Silver Seed Farms
|
Our Mission
The mission of Silver Seed Farms, LLC is to facilitate the growth of natural building and renewable energy practices, native gardening and community interconnectedness. This will be accomplished through education, experiential workshops, and helping others achieve their personal goals of living more sustainably.
Our Wordpress blog:
A solar guy and an earthy girl discuss Sustainable Living through off-grid homesteading, solar energy, natural and straw bale building, organic natural gardening, cob and earthen plaster, and increasing awareness. Go there to find a growing series of articles and to share your thoughts! Blog Categories
_____________________
___________________
|
Workshops - 2013
We are happy to chat with you about your project, and we occasionally host workshops.
Click on the Calendar or scroll down to learn more about each workshop/event. Contact us about your particular interest via the Contact Form below.
Earthen Cob Oven Building Workshop
UPCOMING! May 3, 4 and 5 in Bourbon, MO ~
Cob Elements ~ Sculpting with Earth
UPCOMING! June , in Leasburg, MO ~
Natural Paints and Finishes Workshop
UPCOMING! July 13 in Bourbon, MO ~
Solar Photovoltaic Introduction
UPCOMING! July 27 in Bourbon, MO ~
Solar Photovoltaic Advanced Workshop
UPCOMING! July 28, 29, 30, & 31 in Bourbon, MO ~
Straw Bale Building Workshop
UPCOMING! October 3, 4, 5, & 6 in Bourbon, MO ~
UPCOMING! May 3, 4 and 5 in Bourbon, MO ~
Cob Elements ~ Sculpting with Earth
UPCOMING! June , in Leasburg, MO ~
Natural Paints and Finishes Workshop
UPCOMING! July 13 in Bourbon, MO ~
Solar Photovoltaic Introduction
UPCOMING! July 27 in Bourbon, MO ~
Solar Photovoltaic Advanced Workshop
UPCOMING! July 28, 29, 30, & 31 in Bourbon, MO ~
Straw Bale Building Workshop
UPCOMING! October 3, 4, 5, & 6 in Bourbon, MO ~
Silver Seed Farms, LLC is a company which is dedicated to the belief that we can all live in a more sustainable and holistic way, as a complement to and a part of
the natural world. We believe this way, the new paradigm,
is the "blueprint" for our interconnectedness and our survival.
We want to help people think differently about their home,
in a way that balances concerns for the individual with respect for the earth.
the natural world. We believe this way, the new paradigm,
is the "blueprint" for our interconnectedness and our survival.
We want to help people think differently about their home,
in a way that balances concerns for the individual with respect for the earth.
Look through our website for more detailed information about what interests you.
Please feel free to contact us by phone or email.
Thank you for your interest!
Please feel free to contact us by phone or email.
Thank you for your interest!
 |
|
Who We Are
We have been a landscape gardening business since 1989. After having built our own straw bale house in Missouri in 1994 (possibly the first straw bale house in Missouri!) and living off-grid since 1998 (well over a decade!), we have found that what we truly love and what we want to emphasize is sustainable living in its many facets. There are so many ways that we humans can live sustainably, that we can apply our ingenuity and creativity to life and make something uniquely our own.
As our interests, research and practices have changed, so have our lives. A testament to the pioneering spirit inherent in each of us, we have found that many people want to know more about sustainable practices, and they want to implement them in their own lives.
Being more sustainable is opting for a life of greater simplicity and appreciation, and taking more personal responsibility for our energy, water and natural resource consumption and usage. It is easy to do, if one is committed to a deeper questioning of daily choices and to having a greater awareness of personal habits.
We do not have to strive for someone else's idea of "perfection".
We believe that everyone will find greater happiness in his or her heightened awareness and that the path toward sustainability is part of the fun.
We are available to offer information, as well as our consultation, installation and education services.
As our interests, research and practices have changed, so have our lives. A testament to the pioneering spirit inherent in each of us, we have found that many people want to know more about sustainable practices, and they want to implement them in their own lives.
Being more sustainable is opting for a life of greater simplicity and appreciation, and taking more personal responsibility for our energy, water and natural resource consumption and usage. It is easy to do, if one is committed to a deeper questioning of daily choices and to having a greater awareness of personal habits.
We do not have to strive for someone else's idea of "perfection".
We believe that everyone will find greater happiness in his or her heightened awareness and that the path toward sustainability is part of the fun.
We are available to offer information, as well as our consultation, installation and education services.
Please peruse our website, which carries a good bit of information, and visit us often, as things are always changing. You can also receive new posts by following our blog.
Sincerely,
Rex and Lori
**If you like this website and feel inspired to make one of your own, please sign up for iPage through our website at the bottom of this page. This will allow us to receive credit for your referral. iPage offsets their energy footprint 100% by purchasing green energy credits. Any website building I do here at Silver Seed Farm is through solar power! Let us know if you need assistance in getting started on your own website.
Thank you! ~ Lori
Sincerely,
Rex and Lori
**If you like this website and feel inspired to make one of your own, please sign up for iPage through our website at the bottom of this page. This will allow us to receive credit for your referral. iPage offsets their energy footprint 100% by purchasing green energy credits. Any website building I do here at Silver Seed Farm is through solar power! Let us know if you need assistance in getting started on your own website.
Thank you! ~ Lori
Our Adventure
We receive many questions about the strawbale house we built in 1994 and have lived in since 1997. We love it. It has very high insulation value (r 30), and so it stays warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. It is very cozy, with it's thick walls, passive solar gain and adobe floor. Passive solar design uses the sun to naturally heat and light your home through south-facing windows. Our earthen floor absorbs the winter sun, contributing to our warmth. In addition to the passive solar, we use a wood stove for heating. During the summer and without air-conditioning, our home stays much cooler as we take advantage of tree and vine shading. We are also powered in large part by photovoltaic solar panels. Our family has lived off-grid for a good many years (since 1997), and we are very aware of energy usage, a little obsessed, really. Our son likes to check the gauge (voltmeter) to see how much "juice" is still in the batteries!
