We spent the afternoon at Berkeley Plantation, celebrating the first Thanksgiving.
*Believe me*, I understand there's a lot o' history un-discussed in this post. Please remember my children are 4 and 6. It was a beautiful day with people from all races/religions/ages/countries participating.

Kid Scout history badge, #3: Discuss the land and Indians. What did the land look like? Describe how Indians hunted, what tools they might have used, and how most followed the animals, and er, had the first mobile homes! ; ) Then some, like the Chickahominy Indians, learned to raise crops like corn, therefore staying put and so able to build more permanent structures, called longhouses.
(Talk about a Wee House! ; ) )

Discuss the Indian's agriculture, and the importance of the harvest. (It was great because as we drove to the event, you could see people in the fields on harvesters still harvesting so it really sank in the large act it takes to bring in the harvest, and the amount of food produced.)

Discuss the frail condition in which the colonists arrived, their journey, and the boat- about 35 feet long!- that crossed the seas.
"The first Thanksgiving occurred when Captain John Woodlief led the newly-arrived English colonists to a grassy slope along the James River and instructed them to drop to their knees and pray in thanks for a safe arrival to the New World. It was December 4, 1619, and 38 men from Berkeley Parish in England vowed:
"Wee ordaine that the day of our ships arrivall at the place assigned for plantacon in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually keept holy as a day of Thanksgiving to Almighty God."

You'll find their vow carved on a brick gazebo marking the location believed to be where Woodlief knelt beside the James River.
Visit Berkeley Plantation and tour the grounds, gardens and three-story manor house built in 1776. See this birthplace of Benjamin Harrison, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and of his son, the ninth U.S. President William Henry Harrison. Harrison's grandson, another Benjamin Harrison, became the 23rd U.S. president." --From www.virginia.org
...And here comes Captain John Smith to vent his great displeasure on how things are going!


(A side note: who knew Taps was composed here in 1862? Ok-fine-I-didn't.)

Oh, and see a muzzleloading markswoman re-enactor pick on the poor local tv weatherman who doesn't exactly share her views on gun control/responsibility!


I picked up a leaflet for the James River Black Powder Club and not only do they shoot (pre-1850 only) but they have a cool woodswalk and some potluck camping events... will have to check back on them in the future as they, like the Chickahominy Indians, really welcomed visitors' questions and participation.

I was really taken with the people sharing their history and heritages, their culture, AND with the crowd- families strolling the grounds, learning, enjoying the day but also reflecting on their diverse paths that led them here, to come together, today.

It was also a great lesson to witness and discuss how much time is spent bringing in the harvest even today, and the thanks the farmers give when the hard work is done and they know another winter can pass secure that they have enough food to last until spring. We related it to our own backyard gardening, and how we put the tomatoes away, etc. to have fresh food when the garden has long passed.

From Green Modern Kits: Green building for the rest of us!
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  1. just think if we could all get such a good history lesson each week. There's so much that even the "well-educated" don't know.

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  2. What I like about thanks giving is when my family gather and there are lots of food. Having a thanks giving could be fun specially when you also see your relatives. :D

    ReplyDelete

We will soon circle back to the Hardscrabble HempHouse, a modified Dogtrot Mod project from Green Cabin Kits, finishing the main house unit with hemp.

But let's introduce a new Green Modern Kits casa ti prefab home project in New York!

Not yet under construction, this passive solar home already has an important story regarding zoning. We will tell that story in Part II, let's begin the story of this client and project team!

Meet Yah Jeffries-El.

In the rolling hills of the Mid-Hudson Valley, Mr. Jeffries-El and his siblings are bringing their vision of a sustainable, energy-efficient home to life.

Two passive solar modern prefab house projects underway on the East Coast have exciting stories, one regarding its materials, the other, with zoning. 

Today, let's focus on the first. This Dogtrot Mod project from our sister site, Green Cabin Kits, is interesting as the guest unit was built first, years ago (which the client nicknamed "The Little Lab").

Happy Spring from the off-grid modern prefab! We are well, and hope you are, too!

