Smaller Housing, More Land

People purchase big houses on little land. Land does not seem to mean as much as it used to, when homesteading was common.

My Proposal:

More smaller housing, on more land.

What I Mean:

Bringing family together again is so important. Helping each other is also important.

If the family members go in together on a large piece of land, families can build smaller housing and come together in a new way. Think somewhere along the line of an intentional community, but with family. Everyone works toward a common goal, helping each other and providing for each other.

The Housing Split:

The Main House:

This is the big house, the one where children were raised. It is the one that elderly parents, aunts and uncles can move to when they can no longer take care of their own places. It is also the place with the wrap-around porch for rocking chairs and family evenings spent together. And with the large open kitchen and livingroom, where food preservation and family holiday celebrations are spent.

Smaller Houses:

Built as the children get married and/or have their own children. These are smaller houses, using little space. Building up and under is important to save land space. A parent’s bedroom, and no more than two other bedroom. Organization is important for space savings. Kitchen, livingroom and one bathroom.

By building smaller housing, and using the main house for large gatherings and jobs, space will be freed up for food growth and more.

Remember, space is of the utmost importance. Cluttering this space with non-essentials will not work.

Going in on this purchase together is important. With enough families, you could pay this off years in advance. If you all had money saved and could afford the land and the main house outright, this would save you tons of money in interest over the years. No loans. No mortgage. No interest.

Shannon

Housing Extended Family

Family units are not as close as they once were. It was not uncommon, a hundred years ago, to find three generations of people living under one roof. You rarely see this anymore, unless it is because someone is sick or needs help. People are not making conscious choices to live like this any more.

People want their privacy. They want to get away from their families. Be alone. Have their own everything. It is a materialistic world that we live in.

In this series of articles, I am going to discuss ways in which families can build stronger bonds with each other, and ways in which money can be saved across the board.

Articles in this series will include:

• Smaller Housing, More Land
• Working Together: The Multi-Family Garden
• Working Together: The Multi-Family Homestead
• Taking Care of Our Own
• Working Together: Preserving Food
• Working Together: The Old Arts

Watch for these articles in the coming weeks.

Shannon

Importance of Organic Gardening in Maine

Organic gardening is healthy for our bodies and our environment. While many gardeners are making the effort to garden organically, many others still are not. I am having a hard time figuring out why.

I much prefer organically grown produce. Not only is it healthier, it is also better tasting. The best tasting produce is the heirloom varieties. When purchasing seeds, the most important words to look for are organic, open-pollinated and heirloom. Hybrid seeds are not the best choices.

• Organic soil is also important.
• To acquire organic manure, the animals need to have been fed organic diets.
• Composting is a great way to create healthy soil.

It is important to think about these things, especially when considering a healthier Maine.

Shannon

Roadside Selling

I love good weather, when I can walk down the street and find someone selling what they have grown or picked from their vehicle. The signs, the fresh produce or seafood. It all reminds me of something from the past.

This service is great for those who cannot get these foods fresh on their own, and I hope to see more of it in the future.

However, I would like to note something for the sellers of these products: Consumers do not like to be cheated out of their money. Not that all sellers do this, but some do.

A friend purchased a couple of pounds of fiddleheads from a young man. She had a feeling, and weighed the produce when she got home. The fiddleheads were certainly not weighed at 2 pounds. She went back, and pointed this out to the young man. He did not want to give her the proper amount of fiddleheads, but ended up having to do so.

My mother and stepfather purchased a big bag of potatoes. When my mother opened the bag to use the potatoes, they were diseased and there would bugs on the potatoes.

Please, sellers, be honest and watch what you are selling.

I realize that most sellers are more honest than this.

Shannon