Date Completed: October 23, 2011 This is the finished rain barrel project. They have been up and running for several months and work like a dream. The water comes in from the drain spout and fills up both 55 gallon drums (there is another one daisy-chained to this one to the left). One they fill…

Date: October 23, 2011 The dwarf cherry trees are getting bigger and I planted some black raspberries (also known as “Snap Caps”) in the foreground. Thanks for reading my blog! For the latest projects and updates please subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow along as I set up a sustainable homestead with my tiny…

Date Completed: June 18, 2011 I call this ghetto rain catching… Yes, it is exactly what it looks like. Until my rain barrels are completed this is how I collect rain water for my plants, trees, and garden. These containers catch the water that drips from the awning in my backyard. You’d be surprised how…

June 18, 2011 These are some of our reusable bags. Waste Connections gives them away for free at sustainability fairs. Winco will give you a 6 cent discount for each reusable bag you bring with you. Be sure to tell the cashier how many bags you brought so they credit your discount. Thanks for reading…

Date Completed: June 7, 2011 A food scrap bin next to the sink is a great reminder and convenient way to compost leftovers. This contains banana peels, strawberry leaves, and egg shells that will be thrown in the compost bin. If you empty it every other day into your worm bin you can avoid fruit…

June 7, 2011 All of my green efficiency projects up to this point have been paid for through recycling cans and bottles in Oregon; the wood and soil for my garden, the rain barrels, the trees, everything. While they are only worth 5 cents apiece, it adds up. Ironically I don’t drink beer or use…

Date Completed: May 31, 2011 This is a partial shot of my backyard (another work in progress). The trees are newly planted bare root fruit trees from Wilco. The green stakes are bamboo harvested from my parents’ yard. All three are dwarf, sweet cherry trees. From left to right they are a Bing Cherry, Black…

Date Completed: March 23, 2011 This was a project from Mel Bartholomew’s book “Square Foot Garden.” It is made of 2 1″x6″x8′ cut in half into 4 equal sized boards. The weed matting is stapled to the bottom of the wood. The soil mix is: 1/3 Compost 1/3 Peat Moss 1/3 Vermiculite I planted green…

Date Completed: March 22, 2011 Energy is sucked out of outlets even when products aren’t in use. One way to counter this is by using an energy efficient power strip that prevents power from being used when they are turned off. This can be great for things you don’t want to unplug like the TV…

Date Completed: March 22, 2011 This is my new worm composting bin. It is used to turn food scraps into nutrient-rich soil for gardening. Today is day one. This is a plastic bin with peat moss, compost, newspaper, water, and 1lb of redworms. The worms can be purchased locally from http://www.northwestredworms.comIt is a local business…