Living LIghtly
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A big part of permaculture is about reducing waste, closed systems, regenerative practices, and caretaking for the future. A big part of our work is about reducing our footprint and reducing our dependence on the grid, and reducing our waste.
A few ways we are working on this includes the normal things you would think of - reduce/reuse/recycle - and expands into smart technologies to better manage energy use, water use, and other consumption. Optimizing high speed internet for work and school from home and smart technology use even out in the gardens. And, adding a full home solar system! Waste: Reusable napkins, paper towels Reusable food containers, not disposable Recycle yard waste into compost and scraps to chickens Fuel: One car family Work from home Homeschool Optimize vehicle usage to reduce consumption Energy Efficiency: Thermostat: smart thermostat programmed with room temperature and presence detection Smart mgmt for lighting groups in rooms Auto on/off lights in key rooms Fan control LED outlets with low voltage lighting Timer and humidity exhaust systems Smart ceiling fan LED bulbs in all areas Motion sensor lights for hallways, closets, and common walkways with automatic turnoff Smart outdoor lights Whole home smart device orchestration Solar Power System Other Mgmt: Chicken coop light and door automation Solar outdoor lighting Light sensing landscape lighting Solar landscape lighting and path lights Solar greenhouse lighting Smart controls for seed starting systems (water, warming, lighting) Rain barrels for passive solar heating greenhouse Garden washing station w/greywater reuse Water: Low flow toilets Low flow showerheads Smart faucets Smart water management and irrigation system Automated timing and irrigation management via low flow tape Rain barrels Other technologies: 3D Printer for making our own garden/home components (no packaging/waste) Weather station Davis Vantage Vue- see LunarHollow (KWIDEERF8) Cold Storage: Cold room for canning, fermenting, food preservation Bulk food and supply storage for emergencies and natural disasters Seed bank/library storage Connectivity: Starlink: internet plus high speed DSL Outside internet wireless system for 2 acres Entire home automation system is ‘off grid’ Security: Front & Garage Door, Basement Door: smart locks, auto lock Home cameras front and garage doors Garage open/close with smart system Human sensing AI person detection cameras for privacy/safety General: Less shopping Use what we have Hand make, grow our own, DIY Meat is purchased from local farmers Dye plants in the garden Wild forage food and medicine from our own land and nearby areas Natural materials: We have mast cell issues and allergies to petrochemical and artificial fragrances in this house, so we use all natural products. All natural cleaning supplies Organic fertilizer and homemade compost Read hardwood floors and cabinetry Eco-friendly unscented laundry and bath/body Reduction of petrochemicals and formaldehyde due to allergies Organic and low waste home |
Solar system design: We have a south facing large array, and also an east facing smaller array to catch the morning light. We use a smart app to track all solar charging, battery status, and usage.
There is a lot of discussion about the sustainability of botanicals, and deservedly. The mass production of herbs for the supplement and beauty industry requires significant amounts of plant materials (with significant waste), as do mass produced essential oils. There are ethical and sustainability questions with the harvesting of at risk or endangered plants, and plants that might take a generation to grow both in aromatherapy and in herbalism. Poaching is a big concern for many wild plants as well. Many people see black and white, and I do not.
Here at Lunar Hollow I try to grow almost all of the herbs we use in a year. The things I cannot grow or gather here include salt, oils and butters, carriers for products, and certain plants like turmeric, black pepper, coffee, or ginger. I can, however, grow and dry a huge percentage of my own herbs, distill my own hydrosols, grow culinary herbs, and carefully choose what items I must purchase (such as carriers, butters, essential oils, containers, labels) to complete what we need. We rotate crops since we can store properly dried and cold storage held herbs for up to 2 years. Therefore, we always have about a year of herbs on hand for our family. We also grow herbs for seasoning our foods, and dry our own onions, garlic, and herbs to make seasoning blends. A few of our initiatives here: Food & Medicine Grow all of our own herbs for family use Chickens provide eggs Extensive gardens growing perennial and annual food Can, dry, freeze, and preserve food and herbs for year round use Mushroom logs growing in woods Growing reishi in the home Orchard and fruit guilds Perennial vegetables Perennial herbs Sprouting at home Hydroponics system for indoor growing in winter Small kitchen hydroponics for fresh herbs in winter Seed saving to grow our own every year Preserve enough herbs to last us at least 1 year, every year Preserve enough herbs to share out to free clinics every year Still to distill our own hydrosols Greenhouse for early spring starts |