Lighting your darkness is not a new idea.

 In the days of the old British Navy multi decked battleships, the light only grows darker and staler with every downward flight of stairs. Fear from fire was of great concern for all on board. Candles and oil lamps used with the utmost respect. To help reduce the amount of oil used during the day light hours a new passive device was commissioned and installed on the top deck boards that redirected daytime light downward. This new device helped shave needed seconds from gun drills. Instead of “feeling” your way through the gun drill you now could perform with proficiency and accuracy. These deck lights were made from green glass. The top is octagon shaped with a lip to sit flush with the deck, the bottom is pyramid shape with the reverse effect of a funnel, throwing light downward in all directions.

Here is a reproduction of the deck light.

Christmas Lights Off Grid Style & a Christmas Farm Tour…


This year I scored on Christmas lights! I had a coupon for some cheap battery operated lights for the tree 3.99 with coupon. Online they’re pretty expensive, so off I went to a local store to get my lights. Alas, to my dismay they were sold out!! Last year our tree was a bit pathetic, we only had two small battery operated strands that sucked the life out of batteries. So my goal was to have a pretty lit tree this year for the children. Sooo… you can feel my disappointment. The story doesn’t end here, I asked the manager for a rain check. We got to talking, and she showed me some really cool Ultra LED lights that last over 150 hours per battery life. I was sold, but it gets even better! The lights cost 9.99 a box, and she gave me the 3.99 sale (the price that was for the cheap lights). I bought five boxes, and the tree looks wonderful this year.

 It was a real blessing; I’m kind of fond of Christmas lights. I love my lamps, and candles… but at Christmas I like my colored sparkling lights.

And now for the Christmas tour…

 Merry Christmas from Forgotten Way Farms. Enjoy the season!

When we started homesteading on bare land, I needed an inexpensive shelter to call home while I worked on our stick-framed house.

I looked on craigslist and found a complete Costco carport frame; this one became our storage tent. I soon found two more tents that were badly wind damaged, and combined all the useable parts, and come up with a metal frame measuring 10’x14’. Without a doubt, 140 sq. ft. makes for cozy living for a family of seven.

I called the local lumberyard and had all the material delivered that was needed to convert a carport frame into a bunkhouse.

Starting from the ground up I used:

Deck blocks to raise floor framing off the ground

       2x6 for floor framing

       ¾” T&G OSB for the floor

       Galvanized metal sheets for the walls and roof

       2x4’s for the front wall

       ½” OSB sheets for front wall

       Roll of 30 Lbs. felt to cover OSB on the front

       Couple of bundles of cedar under course shake

       A reclaimed wood door

       A free 4x4 vinyl window

       Couple cans of expanding foam

The materials in this list cost around $600, but if you were able to even salvage the metal, you could almost cut the cost by third.

As the nights started to dip below freezing, the blankets got deeper. A wood stove was the true solution, so for  $75 I installed this little treasure.

Fitting seven people into 140 sq ft. was challenging, I quickly built a bunk bed with the lumber that was just lying around. Then my wife suggested building a sleeping loft that would fit three of the children. When all these building projects where finished, all that was left for me to do was to get up and stoke the little firebox every 3-4 hrs. through the cold nights.

Those 6 months of camping prepared me to start thinking in a whole new way. My mind began detoxing from the “every thing must be perfect” attitude, I believe that this is one of the greatest hindrances that I have encountered. - Daniel

I was at a yard sale recently, and got talking to a brick mason about building a root cellar. He suggested that I use what is called # 2 8x8x16 pumus block vs. concrete blocks because of the cost and weight difference.  After picking his brain about other projects, the conservation soon turned to off grid living, solar panels, off grid refrigeration, and off grid water pumping. He than asked me if I had ever seen water pumped out of a well with compressed air?   I told him, I had never heard of such a thing, and wanted to know if this was the way he was pumping water?  Had he seen this enigma at work? He then informed me that the Amish have been using compressed air to pump water for years “but have you seen it”, I protested.  With a reassuring smile he told me that the water comes out of the hose in surges, and not in a steady stream, but the flow of water is amazing. Knowing my next question, he said that the Amish, store the compressed air in an old 500 gal. propane tank. How does the tank stays full, I haven’t figured that out yet.

 I think if you can figure out how to pump water with compressed air, keeping air in the propane tank probably won’t be too hard.

