional photographer (Tim Ryan) flew in on Sunday (May 27th) to take photos of our Mechanical Area in addition to a few shots of our Living Room and Meditation Room. Oh, he also took pictures of Eric (guess that makes sense, eh? LOL). I took a couple of pictures of Tim at work; see them on the HVAC page. There will be an article in the magazine. As soon as I have a link, I will pass it along. Sweet Dreams A few new pictures of our Natural Bed from Savvy Rest via Eagles' Rest Natural Home. I realized that with the new bed, we needed a couple of nightstands. While I prefer to buy used furniture, the height I was looking for is rather unusual; so I was excited to find that Old Time Pottery in Independence MO had just what I was looking for and I bought them new. Pictures on the Bed - King-size Natural page. May 22, 2012 Chicks are Beginning to Look Like Birds... As you may or may not already know... I've had a fear of birds for a long time. SO, the fact that as the chicks grow, they have come to look like regular birds is rather tough on me. So far so good, though. Only the beating of their tiny (yeah right) wings is causing me trouble. Sure hope they start looking like chickens soon. Check out the Chickens page for pictures... they are now 10 days old. May 17, 2012 More Pictures of the Bees! As of today, we are still providing sugar water to the girls. BUT, since they are working hard on the frames in the 2nd hive body, we are A-OK with helping all we can. Afer all, everyone has said "Feed them for as long as they will drink it." When they stop, we'll stop. Check out our experiences on the Bee page. Sleep Is Wonderful! Our Savvy Rest bed is set up and we are sleeping in it! Can't say enough great stuff about Diane Gercke, the owner of Eagles' Rest Natural Home and her great store in Lawrence, KS. She is our most recent sponsor and you should go check out her merchandise. Say "HELLO" from us. Cick here to learn about the bed and see pictures. Chick, Chick, Chick.. We were expecting our chicks to arrive sometime during the week beginning Monday, May 14th. BUT, low and behold, they arrived on Saturday, the 12th! Luckily I checked my email on Saturday morning (I don't often do that) and saw the notification of shipment. So I called the Post Office and arranged to meet them at 11:00 a.m. to pick them up. Check out the new page for the Chickens for pictures of the cute little things... they are growing quickly! April 27, 2012 Happy Arbor Day! This is a day to honor the miracle of trees by planting some of your own! Here in Missouri the Department of Conservation makes it easy and inexpensive to get seedlings of native plants and trees. The Arbor Day Foundation also provides seedlings as an incentive to become a member. This Is The First Time I Have Been HAPPY To Do Our Taxes! I filled out the yearly tax returns for the hubby and myself. I prefer to use TurboTax because it makes my business tax stuff pretty simple. Usually, I dread the whole thing because it means finding papers that I've put in piles and then compiling all the documents and so on. Some years I tackle it as soon as we get all the documents from employers etc. and other years I wait until the last minute. This year I was not excited about it at all because not only did I have virtually no income from my business, we closed my IRA to pay for the geothermal HVAC system last fall. Thank goodness we had them take the correct amount of taxes (including the penalty) from the IRA disbursement! Anyway, I knew we would be getting a refund since we have extra taken out of the hubby's check to cover income from my business (net loss this year, wah!). Plus, there is a 30% federal tax credit because of the geothermal HVAC, but I had no idea what a difference it would make on our refund! We were extremely lucky because the credit popped us down into the next lower tax bracket! All totalled, the refund put back into our pocket the amount of penalty we had to pay for early disbursement of the IRA. When you add all the rebates, tax credits, etc. together, the cost for the whole HVAC switch (including the extra weatherization and added return ducts) ended up being about $13,000. I'm glad we used the IRA because while it had been invested in renewable energy companies where it was; we used it to invest in renewable energy right here at home and no stock market crash is going to take this investment away. It was a good decision from which we will continue to reap benefits for years. The Bees Are Here! It is official: we are now beekeepers. Check out our experiences on the Bee page. Project List Page Re-Vamped The list was getting a bit unwieldy, so I've divided the Project List into three (3) sections:
Hopefully, this will make it easier for you to find the Project(s) you are most interested in at any given time. A Good Night's Rest We didn't think there would be a large purchase this spring since we got the HVAC system last fall... but, there is! With the tax refund being much larger than we expected, we sat down and made a list of where we want to put that money. My suggestion was to replace the bed which is an innerspring mattress (purchased to replace the previous waterbed when it sprung a leak that coudn't be fixed) over 15 years ago. Luckily, the hubby agreed and it was decided that a new bed is first on the agenda. Since the hubby likes a firmer bed and I need a softer one, I thought we should swing for a Sleep Number bed so we could both have restful nights. During the course of my research, I discovered how expensive those beds are and decided if we're going to spend that much money, I'm going to buy the natural bed that I would rather have anyway. I pulled out my latest copy of Natural Home & Garden Magazine (because I have found bed companies in it before) and visited the websites of several companies that sell natural beds. AND I found that we can not only get a natural bed, it can also be set up so that the hubby's side is more firm and my side is more soft. WIN WIN situation. I wanted to experience the bed before purchasing