

So you think it's hard being a parent in today's society? Try having a newborn in a one-room house you built out of mud and rocks! Actually, my brother-in-law Abe and his wife Josie, are doing just that, and he tells me that little Leo fits quite nicely into their off-the-grid lifestyle. And they're happy to share the details of how they're getting off the grid so others can benefit from their experiences.

While the topics they cover may not fit into the normal definition of "geeky" technologies, learning how to harness your own energy from the sun and the wind, building shelters out of compressed earth, and creating aquaponic systems (the practice of growing vegetables and fish together in a man-made ecosystem) seem pretty darn cool and geeky to me.

If this sort of thing intrigues you, Abe and Josie have just updated their Vela Creations website with a ton of useful info and resources on things like wind-power, solar power, water storage, grey water, composting and much, much more. They are truly "walking the walk" when it comes to getting off the grid and trying to live their lives using sustainable means, and they are documenting all of their projects and research in the hope that others will be inspired to adopt more sustainable lifestyles. I know reading their site has inspired me to get back to that water collection system project I've been talking about for too long now...

