We Bought an Off-Grid Tiny House!

In a few months, we'll be living in a custom off-grid tiny house on wheels at the Historic Johnson Farm on Kessler Mountain, where we have lived as conservation stewards since 2015.

Photo Credit Backcountry Tiny Homes

This is the first time we'll be living off-grid and the first house we will own as a couple married for over 10 years! Since 2011, we looked for land to protect at a place where we could live a sustainable lifestyle. We lived in various apartments and almost bought property, but at the invitation of our friend Anne Prichard, we came to the Historic Johnson Farm in October 2015. Anne is a 3rd generation Johnson - her family took over ownership of the farm in 1908 - and I help with historical research here. It's here we've sworn to protect from invasive non-native plants, drug trafficking, litter, vandalism, trespass, logging, mining and other abuses humans often inflict on the earth. As a techie passionate about the environment, my husband Ryan is eager to disconnect from non-renewable utilities and it's because of his interests that we're able to navigate the world of solar panels and maintain Ripples as a solar-hosted website. As a certified master naturalist, I'm already diving into an ocean of opportunities for the study and care of nature, including NestWatch (the first nests of the season have arrived!). This is an inspiring place to create my drawings, work from home running my art business and pursuing freelance writing (many of you know me from the Free Weekly's Making Ripples column that's been published since 2012). I still feel unworthy of this beautiful life. Could I ever be worthy of it?!

Photo Credit Backcountry Tiny Homes

So that's a bit of an introduction for those tiny house fans just joining our journey.

About the Tiny House

We bought a custom off-grid tiny house on wheels being built by Backcountry Tiny Homes based in Washington State. The home comes with all the off-grid systems we'll need to live in it full-time: rainwater catchment and cistern, solar powered electrical system, and composting toilet. It includes a window seat for clothing storage and reading, and a balcony with hobbit door access from the bed loft! Based on the builder's timeline, we expect delivery this summer. Read all about the home "specs" (solar, square footage, etc) on our newly revised FAQ. If you still have questions or are on a tiny home journey yourself, please feel free to contact us - we're here to help if we can! MakeSomeRipples@Gmail.com