it and found that Savvy Rest has a dealer in Lawrence Kansas; which is a little over an hour away from us. We went there at our first opportunity and had a wonderful experience learning about the beds and trying different configurations. Diane Gercke, the owner of Eagles' Rest Natural Home is very knowledgeable about her products and we were so impressed with the store, her presence and the products that we decided to purchase the bed from her instead of going back on-line to order it direct. Everything arrived in a timely manner (it was shipped from Savvy Rest directly to our house) and I will be making a page for it and putting pictures up as soon as we get it all put together and in place. We'll be moving our current bed into the guest room. I'm so excited! Soon I'll be able to have a good night's rest again... it's been SUCH a long time. February 14, 2012 Proof That We're Reaching People! The hubby reminded me this weekend that I hadn't posted the email we received about a teacher using the site in conjunction with a class project. Here is her email with some other links the kids found as well. Good Job Kids!!! (January 4, 2012) Hello there, My name is Deanna Ryan and I'm a science teacher for some lovely students at Green Mountain School District in Vermont. I hope I'm not a bother, but I just wanted take the time to send you a quick thank you note on behalf of my class and myself for providing the resources on your page. My students just completed a project to learn about the importance of sustainability in and out of the house and your page was a great reference for them, so from all of us, thank you! As a small token of our appreciation, we thought we'd send along a few other helpful resources that my students actually came across during their research. Figured that since it's such an important topic, the more resources, the merrier :) Here they are: Recycling 101 - http://earth911.com/recycling/ And if you wouldn't mind adding them alongside your other resources, I'd love to show my students who went above and beyond to find the sites that their work was appreciated (Maybe a little extra credit). Let me know what you think. Thanks again! Sincerely, PHGBP Blog A new entry at least once a week is really helping me stretch myself. Now that I've gotten through my initial list of things to talk about, I must choose a topic as it comes to me and as I work on projects. Let's hope that I can keep up to my original goal. Thanks to everyone who is visiting (the blog, here, Facebook)... our stats have been climbing consistently and that helps sponsors to 'get on board' so we can have more stuff to show you! BugZooka™ One of the presents I gave myself for Yule was a BugZooka™! Check it out here. NiteLite™ Pruning Most of the time, our pruning demands require me to use the 'lopers' -- the big pruners for tree limbs -- but winter is the time to trim back the fruit bushes and brambles. So I went looking for my hand pruner and found that the blade was broken. More info on the Farming page. December 28, 2011 PHGBP Blog So far, so good! I decided to start out talking about how to adopt a sustainable lifestyle... in my humble opinion, of course. I've been able to keep to my once a week promise and don't see any reason for that to change. I am excited to have 'Follower' already and in the first month 85+ views. WOOHOO! (Actually, don't know if that is much or not, but it made me happy.) There will be more references between the blog and this web-site as I get into projects to do (or I have done). I've also switched comments to publish automatically... I want to encourage everyone to add their experiences so we can all learn from each other. Thanks to everyone who is visiting (both blog and here)... our stats have been climbing consistently and that helps sponsors to 'get on board'. South Porch All the old boards are out and the replacement boards are down and fastened. In the Spring we will clean and seal it. I'm still hoping that I can convince the Synta dealers in the KC area to come out and participate in a demonstration of how to apply the Deck Restore to spread the word about the product (and the project). Cross your fingers for me. Water Heater Timer I've added a link to the Intermatic website so you can see all the specs and particulars about the Electric Water Heater Timer that the guys installed when they put in the geothermal system. November Electric Bill We received our first electric bill showing a full month of activity since installing the geothermal system. It showed that our usage in November was minimally higher than it was in November of 2010. An average of 6 kw per day more. I'll have to see what the weather conditions were for those 2 months to get an accurate interpretation ... but regardless, I'm happy! December 3, 2011 I just posted my very first blog. This is a new experience for me, so don't expect TOO much. I welcome your comments and constructive suggestions. (Be nice to me please.) The links to the PHGBP blog are now live! I'll be posting at least weekly. November 2011
Once again, as I look back of the months when I didn't think there was anything to talk about... I was wrong. I'll give you a quick intro and then you can go follow the link to the specific Project page for more info on the things you find interesting. Preparing for a Fruit Orchard I don't think I've mentioned it before... one of the ways I justifed moving out to the country (having to drive further for hubby to get to work, me to get groceries, etc.) is by turning the acreage into a self-sustaining farm. We haven't gotten very far yet, but I've been taking classes and attending workshops, seminars, conferences, etc. about organic farming methods for the last 5 years. You can learn more about the steps we've taken to get moving toward self-sufficiency by clicking here. This year we started preparing the soil in the location where we will plant the fruit orchard. It needed roto-tilling because the previous owner ran horses on the pasture and the ground is thoroughly compacted... really not good