We walked the bare land dreaming about what it could become…

                                       Developing a Master Plan

In 2008 Nancy and I had already purchased the 80 acres that would become Timber Butte Homestead. The following is an excerpt from my new book, “A Journey of Gratitude” which briefly tells the story of how we began the overwhelming project of establishing our sustainable farmstead there.

Nancy and I had taken folding chairs and set them on a granite knob in the middle of our 80-acre property. We visited the bare land for five years, sometimes in the early morning and sometimes at sunset. We visited it in the springtime, summer, winter, and fall. We noted where the sun rose and set and how low on the horizon it tracked during winter. We dreamed of what and where we would build, not just a home but gardens, orchards, barns, and other outbuildings. We wanted to do things right from the beginning, staying true to our vision of establishing a sustainable farmstead, not simply a country home.  We made mental notes of where the best and worst soils were located. We noticed that where we sat, little grew as the soil was granite and without substance, but it had a spectacular view. We decided this would be the best place to build our home, leaving the surrounding fertile land free for agriculture, hay fields, grazing, and other food production.

“I drew a plot plan of the whole future farm…”

I drew a plot plan of the whole farm while Nancy searched the internet for house plans. We wanted a highly efficient house, not too large, but large enough for family gatherings and other events. We wanted the roof line to have a south slope on one side to put solar panels on and insulated so well that it could be heated by a wood-burning airtight stove in the living area. For the sake of old times, we would also install a Home Comfort wood cook stove in the kitchen. Because of the property’s isolated location, we knew power outages could occasionally occur, so we planned for a backup generator system and a reserve underground 500-gallon propane tank. From my experience on the old ranch, I knew how crucial it would be to have waterlines buried deep in the ground, far below the frost line. I felt it would be essential to get the infrastructure of water pipes

      Envisioning a dream for the future.

located in the right places even before construction started on building structures, which required an accurate ranch layout plan. I wanted to place all hydrants and underground electrical wiring where they would serve barn stalls, animal pens, corrals, the garden, and an orchard. All this infrastructure work, including roads, would be designed and installed in advance of the construction of buildings.  It was a lot to think about, but knowing this project would be our final ranch and home, we wanted it right from the beginning.