First of all, I have to clarify – Bre and I are vegetarians, so even though she saved the day I had to make the post title a meatless vegetarian option. Clear? Sunday was the nicest day we’ve had in quite some time. In fact, temperatures reached above 50 degrees which is rare for our area this time of year. We both had the day off, so we thought we’d take the puppies out to the land for a nice hike to investigate the current status of the snowpack on our building site. We had been out to the land just a few days prior and were able to drive all the way back to our building site, so we figured that since some of the snow had undoubtedly melted given the temperatures we would have no issues driving back now. We were wrong. Very wrong.
It’s incredibly easy to get lost in the sheer magnitude of what we’re about to undertake. Every single step we inch towards our goal feels monumental. Perhaps that can be attributed to too much time spent planning and not enough time spent doing, but that time will come soon. It’s important to remember that progress can be measured in baby steps. Yesterday we received confirmation that a rather significant baby step had been completed which will, in turn, trigger several more baby steps. We received confirmation that our septic permit had been approved. (more…)
We’ve already taken a look at some of the beginning planning stages of starting a homestead. If you haven’t already, read my two part series on planning here and here. Aside from getting out of your current debt and saving to purchase land, there is a lot of planning involved in the beginning stages. Now, lets assume that you’ve already purchased your land, so let’s talk about how to get your homestead started.
Spring is almost upon us! We’re anxiously awaiting the snow to melt in our area is that is a definite sign that our building season is near. Where we are in northern Minnesota typically gets at least one more snowstorm in March so we can’t get too excited yet, but we’re getting close. Once the snow is gone we still have to wait for the road restrictions to be lifted before we can get heavy machinery out to our property. In our case, that means the cement truck for the slab, and the flatbed to deliver our materials. Hopefully, we can start pouring the slab in early June.
14×36 Timber Frame Greenhouse
A huge priority for us regarding the homestead is beginning crops as soon as possible so that we can start to sustain our family. Living in northern Minnesota has its drawbacks – mainly the shortened growing season. We’ve always wanted a greenhouse to prolong our growing season and perhaps allow us the opportunity to grow some crops that we otherwise wouldn’t be able to. This greenhouse I designed as a step up from the firewood shed. It measures 14×36 on a slab. We figured that we would have some raised beds inside and the slab would help to radiate the sun’s heat to maintain the temperature. The rafters are spaced 2′ on center as it is sometimes easy to find cheap glass in that width. However, the rafters can be spaced to pretty much whatever dimensions you require. The posts and beams are a bit overkill to compensate for the lack of structural roof support. Because of the larger timbers, this project is a step up from the firewood shed. If you’re looking to build a greenhouse, I hope you’ll consider supporting us by purchasing these plans. Plans come with elevation drawings and a materials list.
*Update: I have decided to discontinue sales of our plans. I hope to relist them in the future when the time is appropriate.
6×16 Timber Frame Firewood shed
I designed this shed as an easy introduction to working on timber frame structures. The municipality that I live in allows structures up to 100 square feet without a building permit. This shed measures 6’3.5″x16′ and is meant for storing firewood. The skids on the bottom are due to the fact that once built, I will have to move it in the future. It is constructed with mortise and tenon joinery. Due to the small spans, smaller lumber is used than a normal timber frame. With that in mind, it is an excellent chance to learn valuable timber framing skills.
*Update: I have decided to discontinue sales of our plans. I hope to relist them in the future when the time is appropriate.