for growing crops. We then planted organic sweet potato slips in the cleared strips to help break up the soil even further (as they grow and are dug up at harvest time). Check out more details on the Farming project page. Ceiling Fan with Heater We actually put this in during the Winter of 2010, but I kept forgetting to add it to the website. So here you go. The north bedroom on the 2nd floor stays pretty cool, which is great during the summer; but not so great during the winter. Since we don't want to increase the heat in the rest of the house just to accomodate that one room... we opted for a room heater. There are lots of options out there, but one that is relatively unknown: a ceiling fan with a heating unit. I've known about them for years because of my insane obsession with this sustainable building stuff. I was SO excited to be able to buy one!! Click here for more info about the ceiling fan. Wood Storage Another subject I was supposed to remember to post and forgot all about... good thing I'm adding the blog!! Anyway, I researched how to store wood for the fireplace and found out that it should 1) be off the ground and 2) NOT covered. This way, it doesn't rot because it can dry out... if you cover your wood lot, you can get mold growing in the darkness. Stack it so air can move through it and the outside of the trunk up (if possible) to repel water. We purchased two wood cribs from Kotula's and used treated lumber set on top of some bricks to keep it off the ground. We are very happy with our $60 investment. We have so many Osage Orange trees to cut back, we have not had to purchase any wood. Plus the Spring storms have added a few unexpected loads to our crib. South Porch Flooring This is probably our slowest project at the moment. It is very time consuming and pretty tough on the hubby's knees and back; so he works on it a little at a time. As of November 11, 2011, half of the floor has been replaced, and another quarter has been removed, but the new boards are not screwed down yet. This means that while it may be completely replaced before winter sets in, it won't be protected until next Spring. I found an eco-friendly product that claims to do a great job cleaning weathered wood before you seal it and am talking with them about being part of the project. I also checked in with Synta and they are still happy to provide the Deck Restore for the job in the Spring. Click here for more info on the Porch Floor replacement. Updating our Heating and Cooling System Home ownership... if it's not one thing, it's another. This summer (late June), we discovered water on the floor of the basement around/under the hot water heater and furnace. The water heater is pretty old and we have figured we'd need to be replacing it sooner than later, so we assumed that was the reason for the water on the floor. I called the plumber and, luckily for us, they had another job out our way, so they sent their man to our place the same day I called. He agreed that the water heater was nearing the end... but, lo and behold, it wasn't the reason for the water. Nope, instead it was the Air Conditioning. Due to low freon, our coil froze and the water was the result of it thawing out. That means we must have a leak somewhere. Unfortunately, we were not in a position to replace the AC or even spend the money to find the leak and have it repaired. So, while it pained me to do it, we had him recharge the system and just had to live with a leak for the time being. OK, we knew the next BIG project to tackle would be the Heating and Cooling. We were simply hoping to have another couple of years to find the money and/or sponsors. The Project had other plans... find out all about our new Geothermal Heating and Cooling System, click here. The propane company (Magruders Propane in Odessa, MO) came and picked up the propane tank. We are officially all-electric now... just a matter of time before we can harvest our electricity from the sun and wind. Water in the Crawlspace Under the Master Bedroom Once again, water informs us of a problem. We discovered the water during Eric's visit; it was by the shut-off valve to the water line that feeds the master bathroom. Coudn't tell how much, but was hoping it was just condensation due to the hot exterior air and cool basement air coming through the opening to the crawlspace. Alas, no. We had standing water over about half of the crawlspace area (mainly at the north end where the garage had ended and the foundation had been extended. For more on how we cleaned it up, go to the Project page for Plumbing (click here). We have had a busy couple of months! PlayHaven Green Building Project BLOG (coming very very soon!) Since money is tight... EVERYWHERE! ...and since we are not immune to that condition (what with paying for an HVAC system all of a sudden, ouch)... it forced me to figure out how to keep this website worth visiting until the next BIG project. Here's the deal: I get about $40 a week 'allowance' to play with. Some weeks it goes in with the grocery money, other weeks it's all mine. I'll be posting at least weekly, 'green' tips and projects that anyone can do for little or no money. Some will be projects I do here, others will be things others are doing... but one way or another, I'll be giving you something to think about or do during the long winter days! AND, it will be as a a Blog so that you can interact with these postings. I welcome your tips, suggestions, projects. (Please be respectful and don't "troll" it. Any trolling will be removed at my discretion.) May 31, 2011 Whole House Painted A quick update... It took me a couple weeks (fitting it in mainly) to paint the porch; but, the whole house is now repainted (in addition to the north being re-sided)! We are no longer the Iceberg House! I don't usually put photos on this page, but this is a big change, so here are the before and after images. Check out the Project List and see the details of all we've been able to accomplish in the last 3 years. Of course, there is more to do (isn't there always?)...
