I'll be purchasing about 10 acres within the next year and I'm going to build on it. Aside from my actual house. I want to make the property as self sufficient as possible. What would be a good starting point and what are some suggestions for things like power and water?
Solar is good, as is wind and Low Head Hydro but a back up generator should be considered. A well or cistern will require a pump unless your cistern is elevated above your property and down hill from your water collection site. Mean while, read everything here you can. Welcome to SM...
What's a low head hydro? I apologize for my ignorance. When it comes to combat tactics and independent survival I'm good.. But now I have a family and I'm having to venture into new territory I'm not familiar with.
Check out the earthships. They have a lot of information gathered into a small place. They use rain catchments to gather water as well as other systems depending on the location. Your location makes a big difference in what you use. For instance people in California would get a lot of sunshine making solar a viable option whereas people in Kansas get wind. I usually go for all of my life sustaining essentials in threes: Main, backup, and last resort.
You will do well to use the search function here on the monkey. It ain't the greatest, but will unearth answers to most of your questions at a basic level. After that, refinement is easy.
Check your soil as well. You may need assorted amendments for it or maybe even need to build raised beds for produce. Take a look at "Hugelkultur" as well, it can be a very sustainable way to grow food. It also minimizes water consumption after the beds are established.
In what part of Texas? From my observations in SW Texas (San Angelo area) last month, I would think wind would be an unusually good option there for power (and pumping water for that matter). The 30 days I was there we only had wind speed under about 17-18mph for maybe 4 days...and there is nothing to deflect it. EDIT: Just saw that you are up in the big city...but I am guessing that is not where the property will be so I will leave my impressions of SW in place.
I'm about 30 minutes east of Dallas. Lots of woodland and prairie. The soil usually a mix of red clay and black loam. I'll definitely look into the resources suggested here. Thanks for the info gents.
There is no reason to apologize, sir. The pool of knowledge in the shade of the most tree tree, is both wide and deep. Come on in, the water's fine. The search box has already been mentioned, and you can also stop by the shout box, and strike up a chat with others here at the time. (Usually someone here). Or post a quiet word to an individual by "conversation" in private. Ask questions, and we will assist as we can.
I would also look seriously at aquaponics to get a garden and some meat fish production underway. This type of system, if done right, can carry you a long way while other sustainability ventures are getting underway on the land.
Not one person on the Monkey knows everything, but everybody knows something. You've found the right corner of the internet. Low Head Hydroelectric Generation employs a turbine or water wheel with a small moving water source like a stream. ScottHydroElectric – Brochure
As always, the library is your friend. Try doing a search at the library on any subject you are interested in (survival, alternate power, hydro, etc.). Then do a search of the other local libraries, then state libraries, etc. You can get the books through the interlibrary loan service (free or low cost) from all over the US.
@Dunerunner I believe I saw something like that on the weather channel once. Couple of guys used it to power part of a bed and breakfast. I had thought of that concept myself, unfortunately I'm not close enough to a stream or river to utilize it efficiently. However a mechanic friend of mine built a small generator that uses kinetic energy from two metal ball bearings to create some limited power output. We've been looking at ways to expand that, but I wasn't putting all my money on it.
That would be interesting.... I would then recommend Solar and Wind coupled with a battery system and a gas generator as back up.
If you are referring to the generator that works by swinging weights that you set in motion, you are supplying more energy by making it swing than you can get out of it. I would be interested in the design. Do you have a website or link to go to to examine it?
Make sure the property you are interested in, has your water rights maintained........ hard to get a permit to punch a well if you don't own the right to the resource.
We have a Grand father law down here, If you had a well before on the property then you don't even need a permit to rework it, Just do it !
