These days it's hard to imagine life without electricity. I'd say we're equal parts excited and nervous to start our life without it. We plan to go at least a year without it, and at that point take stock and see how we feel.
Here's how we'll go about the day-to-day without the grid:
- Hand pumping water. (We'll pump into a head tank in the attic, which will provide gravity-fed water to faucets and shower downstairs.) Our hand pump is specially designed to make it easy to pump even from a relatively deep drilled well. Here's the company's website.
- Root cellar. We have a walk-in root cellar off the kitchen which is completely underground. In addition to providing winter storage for our keeper crops, it will serve as a refrigerator for much of the year. We're going to experiment with ice blocks and an ice chest for things that need to be kept colder.
- Humanure toilets. Click here for more info - there is even a video featuring the "Poop in a Bucket" song! (Our system is just like the one featured in the video, except we made our own "loveable lou's.")
- Wood cookstove. This is the heart of our home...provides both the heat and the means of cooking/baking. Our stove was Amish-made in Ontario and is called the "Baker's Choice." Click here to see the company's website. We will also run a hot water coil through the firebox to supplement the hot water heater.
- Propane hot water heater and a few propane lights (yes, we do have a few fossil fuel-dependent weaknesses).
- Candles and oil lamps for lighting in addition to the propane lights.
(And no, we're not being paid to advertise. Just wanted to pass advice along about good products we've found.)
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