How Can We Make Everywhere Vermont?

Ever wonder why Yestermorrow evolved in Vermont and not somewhere else? Part of that question is answered in the video below. The short clip shows that Vermont is a veritable hotbed for sustainability. We rock in that regard, but the good news is that we also wish that we could export this valuable commodity as far and as fast as possible. So take a gander at the video and ship it far and wide. And vote for your favorite segment. (Hint: From our perspective, Yestermorrow would be a choice).

http://blog.yert.com/2007/09/22/new-video-yertpod10-seeding-is-believing-in-vermont/

Also, take some time to follow the travels of the YERT team. Invite them into your homes and let them tell your stories of sustainability.

Cobbers of the Future

This just in from Certificate in Sustainable Building and Design student Stacey Corbin: "I thought you might enjoy these pictures from this past weekend at Yestermorrow.
Beatrix Holloway took the Intro to Cob class with Tim and Andy earlier this month. This past weekend she drove her entire family back to Yestermorrow to volunteer on the garden wall for a day of cobbing. We spent the day teaching everyone about cobbing, mixing, building, and getting nice and dirty. Now the wall has a few more inches of cob on it as well as even more beautiful joy and energy in there...good times! I thought you might want to use the pics of the kids for the blog to show people neat things like this that happen at Yestermorrow on what seems like a regular basis."

yestermorrow moments

there are some pretty sweet visuals here at yestermorrow, in some unexpected places. these pics were taken one quiet wednesday afternoon.

The house of my dreams

During the summer of 2006 I decided to begin investigating the home building process. I had a nice, sunny building spot that was ready to go and needed to look at all of the different ways I might transform this piece of land into a place to call home.

I'm the bookkeeper at Yestermorrow, so this has given me a great opportunity to talk with instructors and students, and to also be on the cutting edge of new construction techniques that come along.

First I took Danny Sagan's "Green Home Design" class and found out about materials to use for my home - local lumber, asphalt shingles and cement slab v.s. dug foundation. I sketched out a floor plan that was efficient and compact. I looked through Danny's extensive collection of books and magazines and learned about a wide assortment of green home characteristics.

Next, I signed up for Robert Riversong's week-long class on "The Super-Insulated Home". His technique used the "larsen truss" system where the walls were a foot thick, and blown-in cellulose insulation provided the home with an envelope of protection from the frigid Vermont winds and the hot summer sun. The foundation would be a frost-protected insulated slab with radiant heat tubing to keep my toes warm all winter and a terra-cotta color would be added to the cement to give a beautiful finish to the floor surface.

I was very impressed with Robert's knowledge with the building system he has spent years developing, so asked him to help me come up with a design that would work for me, and then I wanted him to get a crew together and build my new home.

The final house plan, which was a result of many hours of work, has the first floor (approximately 1000 sq. feet) completely self-contained and handicap accessible with a mud room/laundry room, kitchen, dining room, bathroom, office nook, and living room with a wide window seat. I'll be able to close off the upstairs if I don't need to use the two bedrooms and extra bath up there. I also rent out rooms to Yestermorrow students, so if you are looking for lodging, I'm Chez Carol on the on-line registration page.

Addditions to this blog will happen when I have more time available, but for now, please see the photos of some different stages of the construction, and feel free to visit the house-in-progress! Go up the Sugarbush Access Road in Warren, take the second right (Lower Pines Road) and keep going until you see #168 on the right. If you want a tour, please give me a call at (802) 496-3153 and I'd be happy to take you through my new home.

2 Chances to Own a Piece of Architectural History--The Dimetrodon

Many Yestermorrowites have toured them. Many of the Prickly Mountain babies grew up in them. And now ordinary people have a chance to own a unit or two in this early '70s experiment in communal living. Check out details on the units below:

http://www.beangroup.com/real_estate/listings/Condos/VT/Warren/593483

http://www.beangroup.com/real_estate/listings/Condos/VT/Warren/591536