United States
Favourited 114 times
Cottage Build November 2020 - March 2021 (winter)
- ROCKET MASS HEATER BUILD: Somehow we survived last winter with only a mediocre heat source. We will rectify this by completing our rocket mass heater. We are 95% complete as of mid-November (enough to heat the house). We hope to finish the remaining 5% over winter.
- COB / EARTHEN PLASTER: We still have interior cobbing/earthen plaster that needs doing. Hopefully we can gather sufficient raw materials for numerous batches and hide them somewhere out of the weather...
- SOLAR ARRAY & BATTERY BACKUP UPGRADE: We have a small solar setup that supplies the bare minimum of power, currently enough for our fridge, some lights, and internet/wi-fi. Too many cloudy days in a row reduces that down to just enough to power the fridge. We like lights and internet, so we'll be upgrading the entire system this winter--more solar panels, more batteries...
- OTHER PROJECTS: We still have numerous other projects around the homestead, including (but not limited to): grey water plumbing, 12v wiring, extending our food forest (clearing forest, planting more trees and berry/nut bushes, general gardening), firewood acquisition, etc.
- OFF-GRID LIVING: Lots of daily chores including hauling water, feeding goats & chickens, firewood, "normal" household chores like cooking & cleaning, etc.
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Our family is constructing our home using natural building methods--timber framing, round wood framing, straw bale in-fill, cob, etc. Our off-grid homestead features sustainable living--solar power, passive solar home, greenhouse, food forest, hugelkulture, composting. Our lifestyle is sustainable by using locally-sourced building materials--trees, rocks, and clay from the build site, locally milled lumber, used windows and doors, used local slate for roofing. We encourage our volunteers to work with us in design and construction methods. We don't know everything, so we listen to the wealth of knowledge others have and implement solutions immediately.
General homestead tasks--daily chores, firewood acquisition, etc., etc.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Beginner
This host offers a language exchange
This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
Please contact them directly for more information.
We have a guest room that sleeps 2. Bedding provided.
We will provide meals. We have a privy as well as some composting toilets. We HAVE Internet now (and Wi-Fi)!! We have electric lights with switches! We have charging stations for devices, and a functioning inverter (so household power is available) too!
Our lifestyle is extremely rugged at the moment. Here are some amenities we are currently living WITHOUT:
-running water
-hot water
As we acquire these things that list above will diminish and eventually we will have all of the amenities one would expect even for an off-grid lifestyle. We are still in THE PROCESS of building our home, so along with the ruggedness of our home it is also a construction zone.
If this isn't your cup of tea, that's totally understandable. Check back in a few months to see where we're at.
We are in the heart of the Green Mountains with the Appalachian Trail and Long Trail only a few minutes away sporting Vermont's second highest Peak--Killington Peak. Our property is 31 acres of heavily forested hills with streams, boulders, and plenty of wildlife. Hiking and exploring are strongly recommended. Skiing, snowboarding & snowshoeing available. There is an abundance of streams, lakes, mountains, and hills nearby. Historic sites. Covered bridges. Farmers markets. Museums.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
We have both wired and wi-fi internet connections available. The guestroom is practically above the router so the connection is solid. The dining room table is rather large, near major light sources including huge windows, and also close to the router, so there's a really nice work space when it's not meal time.
Our wrap-around driveway can fit a number of campers and/or buses, so the more the merrier. It is quiet and near potable water. Some solar access. More solar access can be had with some tree trimming (we want to turn that area into a meadow anyway).
We have a lab mix and a Great Pyrenees mix who are both very friendly. They get along well with most dogs.
Two
A few hours a day, every day
