Non Electric Homestead McMinn County (Norris: to buy, living in, vs)

[jkmewright]

I think the barn idea is great. I had knew some girls who had a barn built that actually housed their horses and such downstairs, like a REAL barn, and lived upstairs. It was a great place. Something I would like, I think lol

Anyway, do a GOOGLE search using "live in a barn" you might find some inspirational stories.

[arblair79]

I noticed on my tv programming guide last night, a show/special called Off the Grid. Its with Les Stroud who does the Survivorman shows. I think it is airing on Discovery Home channel. Maybe you can get some ideas from it.

[Forest Breath]

We have started the ball rolling on our non electric homestead. I have arranged for someone to come over and level the area and start digging. I also made arrangements for his to dig the outhouse, root cellar and level the area for the outdoor kitchen as well. THEN....he has offered for free to plow up the field so I can go ahead and get corn planted and even a few things in the garden. I can move my strawberry bed soon and the rhubarb. I have someone coming next week to move my bee hives as well. We will start moving plants and our out buildings over this coming week.

We will have a 1000 gallon rain barrel at the home and 500 gallon at the barn with a gutter from the slanted roof to collect the rain water.

We are also putting up a Spring House this month as well at the underground Spring.

I am excited and am glad things are finally progressing and I don't have to deal with permits and hand everyone money for pieces of paper right now.

[bbkaren]

Wow, that's great! Keep us posted, please!

[rlrm777]

Originally Posted by bbkaren

Wow, that's great! Keep us posted, please!

By all means!

And you might consider some posts or even a new thread with some 'how-to's' for us city slickers.

[Beretta]

I came across this book and thought it was neat and could possibly be useful to those wanting to live the Country Life:

The Encyclopedia of Country Living ... - Google Book Search

[yarddawg]

Outhouses are legal in Tennessee if they are not prohibited by local codes. You are not required by the state to have a septic provided you have no running water in the house. Septics can usually be designed to be easily expandable from an original one bedroom system to three or more. This would require installing a tank large enough to support the larger system and siting the fieldline such that there is a convenient end to tie on and sufficient suitable land downgrade for the fieldline addition. Discuss it with the nice environmentalist from the state who writes your permit and they'll help you out.

I do not recommend trying to install it yourself unless you have done this type of work before or have access to someone who has. It's not rocket science but it is possible to screw up beyond being able to fix without completely starting over. And it is very physical work. If you absolutely must try it I recommend a large diameter gravelless pipe system if your soil conditions will support a permit for one. The materials are a little more expensive but it's easier to fix if you get off grade, there's less excavation and you don't have to shift over ten tons of 2" gravel. You can't install septic fieldline with a ditch witch, doesn't cut a wide enough trench. Standard gravel ditch fieldline is 3' wide. Gravelless system usually 2'. Requires a backhoe.

The way I've always seen the electric rules interpreted in my area is that if it's got a permanent foundation it's a permanent structure. Size not an issue. I've known of people living in cabins smaller than you're planning. The mobile/permanent distinction is to protect the electric utility so that they don't invest all the money in running the wires just to watch you get your trailer repo'd in a couple-three months and the land left vacant.

[Eat]

You may be able to have Internet out there. As long as you are close enough to a cell tower, you should be able to get wireless Internet service from one of the cell phone companies. You may not be able to get broadband, but something is better than nothing. Typically, you would get a special wireless card from the cell phone company. They are designed to plug into laptops, since the big market for this service is the road warrior. It is possible to do a home network with this kind of wireless access by buying a special router with a cardbus slot for the wireless card, but that is probably way more complicated than you would want in your situation.

A laptop can be charged from a 12 volt battery using a small inverter. The battery itself can be charged by a solar panel or a wind generator. I recommend the solar panel. A pair of 6 volt golf cart batteries wired in series make a relatively inexpensive 12 volt deep cycle battery bank.

[Pam& Bill]

I have a few sincere questions to ask and I hope in doing so I do not offend you, I mean no offense.
What are 2 year long branches?
I understand not wanting to fork over unnecessary money for bills and living off the land.
But I myself can not understand anyone giving up modern conviences. I don't even go camping in a tent, because I want showers and comfortable beds. How are you mentally preparing yourself to go off the grid and give up everything we take for granted? Will you shop at a grocery store? I'm just having a hard time imagining living every day doing things the "hard" way and each day be like living in a tent camping.
Would you be kind enough to tell me your reasons for doing this? I just keep wondering for myself what the pay off would be?
Pam

[creeksitter]

I think year round branches are creeks.

Even though I'd nver do this in reality, it's snuck into a daydream or 2. But then I like to camp, at least for a day or two if it's not raining.

I'm pulling up a chair so I can have a front row seat as the saga unfolds. That's me sitting over there by the creek.