Sustainable living dream: Building an Off-Grid Homestead: July 2019

Celebrations are in order as we have picked up our approved building permits!

The first blueberry crop

We’re back on the Big Island on our sustainable living dream adventure. This time our main objective is to install heavy duty gate posts made from steel, rebar and cement. Up until now our security has consisted of a heavy chain attached to two big trees across the driveway and everyone we meet in the neighborhood always stress the importance of having a gate to prevent trespassing and theft. We must add that we have met many neighbors simply by working on the driveway, doing weed-whacking or maintenance, if people drive past and see us there, they stop, introduce themselves and welcome us to the hood...we have been quite astounded by the sheer volume of friendliness and aloha and feel really good about choosing this street to live in as a result!

Fortunately we had the foundation holes dug with an excavator by the guys who installed our septic system last time we were here. It would not have been fun digging through lava rock with a shovel and O’o bar! All the power tools used by Josh are battery operated as we don't have electricity yet. Our ultimate plan is to have solar electricity even though the option to hook up to the grid is available.

Dreadknot making the cement forms

After removing the grease from the steel posts, we noticed rust setting in overnight but it was easy to remove with scrubbing

The primer paint layer is on!

Giving the posts a nice layer of protecting paint

While Josh prepared the concrete forms and painted the posts, I decided to go and get a truck load of soil from "Puna Rock", (a company specializing in rock, gravel and soil).... and then personally shoveled 1.5 tons of the cinder soil I bought ($71 for 1.5 tons) into buckets which I carried to various parts of the garden that needed it. I am going to be very stiff in the morning. Great day of work though and feeling like we’re getting things done!

Preparation of the steel posts included removing the thick layer of rust prevention grease that covered them, followed by an outdoor metal primer coat and a few black coats of paint. Untreated metal rusts like crazy here as Hilo is one of the wettest parts of Hawaii as evidenced by the multitude of rain showers we experience every day.

The mounds of rock, gravel and soil from Puna Rock

Unloading the cinder soil from poor overloaded "Pony Truck"

Every time we come and do a project on our property we buy various plants to add to our blossoming edible landscaping and eventual food forest. This trip we bought and planted another Dwarf Apple Banana tree, rosemary, various varieties of mint, two varieties of blueberry bushes and I'm experimenting with planting oregano as a ground cover

Our edible landscaping plantings

Our happy little edible garden

We upgraded our tent that we camp in while working on our projects from a small 2 person to a large 6 person tent and it feels quite palatial! We've become very organized campers as a result and harvest rain water off of the overhead tarp, as well as collecting potable water from the community water source nearby. We even have a solar shower bag which we fill with water and hang up during the day, allowing us to have a warm shower in the evening.

The new tent!

Dreadknot is the breakfast chef and I usually cook lunch or supper. We have a great camping setup for preparing scrumptious food while we're out here working!

Camp cooking breakfast

After erecting the steel posts with rebar (which we purchased from Hilo Steel) and a conduit pipe for eventual lights, we had a cement truck from Block Hawaii deliver the perfect volume for the pour into the foundation as well as enough to fill the center of the posts. These posts are strong! Josh is an incredible designer and amazing builder... I’m so lucky to have him in "Team Hale Pueo" (the name of our home is going to be Hale Pueo - home of the indigenous owl ). We even had two visitors to our property while we were here! It's starting to feel like home.

"Surprise"