Our off-grid prefab, built over 15 years ago, is still extremely energy-efficient and SO easy to live in throughout the seasons. (Just ignore the dirt on the cladding, we're muddy!)

Here is the first of some 2024 prefab house project updates.

Happy end of summer!

As the seasons change, so do we.

We just launched our eldest.

I begin to write again.

First, I am excited for our child's new journey, now a young man studying engineering. 

Second: 

BRING ON THE PREFAB NEWS!

We currently have two projects underway, with a third in the modifying-the-design stages. All current projects are iterations of our Green Cabin Kits's Dogtrot Mod.

Thoughts On Longterm Power Outages From An Off-Grid Energy-Efficient Prefab House Through An Ice Storm: Disaster Prep.

I will post prefab house project updates in coming weeks, but that post was waylaid by a historic ice storm sweeping through the southeast, knocking out power for long periods of time. 

Over the last year, I had been publishing foraging and pantry recipe thoughts through the pandemic on my Green Modern Kits Off-Grid Instagram, as many were worried about food insecurity.

First, I hope you are well.At our off-grid prefab house, it is snowing. 

I have written prefab project construction updates over these months, yet never hit "publish." 

But waking, with the snow swirling, suddenly I decided, "Yep, let's do this."

It's not that I haven't been busy. 

My favorite small project has been sharing stories of our off-grid life, trying to show people how to better surf uncertain times and make food with a thoughtfully stocked pantry and weeds.

I hope you are well.

We are busy at the off-grid prefab house enjoying spring's approach, with the never-ending work on  home projects...

Greetings from our modern Off Grid Prefab House!

Ugh, right now we all have colds.

No one feels like doing anything, going anywhere... which is a great time to talk about off-grid food storage. Because who wants to drive down the highway 30+ minutes just to get to the grocery store?

Plus, when you're sick, ethically, you shouldn't.

Stay in bed!

So. After I publish this post, I'm going to crawl back into bed and let the kids take over awhile.

Fall Flies Into Winter At Our Off Grid Prefab House.

I have been avoiding writing, not for any reason other than it's just not that fun anymore... writer's block envelopes my keys...

BUT. Then a kind reader emailed me and asked when I would post! You made my day, and made me want to start clack clack clacking again on the keyboard, because I *do* have things to say.

Ten Years In At Our Own Prefab House

I love it. I still love it.
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At Green Modern Kits we finally head into fall, but first, some summer / fall prefab green home project updates!

After a summer of back and forth, we are all happy to be at the off grid prefab house.

Don't get me wrong, we appreciate every moment away on the bay. But it is so good to be steadily home, vs. back-and-forth! I wish magic carpets existed, because I do not enjoy any drive.

SUMMER IS HERE!

I am waaaaaay overdue on prefab house construction project updates!

There are a lot, so let's take it over a few prefab house construction posts instead of all at once.

As I have mentioned, I used to post all the time, but have lost my joy of writing.

Not because of work, but because...

we're in the teen years.

Teen 1 and Teen 2 are great,

doing well, flourishing...

but they're teens.

(However, I did get a few pictures of them smiling! Here you go:)

But they're...

It is winter at our off grid prefab house. 

I know we are overdue for a prefab project (and off grid life at the prefab) update, aren't we? 

Between prefab projects and meetings and racing around with teens, it has been hard to sit down, slow down, and spend time typing out these days...

At our modern prefab house companies, Green Modern Kits and Green Cabin Kits, we are having a very busy fall and winter. 

Here is a quick update, and I will be going in to each passive solar modern prefab house construction project in much more detail in the coming weeks.

In general, when potential clients ask for SIP fabrication quotes from the factory, I tell them the estimated time for fabrication of the panels is about 4-5 weeks.

This Current Passive Solar Modern Prefab Cabin Dogtrot Mod Project Becomes... Wolftrot.

Today's prefab house and off grid living blog focuses on... emergencies.

Let's start with the current Dogtrot Mod prefab house turned into Wolftrot in the Pacific Northwest. 

There are two things in this project that might be relevant and learning experiences to readers:

The clients purchased an empty lot.

More on this and why it's relevant, later.

