Finally I'm Back :)

After a very long absence, I am finally back :) So much has gone on in my life since my last post.....mostly hard times, but i's okay now, and things are looking up :) We don't have an eco-village yet, but our dream is very much alive. I gave up on getting a submission in to the Pepsi Grant program, anyway, nothing that comes easy is really as appreciated as something you gotta work hard for ;) So as it stands, the hubby just got a good job....best one he's had in the past 12 years. It's not a high paying job, but it's enough and it's dependable and secure with benefits and that means a lot to us. I babysit and I also run two online shops (shameless plug here, guys)

I sell vintage items: http://www.etsy.com/shop/butterflyemoon

.....and I make jewelry and such: http://www.etsy.com/shop/circleinthewood

but anyway.....my point is that we will most likely try to find a place close to his job for now...work on it over the next 5 years ie install solar, plant orchards, make improvements and additions to increase it'e resale value. While we do this, we'd like to be paying on a larger piece of land where we would eventually settle down.

In the meantime, we'll just keep plugging along towards our goals. I've been working on some models in google sketchup and hopefully I can figure out how to post them on here soon. For now, I'll just post about what's going on at the moment and we'll see how it unfolds....

It's a beautiful day outside today, so I think it will be a good day to work in the yard :D

Bummed but not Deterred

Man, I am so seriously bummed...I missed the first 1,000 submissions for the pepsi grant so I have to wait until September 1 to apply....but...I won't let it get me too down. I guess I'll just take the next month to work on my non-profit paperwork. I plan on doing what I need to to make this dream a reality. I have it visualized so clearly, there's no way it can't happen :)

I have a lot of thinking and planning and research and writing to get to so....guess I better get busy!

Gardening on the Cheap

I was reading an issue of Organic Gardening the other day, and I came across an article about a couple who set out to see what the could get out of their garden spending only $75.oo. The results were astonishing. For a few cents under budget they produced 796 pounds of food! With a little money and a lot of creative thinking, this couple had a wonderful garden that didn't break that bank and made several friends along the way. Here are some of the tips they shared:

* Check online. Try freecycle.org for local freebies in your area, craigslist under free barter, and farm-garden categories and go to organicgardening.com's seed exchange forum for trading seeds.

* Barter and Trade with friends. Exchange your help and services for help with projects wich require an extra hand or a truck, for example.

*Use what is available on your property. Tree trunks can be used to make raised beds and brush and branches can become plant supports and trellises. Bamboo is also good for this.

*The grocery store is a great source for cardboard( mulch your walkways) and small containers( seed starters)

*Share the cost of expensive tools or equipment and share with your neighbors. You can also go in on seed orders and split it.

*Offer your skills or labor to a local farmer or CSA in exchange for seedlings or produce.

* Organize a seed swap with your local gardening club or exchange seedlings, cuttings and bulbs.

* Pay it forward and donate any extras you may have to local schools or community gardens.

It's activities like these that build strong communities and friendships. It's also important to involve our children, schools and youth organizations in these activities as well.

Got My Submission Video Ready for the Pepsi Refresh Everything Grant Program

I got my submission video ready and uploaded to you-tube. Next month I am going to apply for the grant, so I will update when the voting starts. I am so excited about the opportunity to make my lifelong dream a reality on a bugger level than I ever imagined. I look forward to meeting new people, forming friendships, educating our youth , learning, getting my hands into the Earth....so many things! I have a couple of folks interested in being a part of this, both of which have excellent skill-sets to add to the community:) I hope that I can rally a tremendous amount of support to make this into a reality. Thank you in advance from the bottom of my heart for supporting me. Voting will be every day for two weeks....each person can vote up to ten times per day. There are lots of great project ideas up for voting. Please circulate the video after you check it out and get everyone on board! Everyone have a fantastic day!

here's the link to my video: copy&paste

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiqd5qo6xW4

Common House and Community Area Plans

I've been playing with a plan for the common house and community area. Surely the layout of the land will change this slightly, but as a general idea, open for interpretation, this is what I would like to work on for the first year. The second year will begin work on individual homes.

To start, we will build the common house, so that we will have a warm shelter for winter. How the rest comes to shape, , we'll figure out along the way together.

The common house will feature a large pantry, a sleeping loft, 1 & 1/2 bathrooms with composting toilets. The kitchen will open up to the living/dining area . The common house will have many uses for the community...temporary shelter, a gathering place for celebration, a place to preserve and store our harvest...we can even rent it out for wedding parties and such for extra income after our homes are built:)

There will be an outdoor kitchen, a pool, a play area for the kiddies, a fire circle, raised bed garden with a cob garden shed and three section compost bin. The chicken yard and hen house will back up to the barn which will house rabbits for meat, fertilizer and fur and goats for fertilizer, milk and angora mohair. We will also have a large workshop to house equipment and building materials.....and a country store to sell preserves,plants, produce,crafts,etc......

Soooo....what do you think?

Butterflye

Moving my Blog

Hello everyone!
i am moving my blog, because the site I was using was not user friendly and I just couldn't figure it out....so I am Butterflye and my dream is to build an eco-village in Tennessee made of cob houses that is self-sustaining with a self economy. I am looking for like minded people so share in this experience. There is me, My husband, our children 4 and 9....possibly a few friends and family.

I am applying for a grant to build the eco-village . I will know in three months if I get it and will have to be ready to go with it 3-4 months from now. I am especially interested in meeting people who have certain skills, such as....organic gardening and permaculture, raising livestock, mechanics, green building, plumbing and electrical, herbal and alternative medicine, accounting, web design and administration, home schooling....but essentiaally anyone who has the heart and the motivation to make it happen. The first 5 households will recieve a one acre lot at no cost, with access to all property and community areas. The main concerns for anyone considering this will be the cost of materials to build a cob home for yourself and family if you have one. This cost will be minimal($5,000-$15,000 will build a very nice cob home with off grid power). We will all work collectively to build one another's homes(free labor!) The grant money will build a common house for the entire community to use as well as an outdoor kitchen, playground, garden, barn for livestock, etc.
We will welcome people with families as well as single individuals and couples. We hope to build a diverse community that will share a love for the earth, strive for self-sufficiency and self economy while living in love, coexistence and peace with one another. If this sounds like something you would consider, I would love to hear from you.
butterflye78@yahoo.com
brightest blessings!
Butterflye