7's Blog (8)

I haven't posted in several days because I've been busy. I got the drafting software working last week and have been alternating between the tutorials and help screens, and some plan drawings I've started working on. I have a very draft version of the site plan done and a JPEG of it posted on the photos page. This plan is in the very early stages and will change a lot over the next few weeks. The house and garden footprint are on the plan roughly where they'll end up on the site, but their direc… Continue

I finally got the drafting software installed. I have a few tutorials to get through the next couple days before I start the drawings, but I hope to have drafts of the site plan and floor plan started by week's end. Also, I downloaded and printed plans for building several types of compost bins here. http://www4.uwm.edu//shwec/publications/cabinet/html/compost/Bin%20Plans.htm You'll see links to plans for seven types of bins. The plans are complete with directions, materials lists, required t… Continue

The weather here is spring-like with warm temperatures and a strong south wind the last few days. The soil dried out enough to collect samples so that’s what I did today. We decided to sample only two areas this year. They’ll be the areas we work on first and manage most intensively. I divided a roughly one acre area into two rectangular collection zones, north and south. I collected about fifteen core samples with the auger in each zone, first the north, then the south, for a total of two compl… Continue

Yesterday Eli and I placed some of the major features of our farm on a rough sketch, (photo posted). We paced from known points and located things like power poles, large trees, major breaks in slope, etc.. The CADD software arrived yesterday and I had hoped to start our site plan from the sketch today, but I'm having issues with the installation. Hopefully they're worked out soon and I can get started. Although the soil was too wet yesterday to collect samples it's very warm today with a stron… Continue

Yesterday I checked out the soil collection auger from our local extension office. I posted a picture of it on the photos page. This afternoon my son and I are going out to the farm to map the site into zones based roughly on topography. Then, either today or tomorrow, we'll collect 10 to 12 soil cores from each zone and mix them in a 5 gallon bucket. Then we'll put each mixed sample in a plastic ziplock and drop all of them off at the extension office. The analysis costs $15 per sample, but I c… Continue

It's cold here again today even though the sun is shining. The weather forecast says this is the last day of the cold and starting tomorrow we'll have warmer weather for a awhile. But it's still cold and it's a good winter day to stay indoors and focus on some household chores. Somehow things like laundry never seem to stop. Oh yeah, and taxes. And today is also a good day for a short post. As far as the farm goes the only thing I plan to do today is go the the extension office to check out the… Continue

Yesterday I wrote about how and why we’re here in southwest Missouri getting ready to build an earthen cottage and start growing food. From now on I’m going to focus on what we’re doing day to day to realize our dream. In other words, the small, direct actions inspired by the dream, which add up to the larger changes we want. The main things we hope to accomplish in 2009 are: Complete an overall site plan for the entire farm. Complete the cottage floorplan and construction documents. Stake the… Continue

Hi. My name is Rick Clemens. I’m a forty-nine year old, married, white man, with two sons, ages 18 and 21. I live in southwest Missouri. Up until six months ago I was an IT project manager working for big banks and other financial institutions. I quit last May and moved here to the Ozarks with my family. This year I hope to become an organic farmer and natural builder. My first projects will be our own cob/timberframe cottage and the first phase of our gardens. I talk about these things like the… Continue