Messy Feet and Happy Hearts With our foundation, framing and stem-wall complete, we were ready for the good stuff to begin. Our local Natural Building guru Pete Poli found some clay for us from a water main dig in Mettawa. He was looking for clay with little to no organic matter. A common waste product… Read more »
A Goal without a Plan is Just a Wish When our hand me down Costco playhouse collapsed in a winter storm of Jan 2016, dreams of a natural building project swirled through my head. I immediately called friend, kindred spirit, jack of all trades, environmental activist and Wilmot WI resident, Pete Poli. Pete built… Read more »
From the get-go, our blank canvas was screaming for swales. Even with just a preliminary study of permaculture, you realize what resources you have and how to take advantage of them. We had a sunny, open space on a slope. It was easy to see that heavy rains would wash down the slope, flooding… Read more »
The winters may feel long for most people in zone 5, but to those of us 4 season gardeners, our winter is about two months long. I take December and January off, with only my houseplants to half-heartedly care for. Early February, onions and leeks are sprouting in my basement under lights, followed soon after… Read more »
