Thank you for subscribing and following along on our Domesteading journey. If you are new here, these two posts should get you caught up.
Appropriate Technology
As a SolarPunk Architect, I am feeling out the lines of “appropriate technology.”
I have an aversion to large machinery — loud, consuming, detaching us from nature.
I also have an aversion to typical concrete — not great for our environment, and does not blend back into nature at the end of its life.
And so, for the foundation of our first Dome, we are using Earth Screws. Like normal screws — but bigger. They are easily reused or recycled. They secure the dome frame to the earth. We have had a bit of practice with these building our rainwater collection tank, as well as a “ninja gym” for my son.
At first, I was hoping I could just put the earth screws right into the soil and build up.
That might be okay for a glamping setup. But we are building a home that needs to last generations and hold up in every season of the Ozarks. I am also incorporating Earth Tubes into the design to help keep the dome cool in the summer. So, we must dig.
Getting Dirty
We started with simple hand tools — shovels, a rock-breaker, a pick-axe, and gloves.
The soil here is so rocky, this turns out to be quite exhausting with very little progress. So I stalled after we made a trench to mark the perimeter.
We really want to get things moving and have the dome up this year, so I loosened my convictions and started moving up the technology chain.
First, we tried Papa’s tractor with a tiller and bucket. It definitely moved things around faster than we could by hand, but it met its match after the top layer of soil.
So, I reluctantly rented a skid steer to get the job done (~$400 for a weekend). I must admit, that thing was fun to drive, and made very quick and clean work of digging out the dome’s footprint.
Was it loud? Did it use gasoline? Was it more disruptive to the ecosystem than doing it by hand? Did it go faster? Did it save our bodies from potential injuries? Yes to all.
But was it “appropriate tech?” Honestly, I still don’t know. I do know that the new Freddy’s (fast food hamburgers and ice cream) going in nearby used all sorts of big machinery and extractive tools and materials to get built in a matter of months. It is just going to poison and extort the people, promote the abuse of animals, and channel money to the wealthy. At least what we are building is going to contribute to the healing and regeneration of all life around us. Do the ends justify the means? If we move slower, is C@pItali$m going to win? These are the questions that keep me up at night. Maybe I will be graced with an answer some day.
Next Steps
I saved up and bought all the materials we need for the Earth Tubes. I went with 6-inch HDPE tubing and fittings. I was hoping to have the funds for base-rock and a compactor, but vehicle repairs have delayed us. So we have been siphoning the pit every time it rains, grinding on to the next paycheck and trusting God’s timing.
Masonry Heater Workshop
Ozark Mountain Jewel, a BioRegional Learning Center in the mid-eastern Ozarks, is hosting a workshop for masonry heaters, led by Jim Schalles from Tallgrass Hearth and Home. We have been to Ozark Mountain Jewel once before, to help build up the earthen exterior of their big strawbale building. It was a great time of learning, community, and nature connection.
This workshop looks like great timing. Once our foundation is set and our frame is up, we will be needing to build our heater and earthen floor before winter. So we are hoping to attend and get the experience and connections we need!
I don’t know where the finances will come from yet, but we are trusting God to provide if this is the right opportunity. If we can attend, we will be documenting and sharing what we can here on the blog.
If you would like to see our SolarPunk dreams come to life (OpenSource for all!), and want to contribute to our attendance and documentation of the heater workshop, you are welcome to subscribe here on substack, or contribute to our GoFundMe.
Gratitude
Thank you to Valarie Liveoak, our latest paid subscriber!
I am so thankful that our SolarPunk Experiments resonate with you enough to receive your support. Your contribution helped us pay off the NoFence Equipment for our goats and agroforestry experimentation.
In service to God and all of Creation!