THE SHIRT FARMER .COM

When I was a young girl, I loved the Little House on the Prairie books. Walking through the pastures one summer my grandmother asked me, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" "I want to be just like Laura Ingalls Wilder when I grow up!" I remember the ruffled dust cap she surprised me with on my next visit. I have long since lost the dust cap, but never that pioneer spirit that the Little House books sparked.

I have lived in many houses throughout my life. Little cabins, a few "dream-homes", even a 1700's farmhouse! But, I have always wanted to build a home following that pioneer spirit: Doing it on your own,and using material from the land as much as possible (as allowed by codes). Combine that with my grandfather's most urgent teaching, "If you have some land, and you own the house on it, you will make it through the next depression just fine." (As you can surmise, he had a difficult time during the depression, and it was his concern that his family never suffered like that.)

So, I have had the land for over 20 years now. The time has finally come to build the house! We have recently harvested some of the trees, and pulled them out using tractors and winches. They'll be milled by my uncle and neighbor (both have mills!) and then inspected.

The designs have been drawn up....with modern conveniences, but also plenty of old fashioned "forgotten" knowlege. (When sitting in your home, do you know which way is North? Here in the Northeast, having evergreens as a wind-screen aids in heat retention, while southwest facing windows capture sunlight heat.) As I build this lifelong dream, I'll photograph and describe the process. I doubt many will ever attempt copying the project, but it should at least be entertaining!

It will take many many months to complete....so be patient, and check back periodically.