Homesteading with a Shipping Container House, Part I - Truth is Treason Posted on Apr 26, 2010 in Alternative Energy & Architecture , Blog, Editorials, & Thoughts Kevin Hayden Years ago, I saw a picture of a shipping container house. Here I am, years later, and I am just now starting my project. I know there are many people out there who will say, “That’s to ensure others against a poorly made structure…” “That’s so that a uniform safety standard is achieved.” So through my searches and aggravation, I finally discovered a small plot of land north east of the Oklahoma City metro. After talking to the land owners (a small, local real estate company), I discovered that they imposed building restrictions, too. After thinking about it from a “typical home” perspective, I interpreted this restriction as meaning the home site should have 4 walls, a roof and painted/finished exterior within 9 months. With this land company, they even offered to finance the cost of a new septic to be installed. I close the land deal in a few days and will post updates along the way.
The Owner Built Home & Homestead Ken Kern, author of The Owner-Built Home and The Owner-Built Homestead, is an amazing fellow and everyone interested in decentralist, back-to-the-land, rational living should know of his work. Back in 1948 he began collecting information on low-cost, simple and natural construction materials and techniques. He combed the world for ideas, tried them and started writing about his experiments. Eventually, Mildred Loomis started publishing Kern's articles in The Interpreter, Way Out and Green Revolution. This installment of Ken's work is taken from The Owner-Built Home. The Homestead Building Site: Introduction to Building I am intending this to be a how-to-think-it as well as a how-to-do-it book. Everyone in the building industry appears to be busily engaged making "improvements" in his personal area of concern. Tracing these causes to their sources has helped me to view the problem in perspective—comprehensively. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Thoreau said:
Homesteading resources Don’t put it off any longer! Here is a list of homesteading schools that can help you learn the skills you need to be self-sufficient. We have the bases covered; below are contacts to assist you in everything from growing your own food to building a cozy home. Plus, use the map at the bottom of the page to locate all the homesteading schools that are in this list, plus other places where you can learn homesteading skills. View Larger Map Aprovecho Education for Sustainable Living 80574 Hazelton Rd. EcoNest 1131 Paradise Lane Ashlad, OR 97520 EcoVillage Training Center 184 Schoolhouse Road P.O. Emerald Earth SanctuaryP.O. Fox Maple School of Traditional Building P.O Box 249, 65 Corn Hill Road Brownfield, Maine 04010 207-935-3720 Great Lakes School of Log Building 1350 Snowshoe Trail Isabella, MN 55607 House Alive! Mendocino Ecological Learning Center 4651 Bear Canyon Road Willits CA, 95490 707-456-0779 Permaculture Institute P.O. Homesteading John C. Brasstown, NC 28902 828-837-2775
MODERN HOMESTEADING A Plan for Food Self-Sufficiency Planning a garden in advance can help you enjoy local, homegrown food year-round! Estimate how much to grow or buy and learn how to achieve food security with these guidelines. Backyard Chicken Facts - 5 Things No One Told Us A few facts that might help you decide whether or not to get chickens for your backyard. Best Guard Dog for Your Homestead Read guard dog training tips and advice on guard dog breeds best suited for your needs. Build This Predator-Proof, Portable Chicken Coop Our newest low-cost portable chicken coop plan makes raising backyard chickens easier for just about anyone. Deep Litter Chicken Manure Management Learn about the advantages and disadvantages of the deep litter system and how you can manage a small flock’s manure easily and efficiently. Home Cheesemaking: From Hobby to Business Artisan cheesemakers who aspire to make their passion a profession will face many challenges on the way to establishing a successful business. Live on Less!
Sustainable Living Skills: Stone Masonry, Log House, Alternative Construction. Build your own home! Building on a Budget "Our house may look expensive, but the reality is that we only have about $10 a square foot into it. The whole house cost about as much as the average new car. Yet I have seen some million dollar homes that looked like junk. Appearance, like energy efficiency, is more a product of design than of cost. "With a combined income averaging $10,000 to $12,000 a year we lived simply and invested everything we could in building materials. --Thomas J. Thomas J. More Stone Masonry Construction Articles and Resources -Stone Masonry: A Brief Overview -Helen and Scott Nearing, Slipforming Pioneers -A reader builds a Slipform Stone Mansion -A reader builds a Stone and Log House in France -A reader builds a Stone House at the Center of the Universe -A reader builds a Slipform Stone House on the Prairie -A reader builds a house of Stone and Straw -A reader builds a Wilderness Cabin of Stone -Tilt-up Stone Masonry -Masonry Stove Overview and Books Tom,