May 10, 2011 I didn't think anything had happened since September, so I haven't worried about updating the website... until I uploaded the photos from the BIG project in April and discovered several small things that we had done over the winter. So after I tell you the BIG news, I'll list the other small things to catch up with. North Side Repaired and Re-Sided The economy affects everyone and we are no exception. I had hoped to re-side the entire house, but when I found out how much it would cost (CHA-CHING!$$$!)... had to settle for just the north side (excluding the porch area). At least, that meant removing the damaged siding in and around the bump out, insulating the bump out and putting up cementatious fiber siding. Visit the Siding Project page to see this project by clicking here. Whole House Painted Because we couldn't afford to re-side the whole house, we had to paint the rest. Not just for the look of it, but for basic house maintenance to protect the old siding. Check out the pictures on the Painting Project page here. South Porch Let's see, when last I wrote, I was preparing to remove the elevated screws so as to sand the floor in preparation for Synta's Deck ReStore product. That has changed a bit. Last fall I was searching craigslist for lumber to make into raised beds for my vegetable (etc.) garden. I found 16 ft long, weathered 2x10s at an amazing price! I was able to get 48 of them delivered to us. And, as we were loading them from the trailer into our storage area, we realized they are a much better quality wood than what is currently on our south porch. We decided to replace the flooring with the new wood and use the old floor wood to make the raised beds. You can see the pictures of the progress on South Porch Project page. Chimney Sealed I have added the pictures to the Chimney Project page. Cookware Cuisinart stood by its warranty when I found a flaw in my frying pan. More info on the Cookware Project page. Plumbing We had a leak, more info on the Plumbing Project page. Yard Equipment No (darn it!), we don't have a new electric-riding-mower. But there is an update on the WORX trimmer. For more, visit the Yard Equipment Project Page. Sponsors We've added a couple more sponsors! Please check them out and consider them for your next project! September 21, 2010 We have had another intense weather season this summer! Luckily, we were able to get the chimney treated during the hottest week of the summer... it is recommended to put a water repellant coating on the architectural stone and we had intended to do that last year, but the weather did not cooperate. So now the chimney is treated and that should last for 10 to 15 years. ** UPDATE (5-11-11): I just added the photos of the Brandon putting the sealant on the chiminey. Here is the link to the Chimney Project page. ** Getting the yard mowed and trimmed, etc. has been really tough because when the hubby had time it rained and when I tried to do it, equipment stopped working or was so hard to use, I could barely get anything done before zonking out. So, the latest addition to the Project is a Lithium-battery operated Grass Edger/Trimmer. Check out more on its Project page. (Cross your fingers and toes that we can get an electric riding mower next spring.) The other thing I've been trying to spending my time on is the south deck. While it was still hot and dry, I planned to sand and repaint the floor... since the previous owner had already painted it. There's lots more to this story at the Deck/Porch Project page, click here to get to it. Check back to find out the progress of our efforts. June 1, 2010 First things first: I apologize for not updating the website through the Winter and Spring. No excuses, just didn't get around to it and not much to report. Entertainment System We replaced our old Sony TV with the Sony Bravia VE5 1080p Eco LCD HDTV (40 inch)... see the Entertainment Center Project page for more info about that item. It is a very nice TV and among its many wonderful features is something Gary and I can remember from our childhood years: an OFF button. Yes, amazingly, you can turn the thing completely off so it doesn't use any phantom electricity. What will they think of next? Along with the TV, we also updated to a DVR recorder that is also a DVD and VCR player. Plus we added a Sony Sound system... so now it really is an entertainment system. Sealing Ductwork Leaks We had a very cold winter and when we discovered that we had to order more propane to heat the house than we had anticipated, Gary dug out the caulk and mastic to (finally) seal up the ductwork. Visit that Sealing Ductwork Project page here. Plumbing Yes, we did get the polybutylene out of the house this Spring! One less worry. Visit the Plumbing Project page to learn more. Attic Insulation And, YES, the old fiberglass and sheetrock (bad idea) in the attic
is gone and replaced with blown-in cellulose! Visit