I found the pump it’s called a “Brumby” from Australia. This is a utube on the pump being lowered, hooked up, pumping water, and a water storage system that would best work with this pump. I think with some small changes it could be made to run off-the-grid. - Daniel @ Forgotten Way

Don't forget to Dosado at the Homestead Barn Hop!

A little bird told me about a car that can run on only compressed air.  The thought is almost heart warming, when I hear things like this. I like to check them out and, this is what I found. - Daniel

If solar or propane is out of your budget, seriously look into building a root cellar. The only moving parts are the door hinges. My parents just built one last summer and have now gone through an Idaho winter, with inside temps. hovering at 38 degrees while outside were 18 below zero. We met an off-grid family who lives near the Canadian border who built their root cellar by stripping down and burying an Astro van. They reinforced the van's ceiling with some heavy beams, and are very proud of their “Astro Cellar”. 

Here is a man after my own heart. He uses feed sacks filled with dirt, barbed wire, and a pre – hung door, to build a bee hive shaped cellar to age farm made cheese. click here.

I am thinking of using this idea, using ferro cement reinforced with chicken wire and a double door entry. – Daniel, Forgotten Way

Living off-grid allows for inventive solutions. With a family of seven, food is the largest concern of everyone, right down to our 5 year old. This brings us face to face with how to keep food cold. When we sold our RV to start the building of our house, we built an outdoor kitchen. It consisted of a garage sale buffet, a kitchen cabinet with a single sink, and a four-burner cook top. I buried our Costco cooler all but 2” in. from the lid, then finished the job with an old heavy blanket on top. Four blocks of ice would last about four days. With food safety in mind, we had a thermostat telling us when to add more ice. Five months later we found an old and tired propane fridge. It never seemed to get below 50 degrees, so we got rid of the unit, and returned to our cooler in the ground. Soon there after, we found the propane fridge we have now. While still feeling the sting of the last propane fridge, I took this one to a man who rebuilds and recharges the cooling units. We all had wide smiles when he told us all it needed was a good cleaning. Although our fridge is 20 years old, it’s built like a tank, unlike the newer units of today.

Off-Grid solutions for refrigeration

Gas/ Propane -These fridges work by removing heat so fast from the inside box, cold is all that remains. You get all this with no moving parts.

Solar Powered - Battery free refrigerators such as the SunDanzer DDR165 Battery-Free DC can be hooked right into the solar panels.

 Prototypes – The prototype zero-emission fridge doesn’t need gas, propane or kerosene, and is powered by regular fire. ecogeek.

Ice Houses – This is another alternative refrigeration source.  For more information on this refrigeration source, click here.

Evaporative Cooler- I wish I had known about this little gem when we were camping. Air is cooled as it passes through damp gunnysacks draped over all four sides of a wire cabinet. The sacks are constantly wicking water from a bowl placed on top of the cabinet.

The best picture of this is in Maryjane's Idea Book, page 295. Here’s how to build one: build a box 16” by 30” inches and 12” deep with a shelf and a screened door and sides. Fill a pan with water and wet down the four gunnysacks. Cover the four sides of the cooler with the sacks keeping the dishpan full of water at all times. The sacks will wick water down the sides of the E-vap Fridge, and can keep things like cheese, vegetables, and eggs for a few days. Sometimes, if this is all you have, it can be all you really need. - Daniel, Forgotten Way

Lighting on a non-electric homestead can take many forms. For us, it has been guided by two main factors: 


It must be a safe
 
The cost of operation must stay within budget
  
    The lighting issue was most felt during the winter months, as was the cost of operation. Now this being our second winter without electricity, we now know what to expect as our cost changes from summer to winter months. 
  Our first attempt at lighting was when we moved from the RV into our 10’x14’ cabin. This was comfortably lit by one propane coleman lantern. We now use three coleman lanterns in our unfinished house, and they have worked very well. We use two of the three every night, and light the third for company.

   It’s been working out about every four-six weeks that one of these lanterns either needs the glass clean or mantles replaced. The key to making the propane lanterns efficient is a $25.00 brass fitting that screws into a 4 lb. tank and allows you to fill the 1 lb. bottles used in the lanterns. We have slowly purchased 10 1 lb. bottles just for this purpose.


