Huddy Homes

This sustainable home didn't always look like this, this is how it all started...

• My garden is made from composted soil. This allows me to grow fresh, organic produce at my home. Avoiding the use of pesticides or fertilizers on my produce is better for me and the environment.

• I also have a chicken coop that I can rely on to raise my own free range protein. This is a reliable and safe source of food.

The way I produce and consume food is important to allow myself remain sustainable. I would like to raise my own source of protein which I can control what the chickens are fed while allowing them to have quality of life. I do not want to support mass production and inhumane living condition for animals. This is also important because having as many food sources as possible available at my home results in a reduction of fossil fuels during transportation of produce and other food products.

My home has a functioning windmill that provides another energy source. The windmill turns wind into energy. We are harnessing the power of the wind and turning it into a purpose like in our case generating electricity.

Another method of producing energy is solar panels. My "A Frame" roof is lined with solar panels and another that harness the power of the sun and turn it into electricity for our home.

I have chosen to instal a solar power system on the roof of my house and a separate panel on my property (which is angled to face true north to ensure it receives direct sunlight during the day). These will provide a heat source for my home in the form of a clean source of energy. This again will eliminates the need for me to rely on fossil fuels. I have chosen to install the windmill because it has fewer effects on the environment than many other energy sources.

Collecting rain water in the eaves troughs and then into the rain barrel provides water for the garden and chickens. Rain water also travels through a filter under the foundation of our house turning it into fresh drinking water.

By using the rain water on the garden and for the chickens before it gets filtered means we are not depending on any sources of energy. Fresh rain water supports proper plant and soil health on our garden by nourishing it without any chemicals or pesticides. Storing rainwater can have a significant benefit on the environment. We are utilizing a natural resource rather than wasting valuable, naturally provided rain water and not letting it go to waste.

One way my home utilizes waste is by taking any form of food scraps as feed for the chickens. Food waste that is not ideal for feeding the chickens is composted and subsequently used to provide rich soil for our gardens. The reduced number of trips to the grocery store and produce/food packaging further contributes to minimizing our homes contribution to a landfill. If any plastic or packages are in my home we make sure to reuse them whenever possible.

Having minimal waste in our home is crucial to the environment. It is important that we reduce our trips to have no transportation trips to local stores because the more waste we cumulate the more transportation waste we will create by garbage trucks making more frequent stops. That results in a constant growth of fossil fuels. This is way the way the way I dispose/recycle my homes waste is very important.