the Insulation Project page for more information. We'll be scheduling an new Energy Audit to see what the official difference is between the old and the new soon. October 21, 2009 Not much going on right now. The Astro Van just left on the tow-truck and I'm feeling a bit sad... had that van for 14 years and it hauled all of our dogs at one time or another, so it was like losing an old friend. On the bright side, the driver was thinking of people he knows that could use it... so hopefully it will help some other family for a bit longer; while bringing some money to Wayside Waifs to help animals in need. I started the search for a plumber this week. We figure that considering how long everything takes in the world of remodeling/contracting... we better find the best company for our needs and get them booked for the spring. I see from my review of past entries that I didn't tell you the reason we want to update the plumbing. It is because the pipes in this house are polybutylene (which is a form of plastic resin that was used extensively between 1978 and 1995). This is not good piping! There were even class action lawsuits brought in the 1980s because of it. Learn more at the Plumbing Project page... click here. Are you wondering what happened to fixing the insulation? Nothing yet. We had hoped to have enough money left after the roof to get it done this fall... but you know how it goes: sometimes funds earmarked for one project end up going to another. I'm hoping that we'll be able to do the insulation next, but the plumbing does worry me more than the insulation at this point. So who knows. We had a pretty good year when it came to our harvest. There's a list and more on the Farming Project page. October 13, 2009 There is lots to tell you this time, I'm breaking it up in to subsections: Article in KC Star Go to www.kansascity.com to see the article that Gene Meyer did regarding Energy-efficient Mortgages. He came out and interviewed me a few weeks ago and even had a photographer come out to get a picture of our new roof (yesterday). The ROOF WooHoo! The roof is done, finished, complete! And it actually has been for several weeks ... I've just fallen behind on updating the website. And first of all, I have to tell you that the roof has already made a HUGE difference in the interior temperature of the house. Before, with the dark green roof, I had trouble keeping the inside temperature cooler than the outside temperature because the roof heated the attic space and our insulation is adequate but needs to be improved. NOW, the inside temperature is at least 10 degrees cooler WITHOUT turning on the AC. Granted we're getting temps between 75 and 80 these days, but before that meant I still had to use the AC to keep the temp in the house in the low 70s. NOT ANY MORE... YEAH! Read more on the Roof Project Page... click here! Painting/Pressure Washing/Siding Now that the roof is done and its cooler outside, I've been able to start painting the house. We didn't get around to painting last year what with just getting settled in... so there is ALOT of maintenance painting that needs to be done. Plus I had to paint the exposed side of the OSB on the underside of the porch roof... which reminded me how much I dislike painting ceilings! Even with my handy-dandy Paint Stick (its a roller that uses the handle to store the paint while you roll it on) -- I used it to paint the living room if you want to know more about that item, check out Paint Project page. For more info (with pictures) including the pros and cons of getting a pressure washer and how I discovered the siding is NOT cementatious fiber...visit the Project Page for Painting. The VAN We finally did it. We finally admitted that the 1992 Chevy Astro Van had to be replaced. We loved that van! It was the perfect dog vehicle for us. Big enough to haul our Newfoundland Dogs (for a while we had four (4) to haul around) and our gear but still rated as a mini-van! It had rear AC at a time when most vans did not. Well, when we took it into our mechanic to have the AC repaired (again... one of those things that was never as good as the original), we found out that Chevy was no longer making parts for it and had sold off the rest of their inventory. We were able to get the part, but only just. Which meant it would be more difficult to get parts the longer we kept it. SO... we bit the bullet and went looking for a replacement. Man, was that depressing research! Found some great websites though! Check out the info on the Project page for Vehicles. September 3, 2009 The roof is 99% finished and the only thing holding it up from being 100% finished is the persistent rain! Seems like they get here, get started working and after about an hour we get rain. Even if its only for a short time, that messes things up because they can't work on the roof again until it has dried. So with the cooler weather and cloud cover, that takes several hours. They are down to 7 minor/detail things that need doing, so crossing fingers and toes that the rain stays away long enough for them to do them. Visit the Replace Metal Roof on House with TPO Everguard Roof Project page for the pictures. FYI - if you decide to put this roof on your house and like the Light Gray color... be sure to tell them you want the Energy Star Light Gray that qualifes as a cool roof and for the energy tax credit. The reason I mention this, is because when the roofers ran out of material and we waited for it to come in... it arrived and they put the first length on and realized that they had gotten the wrong color... it was Light Gray, but not the Energy Star qualifying one and was slightly darker than what was already on the house. So, a quick call to GAF and the correct color arrived at light speed (well, not REALLY "light speed"--but pretty darn fast!) a couple days later. P.S. I just learned about Google's new search engine option: www.Blackle.com. Have you heard about it? Its the same search engine but the screen is black with white text and its supposed to help save energy. So, I've change my 'home page' from Google to Blackle... you might want to do the same... check it out: www.Blackle.com. P.P.S. Watch for the next post, when I'll tell you about the lady who helps me to keep my house clean --- using green products! AND, about our new vehicle: its an E85 Flexfuel Dodge Grand Caravan. August 17, 2009 I can't believe it's been almost a month since the last post. So, you are probably wondering about the roof, yes? Kansas