   In refilling the 1 lb. bottles I have found that if the 4 lb. tank is left at room temp.  and the 1 lb. bottles are brought to a lower temp., they fill much easier. Simply place the 1 lb. bottles in the coolest part of the house or place them outside early in the morning. When the 1 lb. is screwed into the 4 lb. tank, turn the tank upside down and turn the valve on. You will hear the propane rushing into the empty bottle. When the filling sound has stopped, turn off the valve on the 4 lb. tank, and turn upright. Unscrew the 1 lb. bottle, there will always be a little discharge of propane because there is propane stuck between the shut off valve and the 1 lb. bottle. This may be alarming at first, but it will happen every time. So it would be best to refill outside, and of course always crack a window when using a propane lantern. 
   
    We have learned to off set even our propane lighting with oil lamps, candles, and flashlights. 


   It seems to me that since we started living off the grid our family has grown much closer together. When the lights at our house turn on, life slows down for a restful end to the  long day.- Daniel

Living Off Grid At Forgotten Way Farms

As you all know we live off-grid, to many people that means all sorts of things. It can range from a fancy $20k solar system to candles and a wood cook stove. We are kinda in the middle, leaning more towards candles and a wood cook stove. 

We use propane for cooking, hot water, and running our fridge. We have had to live a long time without the convinces of propane. My ideal, is to have a wood cook stove. In fact it’s number 1 on my list.

We heat with wood. Light our home with candles and oil lamps. We have a generator for running tools and charging our water pressure system from the well. 

This is a list of the raw basics I think every homestead should start out with or grow into. I know you can have solar systems, nice generators, propane appliances, but after living without these things, I find that my heart leans towards a simpler and sometimes slower way of life. I also wanted people to know they can homestead with out a lot of money.

Basics in starting a Homestead:
Water- Cool clean water. A very important function on the homestead. A hand pump or a spring fed gravity water supply, is what I would consider ideal on a homestead. 
We currently charge our water pressure system 1-2 times a day, taking a total of 10 mins. a day ( a little more during the summer months), but I still would like a Bison Hand Pump. Water is so important when you are looking to buy your homestead property. Look for a well, spring, or year round creek.

Cooking- Well I’ve cooked over a campfire. It’s fun, but not ideal for long term cooking. We have a propane stove and oven. I think it works well, but a wood cookstove is a sign of freedom to me. I’ve wanted one since I was a teenager. My Grandmother cooked on one, and my friend cooks on hers full time. I love the thought of cooking for my family on one.

I’ve always wanted to help my husband build a outdoor bread oven, and I even have a neat book on it !  Maybe this summer.

Shelter- Look for a simple home that will fit your families NEEDS and budget here are some ideas: RV, single wide trailer, ( you can make this cute) cabin, yurt, or a micro cabin. It just needs to be warm, cozy and keeps the weather out.

Outhouse- Everybody ought to have one. There are composting toilets, camper toilets and a septic they all do the job. Don’t forget granny’s old chamber pot.

 Laundry- I think the biggest challenge is, just to not have a million clothes. Oh my, when we lived in town we had so many clothes. Less is best. I have found out in the process of homesteading there are so many ways to do laundry. Its not hard, just work. Boiling clothes is not my cup of tea, using a rapid washer in 5 gallon buckets, James Wringer Washer or wash board are all good ways to wash on the homestead. I want to show you in a coming blog with pics, how easy it really is! Drying on a rack or clothes line is the only way
 to go.

Lighting- My husband is going to do a post on this subject this week so I won’t say anything.

Root Cellar- I think every one should try to build one of these. My parents just put one in last summer and it keeps as cool as a fridge. We are planning to build ours this summer. When we camped for 6 months we put a cooler in the ground with ice in it, and it kept our food cold. Our favorite book on the subject is, 

Root Cellaring by Mike and Nancy Bubel

 I really believe if you build one well, you could replace your fridge. 

 Little Luxuries, what luxury? Well let me explain. Some good cuppa, coffee, good books, chocolate, good smelling soap or a lovely candle, can go a long way to encourage you heart, mind, and taste buds on a weary day. My mama always told me that a few little luxuries, help you not to go out and spend money. Sometimes if you tighten your belt so tight, you can feel a little deprived. It’s all in your head, but it works. On a cold night a good candle and a good book warms the heart. When I need a break, just a nice cuppa or coffee is a wonderful break. Its so the small things.

These are what I would call homestead basics. Some of you might think this to hard a lifestyle, but truly its not. At first its a novelty, then slightly inconvenient, and finally it becomes a way of life.