The Vision

We weren't planning to be in this house forever when we bought it. But, without the luxury of degree-related employment in our futures (at least for my husband*), and nothing pulling us across the country anytime soon, I'm coming around to the idea that we should be digging in. We need to assess and take advantage of what we do have: a house over our heads (for now) with a 1/4 acre plot.

In my vision, this transformation includes:
6-8 raised beds in the backyard to grow our food, with enough to spare for the neighbors.
2 cold frames for greens & lettuce.
2-3 sap buckets on each of our 3 Maple trees
Root cellar under the stairs
Growing portobello mushrooms inside

I've had to abandon dreams for large structural projects, such as a garage and a new bathroom, because of our income situation. The methods for these transformations must not only be low-cost, they need to be close to free. I will be sourcing all equipment and services from FreeCycle, ReUseIt and CraigsList, hoping to pay for tree-trimming with a home-cooked meal.
We may not be here in 6 months, but I'm giving myself 2 years for the 5 tasks listed above. If we end up leaving, then our lives will start over somewhere else!
*I will be teaching Ethnomusicology part-time come January 2011 at the not-so-nearby university of my employ

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