City Roofing Services started on Tuesday, July 28th and we've had a mixture of great weather and rain and wind. We figured the project would take longer than you would expect since the application is on steeper pitch than normal. And we were correct in that thinking. Plus, the rain has made it even longer. I always forget how much time it takes to set up and do the prep work. And since our house has three different pitches on the different gables and one of them is two-stories up, there are harnesses and extra gear to think about. But things are moving along and what with the rain and wind and needing additional material, I can't complain. Visit the Replace Metal Roof on House with TPO Everguard Roof Project Page for the in-process pictures. More to come soon, visit again and bring your friends! July 22, 2009 Kansas City Roofing Services LLC contacted us the end of last week to say that the roofing material is here! SO, they are scheduled to start Monday, July 27; barring any bad weather delays, of course. YEAH! It has been SUCH a wet summer and soon I won't have to race around the house checking for water leaks any more. YEAH! I'll have photos and such soon - promise! See them on the Roof Project page, click here. July 1, 2009 We received the check from State Farm on Saturday, June 27 to replace the roof on the house. And, we were surprised to find that it was made out to us AND our mortgage company... I suppose we shouldn't have been surprised, but since we haven't had this big of a claim before, we didn't know that the mortgage company would be involved. Learn more about how the insurance company and mortgage companies handle this type of thing... and more... on the Roof Project page. Ok, that should do it for now... updates should be coming along fairly often during the next couple of months! June 2009 (more) I promised to keep you informed on the progress of the roof and there IS PROGRESS! So, a quick recap: leaking roof, roofing company chosen, great energy efficient product found, insurance called: covered for hail or not? And the good news is (drum roll, please): YES, WE ARE COVERED for hail damage AND since we chose 100% replacement coverage... we will have enough money to install the TPO (single-ply membrane) roof AND get the Energy Tax Credit AND qualify for discount on our home owners insurance! And most of all, I won't have to worry about rain leaking into the house anymore! WOO HOO! Please visit the Roof Project page for more! I will also be keeping track of our electricity consumption over this cooling season and will report later this year a comparison from the season of 2008 to the season of 2009 (without and with the cool roof). AND (I'm a little afraid to mention this -- don't want to jinx it) if all goes well, there may even be enough money left (from what we had budgeted) to fix the insulation this year after all. Crossing fingers and toes, sending out the intention that there IS enough money for the insulation as well. Once Again --- WOO HOO and YIPPEE and HALLELUIA! One step closer to a net-zero house... they may be baby-steps, but it means we're moving in the right direction. June 2009 Where do I start? We received the quote for the roof and here's the deal... We had hoped that just the area where the leakage has occurred could be repaired/replaced. BUT (and this is what everyone who is looking into a metal roof or buying a house with a metal roof should be very attentive to), it turns out that the metal sheeting on OUR roof is -- first of all -- not a standard pattern and, therefore, it is not possible to repair/replace that one little area that is so problematic and makes me anxious every time it rains. Secondly, because we have NO DOCUMENTATION from the previous owner about the roof, we have no way of finding out what the warranty should be or to talk to the manufacturer. Thirdly, the quality of the metal sheeting on the roof is pretty poor. SO, even if we COULD find the pattern and the manufacturer, we probably wouldn't want to. With all that being known, we asked the roofing company we will be using (Shamless Plug Alert), Kansas City Roofing Services, LLC, to give us pricing on replacing the entire roof in the most energy efficient, sustainable way possible (at least a "cool" roof). There's a whole lot more to the story, click here to learn about an Energy Star "Cool" Roof and a whole lot more! The things we are learning! Please learn from our experiences!! I would not wish the worry/anxiety I have been going through on my worst enemy. April 2009 Happy Earth Day! ... of course, to me, every day is Earth Day. It still amazes me how so many people just don't seem to get that pollution and deforestation and heavy metal poisoning and nuclear radiation and, and, and... is not a "those bleeding heart environmentalists" problem so much as it is a "life as we know it" problem. This planet will still be around after humanity as screwed up the air, water, vegetation, food source, etc. to the point of annihilation. Saving the Environment of the Earth is ALL about giving humanity (and all the other life forms that live here) a place to live. Not saving the Environment of the Earth is a Death Sentence. Anyway, now I'm getting off my tallest soap box to share what's been happening around here for the last --- can that be true??? --- 6 months. Wow, time flies. Visit the Chimney Project page to see the waterproofing sealant going on top of the chimney. (We'll be putting the chimney sealant on in the heat of the summer - so watch for that.) The Holidays brought us Eco-Friendly Cookware and LED Decorative Lights. Other than that, things have been pretty quiet here. Did I share with
you my new love-affair with craigslist?