Chicken, Meet Egg.
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The Modified Dogtrot Mod Passive Solar Modern Prefab House in the Pacific Northwest Begins!

Ok now let's dig into this prefab construction project! 

Here are more pictures of our standard Dogtrot Mod modern prefab house so you can better see what the client changed:

Now THIS prefab house, a modification of our Dogtrot Mod in the Pacific Northwest, will henceforth be referred to as...

Wolftrot.

First: Wait.

Oh heyyyyyyyyy, modern prefab house enthusiasts! I've been quiet, because at this time of year at the modern off grid prefab we are busy with new projects, back and forth to the bay sailing, and... seasonal projects! But I do have a new prefab project to announce. 

But first... our homestead projects continue at our own prefab house.

Yes, you heard that right. We have outfitted the modern prefab house for AC despite being on a tiny solar system- four 210w panels. Yep folks, we run our entire HOUSE off the power of just 840 watts.

For years, we didn't even consider air conditioning at the modern off grid prefab house. Ok well fine we *considered* it, researched it, mused upon it, but never found anything we felt good about implementing.

Off grid, at the modern prefab cabin, snow became spring, then snow again.

Then it was 80!

Then frost again. And back.

There is change in the air.

And yet, like seasons, and weird fluctuating springs, it is a reassuring cycle where everything is new, yet known.

A few weeks ago, I took an Amish friend on an errand to a nearby village. I could not stop exclaiming over the interesting cottages, ornate Victorians and darling shops.

At the net zero off grid prefab house, this time of year during "normal" winter weather (20s-40s/50) we keep the cook stove running intermittently so not to overheat the house. If you have been following this blog, you know that in "normal" winter weather, with our prefab house completely off grid, we are cozy, so there's not much to tell! The energy efficiency and structural strength of SIP, which is what our prefab house kits are made of, rock!

Our prefab house kit architects have some news..

You can tell spring nears, not by the groundhog's shadow, but by how my email suddenly explodes with people asking for quotes of our prefab house kits.

For ten years I have been writing about our own modern prefab house kit construction! Yes, it was ten years ago that I was waiting for the weather to warm up so we could pour the foundation of our own modern prefab house! 

This fall, ten years ago, our structural insulated panels arrived on a flat bed truck...
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On this rainy day I am sitting SO happy and cozy in the modern off grid prefab house... even if it's wet and miserable outdoors, we are relaxed, reading, going through emails, enjoying the day while our cistern fills. 

This rain came at the perfect time- the rainwater collection cistern was down to 25%, so to hear the steady beat of rain on the roof is comforting not just for the pleasing drowsy sound but because, living off grid, that means potable water to our family.

There I was, living off grid in the modern prefab house, with an approaching snowstorm. My wrist was in a splint, and Handsome Husband was out of town.

Frigid winters with weather and injuries are supposed to be HARD when you live in a modern off grid prefab house, right? SNOW BEGAN TO FALL.

Even in the dark it was too exciting to stay indoors, we bundled up and headed out into the blizzard!

I woke at dawn, and rejoiced in its blue light that everywhere I looked was white.

"It was 67 degrees when I woke..." greeted Handsome Husband as I stumbled in to the great room for coffee. I yawned: "What was the temperature outside?" "FOURTEEN."

And thus another morning dawns in the modern off grid prefab house after an evening with no heat when, once we go to bed, the cook stove goes out.

So many people get talked out of SIP (structural insulated panels) and hence our modern prefab house kits because a contractor says they can build it (a little) cheaper by mimicking our design (not quite, dudes, it never looks or functions well). 

Weather like this reminds us of why you don't cut corners on energy efficiency. At Green Modern Kits, we take energy efficient prefab homes, and climate, seriously.

(Note: I love good contractors.

At the modern off grid prefab house, it is positively FRIGID!

But not inside. The tiny firebox in our vintage cook stove heats 1,200 square feet of the modern prefab house, easy.

Once that cook stove heats up the interior of the off grid modern prefab house, the energy efficiency of the structural insulated panels retains the heat. So yeah, we're good.

And of course the passive solar design helps, too.
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