Welcome to the Site Site.

Three years ago, June, 2000, I moved into this modest suburban home in Eugene, Oregon.  My first, other than a small hand built house in the boondocks of the Arkansas, Ozarks in the late 70's.

My inclinations towards a more modest lifestyle emerged years ago and have evolved and strengthened.  Moving into this house has provided me an opportunity to transform a 1/4 acre, nothing special property, in a direction that will satisfy many of my needs from resources on site.  The projects are ongoing, probably always something to do but a lot has already been done.

My reasons for trading grass for food production, storing rain water, cutting up the driveway, making use of passive solar design, creating bits of habitat are many.  They involve economics, the environment, ethics, politics, fun and more.  The web site covers many of these issues, some of them in the Suburban Renewal section, other explanations can be found in the Land Use section, particulalry in the area discussing the characteristics of contemporary suburbia.

The Property, The 'Hood

The property is a quarter acre. It is flat. Solar access is very good. The backyard is on the south side of the house, the house oriented east- west. The neighborhood is nearly "historical" suburban. My house built in 1955. It is early ranch, 1600 square feet including the large sun room and converted carport. Demographically, the neighborhood is middle/working class. There is an appreciable population of permaculture types within a 5 minute bike ride. A nice solar electric system is visible down the street, a 1200 straw bale studio under construction a couple minute walk away. Also a next door neighbor with a jacked up muscle truck with a bumper sticker, "Keep honking, I'm reloading as fast as I can." Neighbors on the other side are into bio dynamics and ride bikes a good deal with peace sign out front.

The soil is pretty good, this being an historic flood plane. This area was a maze of small farms and orchards 50 years ago. Nine acres of cabbage were under cultivation down the street up untill 4 years ago. Now it is "developed" with lamentable suburban 3 bedroom snout houses with too much concrete, too little thought of site and solar design and minimal creative landscaping.

Punch here for a graphic map of the site.

The photos below illustrate the property when I moved in.

Links to other pages at the bottom.

 

Backyard view to north and sunroom		Front yard.
Close up of south east corner, back yard. Large apple tree		Backyard. View from rear deck towards southeast corner.
Backyard. View to the northeast.		Driveway in front. Front habitat/pool will be under the small window.
Backyard. View to the east along front of the sunroom.

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