I hear that there are people who have had problems (to say the least),
but my experiences so far have been very enjoyable! Because we moved
to a larger house than we were in, we have needed some additional furniture
and I like to save money and get nice things, too. So, in the last
year, I've been hitting auctions, estate sales, secondhand furniture
stores, antique markets, etc. And I've found some great things... mostly
through craigslist! My favorite is a Mission-style dining room set
with an extendable table and six chairs (2 with arms) for the tiny
price of $300. Looking back over the last couple of entries, I see that I neglected to share that not only were we getting water in the basement last fall, we were getting water in through the roof as well. And this with an 8-year old standing seam metal roof. How could it be? Well, it seems the previous owner neglected to mention in the disclosure information that while the metal roof is intact, it has been caulked many times on the north side of the first level. When my handy-hubby went up on the roof to install the TV antenna (yes, we still use a TV antennae - now with a digital converter) and the Cell antenna (boosts the signal to our cell phones and aircards way out here in the country), etc. he inadvertently caused the caulk to loose its seal. So, I wasn't just mopping up the basement with towels during the "Ike" storms, I was also figuring out how to capture the rain that was pouring into wall cavities and coming out the millwork on the north side of the house. Therefore, we have had to push the roof to the top of the priorities list. We've had two companies come out to give us estimates so far. Check out the Roof Project page for more... We also had two insulation companies come out since that was what we were expecting to do this Spring. The previous owner had done a very odd attic insulation installation. There is fiberglass batt above the ceiling then drywall panels installed on top of the ceiling joists and blown-in fiberglass on top of that. The problem with it is that it makes the area between the two layers of drywall a prime environment for mold due to condensation. More info on the Insulation Project page, click here. So, as soon as we know how much the roof is going to cost us (it has to come first, as much as I'd like to tackle that insulation) we'll find out if the insulation can also be fixed this Spring/Summer or if we'll have to live with it for a while. As far as farming goes, we've put in five 2x10 ft. beds with early spring plantings of potatoes and peas. Now that the weather has warmed up, we'll be adding more veggie beds. There are also four pumpkin mounds. And (thanks to craigslist) our compost area has been expanded (photos to come soon). I'm investigating nut, fruit and berry tree/shrubs for an orchard and learning about livestock. Click here for the Farming Project page. I promise it won't be six months before you see more news. October 2008 The chimney liner is now in place and the company comes back mid-October to apply the waterproofing sealant to the crown. They are waiting to do that so that everything will be good and "cured" to avoid dampness being trapped in the chimney. We certainly don't want to have freezing and thawing of water to ruin all the hard work of the past month! The liner et al is guaranteed for the life of the chimney so long as we have it inspected and cleaned each year (which we will be doing anyway). Click here for the pictures of the chimney liner repair. Now all we need is a load of wood and a place to put it... will keep you posted. We've also added a fenced area to the east of the "backyard". We'll use it for the dogs to do training, to put in a kennel building with dog runs, etc. But it could also be used for livestock. We've taken a walking tour of the area north of the house so as to get measurements for the placement of planting beds, livestock buildings and fencing. Over the winter, we'll work out how to phase in these improvements. I'm also looking into raising rabbits for meat in addition to deciding what kind of chickens to keep and what other livestock to phase in to our self-sufficient, sustainable, organic farm. For more info about farming, click here. September 2008 The mason (George Shull Masonry of Kingsville MO) and his assistant were out this week and the new exterior of the chimney is beautiful! They spent 2-1/2 days working on it and so we are all set for the new liner (which will happen later this month). I was very impressed with the efficiency and skills of these two men. Click here for pictures and more about the exterior chimney repair. Another unexpected upgrade happened the weekend that hurricane "Ike" hit Texas. (Which was just before the repairs were made to the chimney.) We had five (5) inches of rain the day before Ike from a different storm and so had several soaked towels from the basements seepage. I put them in the Equator washer/dryer and when I went back to take them out; I discovered that the Equator had broken again... doing the same thing it had done previously which was repaired by salvaging a computer part from another Equator washer/dryer. We already knew that there were no more replacement parts to be found for this machine so we had to upgrade to a new washer and dryer (much sooner than we had expected to). Click here for what we chose to replace it with and why. August 2008 PlayHaven East is proving to be an excellent resource to showcase remodeling the green way. Which is a nice way of saying that we have discovered some problems that we were either not expecting, or not expecting to have to deal with right away. We had planned to utilize an existing water well and put a ground-source heating/cooling system (which would also replace the current propane water heater) in before the next heating season. However, the cost of that system has increased substantially since I last investigated them and the well alone will not be enough for the loop, so we find that we are unable to do that at this time. We are investigating alternatives and will use the current propane system this winter (2008/2009). The sump pump quit working less than two weeks after we took possession.
Thank goodness there is a Home Warranty policy in place! A B May came
out very quickly and replaced it the day after we called. They had
to come out again in August to repair a leak in a joint of one of the
water lines. (And we asked for quote to have the plumbing updated.)
I highly recommend having a Home Warranty policy when you buy a house.