This little adventure started out in 1991, as we began to question many of the ideas we grew up with, assessing needs vs. wants. We decided we wanted to move out to the beautiful Missouri forests, and that we should "harden" ourselves a bit to make living in a tent a little easier. Of course, much research came first. The house we lived in at that time was darling, but terribly inefficient, with it's walls made of brick and covered with plaster. A selling point for us, back in 1988, was the solar fans, but whatever efficiency they had to offer was offset by the drafty brick. The winter before moving, we blocked off all but the kitchen and living room and heated it with our "new" wood stove, an old Timberline; this reduced our electric bill a lot.
We had our first baby at home and felt infused with a new level of independence. After more research and lots of baby time, we were ready to go! We sold a lot of our stuff, stored the rest and moved into a tent, with our 11 month old baby, one dog, and 8 cats in tow at the end of April, 1994. What a time! We wanted to learn what it would be like to live without all the modern conveniences - and we did! We used cloth diapers and did our laundry in a wringer-washer, used a "humanure" composting toilet, hauled in drinking water, collected rain water, cooked our food over an open fire and on a propane camp stove and swam in the lake and showered under a solar shower, washing baby in a small tub. A 12'x12' screened-in porch became our kitchen and "living" area, when we weren't living in and exploring nature.
We had the amazing support of family and friends, which really helped our transition a lot. We began building our straw house in late October, a beautiful time to build in Missouri.
We now have a straw bale cottage and more conveniences (like solar-powered refrigerator, computer, and lights), but have continued to hold on to some of the "old" ways, too. Post-tent-living and decades later, we still use the humanure method with local sawdust. We like the humanure method, because composting makes sense to us. Composting what is normally considered waste into a precious resource (nutrient-rich compost) completes the food/nutrient cycle. Also, we don't want to use good drinking water (a precious resource) to flush a resource-turned-waste down the toilet! We cook our food with wood fires or propane - indoors using a "normal" propane range/oven and the wood stove, and outdoors during warmer months on a camp stove, over a campfire, and using our cob oven. Our home is a cozy but roomy 1300 square feet. Not only does it protect us from even the harshest elements, but it is an ongoing expression of us. Our doors open out onto small gardens and flagstone patios, and we are cradled by Missouri forest, with mossy rocks, babbling creeks and waterfalls. Of course, no scene would be complete without the helpful and loving companionship of the many dogs, cats, peacocks, chickens, and horse we share our lives with.
We wish you all the best in your endeavors. Happy Adventuring!
This little adventure started out in 1991, as we began to question many of the ideas we grew up with, assessing needs vs. wants. We decided we wanted to move out to the beautiful Missouri forests, and that we should "harden" ourselves a bit to make living in a tent a little easier. Of course, much research came first. The house we lived in at that time was darling, but terribly inefficient, with it's walls made of brick and covered with plaster. A selling point for us, back in 1988, was the solar fans, but whatever efficiency they had to offer was offset by the drafty brick. The winter before moving, we blocked off all but the kitchen and living room and heated it with our "new" wood stove, an old Timberline; this reduced our electric bill a lot.
We had our first baby at home and felt infused with a new level of independence. After more research and lots of baby time, we were ready to go! We sold a lot of our stuff, stored the rest and moved into a tent, with our 11 month old baby, one dog, and 8 cats in tow at the end of April, 1994. What a time! We wanted to learn what it would be like to live without all the modern conveniences - and we did! We used cloth diapers and did our laundry in a wringer-washer, used a "humanure" composting toilet, hauled in drinking water, collected rain water, cooked our food over an open fire and on a propane camp stove and swam in the lake and showered under a solar shower, washing baby in a small tub. A 12'x12' screened-in porch became our kitchen and "living" area, when we weren't living in and exploring nature.
We had the amazing support of family and friends, which really helped our transition a lot. We began building our straw house in late October, a beautiful time to build in Missouri.
We now have a straw bale cottage and more conveniences (like solar-powered refrigerator, computer, and lights), but have continued to hold on to some of the "old" ways, too. Post-tent-living and decades later, we still use the humanure method with local sawdust. We like the humanure method, because composting makes sense to us. Composting what is normally considered waste into a precious resource (nutrient-rich compost) completes the food/nutrient cycle. Also, we don't want to use good drinking water (a precious resource) to flush a resource-turned-waste down the toilet! We cook our food with wood fires or propane - indoors using a "normal" propane range/oven and the wood stove, and outdoors during warmer months on a camp stove, over a campfire, and using our cob oven. Our home is a cozy but roomy 1300 square feet. Not only does it protect us from even the harshest elements, but it is an ongoing expression of us. Our doors open out onto small gardens and flagstone patios, and we are cradled by Missouri forest, with mossy rocks, babbling creeks and waterfalls. Of course, no scene would be complete without the helpful and loving companionship of the many dogs, cats, peacocks, chickens, and horse we share our lives with.
We wish you all the best in your endeavors. Happy Adventuring!
Mr. Big at Silver Seed Farms
Life is like riding a bicycle.
To keep your balance, you must keep moving.
~ Albert Einstein
This website was created by Silver Seed Farms, LLC through iPage web hosting service.
Click on the link below to get started with iPage.
Contact us at silverseedfarms@gmail.com if you have any questions,
or if would like our help to get started.
Click on the link below to get started with iPage.
Contact us at silverseedfarms@gmail.com if you have any questions,
or if would like our help to get started.