Update: I built the barn W/ icehouse, wellhouse + loghouse + 190 pics of gardens etc SEE NEW PICS OF WORK DONE = seeking partner my farm + Central Pa. 50 miles N of Harrisburg, Pa. at the base of a 2000 ft Appalachian mountain. The farm is surrounded by larger farms yet located in a wooded section. I have trout streams running through 3 acres of my 6 acres. I have a creek running along my garden + house + a yr round hand dug well + a spring in basement of my home. I have found the Amish / Mennonite farming region of central pa to be one of the last best clean places where the weather is seasonal + land, water is clean (4 counties south of any Marseilles shale drilling). It has 4 bedrooms upstairs + legal outhouse outside. I just build wellhouse. I am almost OFF-GRID with only 14.00 a month in electric bills. I built a root cellar in the basement. I want to build an icehouse someday. I would like platonic people who want to do positive work + make this farm self sufficient. I dislike cigarettes + lazy people. If your a simple country person we will get along well. I am easy going. My pictures + blog explains enough for a person to make a comfortable decision before coming here. We are a rustic household still using outhouses + chamber pots ... no stress here as i have no schedual i just try to get as much done as i can :).. I plan to build the bathroom next spring / summer Email Address:
CentralPaFarm AT aol DOT com Web Address: http://directory.ic.org/22661/Central_Pa_Mountain_farm___for_Hip_open_minded_people
Dealing with humanure = pee and poo
I think if you can poo in a bucket and deal with that you are on your way to living off grid. My poo buckets which are two months old are filled with bugs eating away at it and it like 50% lighter. Bugs can really compost human manure real fast in an enclosed bucket. In the winter time i burn mine in the woodstove. I use newspaper to poo on in my portapotty and then toss it right into the fire. My portapotty is just a small camper toilet with a elder chair riser with handles. The riser lets me clean it and the portapotty lets me line it with a plastic bag with some holes punched thru for the pee to go into. I then use the pee with woodash and sawdust or woodscraps to compost my food scraps to be used for later to fertilize around fruit trees. I guess one doesn't have to add the food scraps but i do since it sometimes has bones etc etc. The urine is a great nitrogen and the decomposting wood and ash with it makes for a great total fertilizer.
Yes dealing with this basic human element is the best way to start to learn to live off grid because if your putting in a expensive septic system well your taxes will go up and if you even have a composting toilet and bathroom your taxes will go up but if your living in a no indoor plumbing building your taxes will stay low. Then you want to be sure you are dealing with this element properly. Master your poo and pee and you have taken the first step to going off grid.
PS: Many think they can just bury it but if your in a region with lots of rain it can and will get into your well and water systems "over time" Especially if you have a few people there.
Hey any college students want to help with restoration of an old log house and a 6 acre old farm that hasn't been used in over 50 yrs. This vietnam era veteran surely would love some help. Maybe your local to central Pa and can volunteer part time that would work best since i still only have an outhouse and no running water except outside by the old well house. Ok gotta go check out my site and read my blog and see my progress. I am not waiting for anyone.
Update: I built the barn W/ icehouse, wellhouse + loghouse + 190 pics of gardens etc SEE NEW PICS OF WORK DONE = seeking partner my farm + Central Pa. 50 miles N of Harrisburg, Pa. at the base of a 2000 ft Appalachian mountain. The farm is surrounded by larger farms yet located in a wooded section. I have trout streams running through 3 acres of my 6 acres. I have a creek running along my garden + house + a yr round hand dug well + a spring in basement of my home. I have found the Amish / Mennonite farming region of central pa to be one of the last best clean places where the weather is seasonal + land, water is clean (4 counties south of any Marseilles shale drilling). It has 4 bedrooms upstairs + legal outhouse outside. I just build wellhouse. I am almost OFF-GRID with only 14.00 a month in electric bills. I built a root cellar in the basement. I want to build an icehouse someday. I would like platonic people who want to do positive work + make this farm self sufficient. I dislike cigarettes + lazy people. If your a simple country person we will get along well. I am easy going. My pictures + blog explains enough for a person to make a comfortable decision before coming here. We are a rustic household still using outhouses + chamber pots ... no stress here as i have no schedual i just try to get as much done as i can :).. I plan to build the bathroom next spring / summer Email Address: CentralPaFarm AT aol DOT com Web Address: http://directory.ic.org/22661/Central_Pa_Mountain_farm___for_Hip_open_minded_people
Dealing with humanure = pee and poo I think if you can poo in a bucket and deal with that you are on your way to living off grid. My poo buckets which are two months old are filled with bugs eating away at it and it like 50% lighter. Bugs can really compost human manure real fast in an enclosed bucket. In the winter time i burn mine in the woodstove. I use newspaper to poo on in my portapotty and then toss it right into the fire. My portapotty is just a small camper toilet with a elder chair riser with handles. The riser lets me clean it and the portapotty lets me line it with a plastic bag with some holes punched thru for the pee to go into. I then use the pee with woodash and sawdust or woodscraps to compost my food scraps to be used for later to fertilize around fruit trees. I guess one doesn't have to add the food scraps but i do since it sometimes has bones etc etc. The urine is a great nitrogen and the decomposting wood and ash with it makes for a great total fertilizer. Yes dealing with this basic human element is the best way to start to learn to live off grid because if your putting in a expensive septic system well your taxes will go up and if you even have a composting toilet and bathroom your taxes will go up but if your living in a no indoor plumbing building your taxes will stay low. Then you want to be sure you are dealing with this element properly. Master your poo and pee and you have taken the first step to going off grid. PS: Many think they can just bury it but if your in a region with lots of rain it can and will get into your well and water systems "over time" Especially if you have a few people there.
http://directory.ic.org/22661/Central_Pa_Mountain_farm
Hey any college students want to help with restoration of an old log house and a 6 acre old farm that hasn't been used in over 50 yrs. This vietnam era veteran surely would love some help. Maybe your local to central Pa and can volunteer part time that would work best since i still only have an outhouse and no running water except outside by the old well house. Ok gotta go check out my site and read my blog and see my progress. I am not waiting for anyone.