Unfortunately, the policy does not cover structural problems and so, please learn from my experience... if there is a fireplace and/or wood stove in a home you are wanting to purchase, pay the extra money to have a professional chimney inspection done! The company that did our building inspection did not inspect the chimney and told us the flaking of the brick on the exterior was cosmetic and while it needed to be watched, was not a problem. We have had water in our basement, coming in next to the brickwork around the wood stove, every time it rains. We now wish we had paid to have the chimney inspected separately because our first renovation will be the chimney. The source of the water in the basement is the chimney. Click here to see the rest of the story and the solution we chose. July 2008 It's official and we've moved... right next door to where we will build PlayHaven Green. When you look at the pictures of our building site (click here), notice to the right (east) the house with the green roof that has the red barn with the white roof. That is our new home and our new project. We are lovingly/laughingly referring to it as "PlayHaven East" and the original acreage as "PlayHaven West". You know the old saying: "when God closes a door, she opens a window"? Well, our window opened on the east side of the land when our neighbor decided to retire to a bigger acreage in Kansas and raise more horses. So, this being a buyer's market, we found out what the market was in the area for that "package" and made an offer and after some negotiations - viola! its ours. So we now have double the acreage and a standard construction home to rehab into a net-zero home. We also have a big garage (the red gambrel barn building) that we can store those materials we will accumulate to build the new home on PlayHaven West. It will probably be several years before we can do that, but there is PLENTY to do in the meantime and I'll keep updating our progress here. I'll be adding images of the house and grounds soon so you can see what we've started with. The first step toward net-zero was to get an Energy Audit of the existing home. Hathmore Technologies, LLC provided us with two separate reports that first showed us the problems/issues with the house and second showed the results of the Energy Rating. Click here to go to the Project page (BUILDING SITE) to view those reports. February 2008 Well, they say change is good... but that is sometimes hard to believe. Unfortunately, we are having to change the time frame of construction for the PlayHaven Green Building (new residential construction) project. Because we have not had enough response to getting sponsors and because the systems we want to put in the house are high quality (translation: high dollar), we are not currently able to build the house within the construction loan amount for which we qualify. (Also, we discovered the builder we had chosen was telling us what we wanted to hear... not what we needed to know. He also did not want to provide financial information to the lender and when he was finally forced to... the lender would only work with him in a "contractors checkbook" manner. This means that he would send in the invoices and the lender would write the checks and send them to us for delivery to the sub-contractors. He wouldn't be allowed to handle the money at all. We opted to involve our attorney and end the relationship with that builder.) We also discovered an issue that was quite
unforeseen to us and might be to you... So, we are delaying the construction of the new house construction. In the mean time, we have decided to purchase a house near the project site and make "green" improvements to it. Which changes the PlayHaven Green Building Project to two parts: 1) renovation of an existing residence and 2) construction of a new residence. While we are renovating the existing residence, we will also be gathering the re-used materials for the new construction. We are now pursuing sponsors for both parts of the project. This can be in the form of overstock materials in addition to new materials, monetary donation, etc. Details about Sponsorship are available here. The Projects page will include the information about renovation once we have established that information. Until then, the new construction information will remain in place by itself. January 2008 Nothing much to report this month. So, I'll just give you a bit advice... building green is still building. Therefore, it is essential to do "due diligence" when deciding on the members of your team.
November 2007 CitiMortgage has been looking for green building projects to finance and we are thrilled that they have decided our project is just what they are looking for. We will soon complete the single closing for the Construction Loan and the Mortgage. September 2007 We are currently in the process of getting the financing in order. Have you ever had to jump through hoops? Well, that seems to be the order of the day. August 2007 It's time to get financing. We've approached the company that has the current loan on the land, but they are very conservative and our project is much too unusual for them to consider. So we've been shopping around and have two substantial leads which I will share with pleasure... Charlie Moberly, National City® Mortgage: 847-946-4130 and Keith Winterhalter, Citi Smith Barney: 816-932-7853. Summer 2007 I contacted the zoning commission in the county where we are building to find out what they require regarding permits and if there are restrictions we need to be aware of (on a 10-acre lot zoned agricultural/residential) and found out that they are not yet on the green building bandwagon. So, I've explained about the project and have offered them a full record of our experience so that they can look at adopting a green building program. The county has been seeing an increasing number of people moving into it and residential building is on the rise. Hopefully, they will take the initiative and either adopt a program already in place (the county next door has one) or put one together themselves. Cross your fingers and toes! Background Many years ago, I discovered the USGBC (United States Green Building Council) and its LEED® Program (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). And, although at that time it was only for commercial construction, I decided that it was a good place to start networking. Surely, one of those members would know some residential architect or contractor or builder who would be interested in working with me on my sustainable house project...THEY DID! And so, I was introduced to Ken Riead (of Hathmore Technologies, LLC). Ken is an Energy Rater and had also just finished building his own home (The Replete Residence) to showcase what energy efficiency options were available at that time to any homeowner. Over the years, I have had the great fortune to become friends with Ken and Sharla Riead. Most recently, we co-authored a green building tool: DYO® Kits: Green Building Decision Kit. (DYO® Kits is a division of Hathmore Technologies, LLC.) I am very proud to be associated with such a fine group of people and comprehensive product. Shameless plug intended... in fact, go to the website and buy the thing! (You'll be glad you did!) Hathmore Technologies, LLC has been engaged to be the Energy Rating company for the PHGB Project. Additionally, they will provide consulting on the HVAC and renewable energy systems AND will oversee the LEED® for Homes certification process. Anyone who has built a home will tell you that there are peaks and valleys in the process... from soaring heights of excitement to deep, dark valleys of despair. We had some trouble when it came to architects (this is putting it mildly - set us back two years all told). But we made it out of the valley and ... Ken introduced my husband and I to Roy Brown. Roy had been designing energy efficient, environmentally-friendly homes since the 1970s. Luckily for us, he was up to the task of taking my years of designing and re-designing the house and providing us with an end product that fits us to a "T". The house is designed in the American Bungalow style (at 2500+ square feet, no one would ever confuse this house for an actual bungalow... but after living in a 900 sq.ft. bungalow for 17 years, I am ready for a bit of space!). So, the plans were finally ready to take to a contractor. |
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