How can people prepare for severe shortages, climate changes & financial chaos when most of their wealth is tied up in their homes?
The following excerpts were also posted on Life After the Oil Crash Forum: http://www.doomers.us/forum2/index.php/topic,48742.0.html
RETROFITTING SUBURBIA
by Jim Costa, Milton, FL
I have spent the past five years planning how just such a community could be organized and built from scratch. The goal was to put 500 persons on 200 acres to live sustainably as described on the forum. Food, utilities, housing, medical assistance, advanced education would be provided. During all this process, no one would profit from another as it would be a cooperative venture. See web site at: http://www.co-opvillagefoundation.org/ or http://www.prospervillage.org.
Millions have invested their wealth into their homes. In the event of a crash, those homesteads have to provide enough food (growing, processing and preservation), water, shelter for extended family, home businesses, assisted living facilities, schools, etc. How can people do that?
This is how we converted our home. Feel free to share your ideas and suggestions after reading it.
Home Conversion: We live in an older home on 1/3 acre in a small rural community near Pensacola, FL. We own a mobile home next door that my stepson lives in. We altered our home to become the center or core for creating a cooperative community in the event of a crash. We did this all on our own, without help from neighbors and without their knowledge.
A few homestead modifications are:
1. Sank a deep well with a submerged electric pump as well as a manual pump. This was located in the front yard accessible to anyone. We also added a white metal roof to lower interior temperatures and to make rainwater collection safer.
2. Installed tubular skylights throughout and two wood burning stoves, a functioning summer kitchen. Solar panels will be installed next.
3. Prepared the house to be a central meeting/dining hall. Removed carpeting and replaced with easier maintenance tile and wood.
4. Created a library stocked with over $1,000 worth of survival books.
5. Built Square Foot Gardening Boxes capable of feeding multiple families.
6. Loaded up on food and medical supplies.
Mini Farm:
1.We also have a double wide mobile home on a one acre lot nearby.
2. We added a second mobile home to the property and built a large wrap around porch.
3. We added more square foot gardening boxes to feed 25 persons.
4. Built a chicken "condo" that can produce two dozen eggs a day.
5. Installed well system same as at home (electric and manual).
6. This farmstead can accommodate up to 25 persons.
Perhaps we could publish a free framework or outline for the process of the retrofit. to serve as a quick-start for others to pick up, modify for their own needs and implement? If you have suggestions or ideas, please share them.
Jim (costa4669@bellsouth.net)
