This is one of the most interesting threads I've read in a long time.

Amen to that!^^^^ Gary, you can be an inspiration for many others, and on different levels. Well done!

What a phenomenal write up, thanks for all the info. I do have a few questions if you don't mind.
1. Why no treated lumber its just a copper based pesticide that shouldn't leach out like the old arsenic and copper sulfide treatments did.
2 Why not us a wheeler or get yourself a pack animal of some sort eventually you will be too worn down to haul cords of wood out of the valleys.
3 Our deer around here have been known to jump over 6' fences just harvest them and donate the meat to the homeless if you dont want to eat it. I guess that is more of a suggestion than a question.
4 Did you do any passive heating and cooling improvements to your home while you were remodeling it?
5 Did you think about moving to a more temperate area with a longer growing season and less need for heat?

That's it for now, I would love to move to my property and do this to an extent but home values have me locked into this house that was going to be a 5 year flip 9 years ago.

Thanks again and I look forward to your answers.

1) Treated lumber contains arsenic and other items that leech into the ground water table and are specifically forbidden in organic food production.

2) An animal that doesn't produce food would strain the eco-system balance (we have limited pasturing land).

3) We have a similar program, but to kill out of season requires a special permit. This means government oversight. No thank you.

4) No. The plan has always been to convert to 100% solar with electric heat. I'm not going to get into the details of the system, but I design buildings for a living and have a fairly robust solution.

5) Not really. We researched a few locations, but the benefit ratio wasn't there.

Yes, we could clip the feathers but elect to not do so. They rarely try to get outside the fence (only the roosters have done so). Our primary concern is predators and flight is their primary defense mechanism. Additionally, they fly up to their roosts. Lastly, as "organic animal husbandry-people" we don't give antibiotics, growth hormones, clip beaks or feathers. The birds are allowed to live as they would in nature (with minor human influence).

ETA: Organic food costs more for a reason: it is a lot more work than the business-farm model.

We have carts, but the woodland terrain is too difficult. Most of our property is too difficult to allow for carts to be pulled by people (while filled with firewood for example). We end up dumping the contents. Its easier to just carry by hand.

I plan on building a people-sled.

Architect did you check into a geothermal heating/cooling solution and reject it in favor of the 100% solar/electrical for heating and cooling?

Do you have problems finding non-GMO or “non-enhanced” seeds? Can you actually taste a difference between them?

With the size of your garden, I take you guys do a lot of canning for off season food requirements. Do you use artificial cooling (refrigerator/freezer) or some form of a form of a root cellar?

What brand work gloves do you use? I’m having a hard time finding quality heavy duty leather work gloves.

Ok thanks Arch just wondered about that stuff. I ask about the passive heating and cooling because I have been thinking of incorporating it into my home when I build and I figured you being an architect you might have some in site into it.

We investigated geothermal, and its not a good fit for our area. If the sun doesn't shine everything dies anyway so we decided to go all solar (in the future when we have an extra $25,000).

Rural King, Menards, Lowe's and Home Depot all carried Organic seeds this year. However, we order most of our seeds from a variety of sources like High Mowing, etc. If you need a list I can provide one.

We do can as well as freeze, dehydrate, and cellar preserve. For examples, carrots will keep if you just stick them in a bucket of sand. The only thing we're nearly 100% dependent upon electricity for is meat. We buy local meat and freeze it. We can dehydrate and can it, but haven't done so yet.

I have plans to build a solar dehydrator. In fact, my wife brought home another book yesterday about it. (I'm also going to build a solar cooker).

I burn through work gloves at an alarming rate. I do have a pair that have lasted for the past month. I'll check the brand tonight. One additional note: I've found that with leather work gloves you should dig through the shelf at the store. The thickness and pliability of the material varies greatly from glove to glove. I try to find the thickest I can, but also value pliability.

Trombe Walls, etc really don't work.

What does work is integrated solar design:

1) Solar orientation.
2) Roof overhangs that block summer sun but allow winter sun in.
3) Solar mass [the best survival house is a partially in-ground design that uses earth of as a massive insulator. The temperature of earth is 55F at about 6 feet...everywhere in the United States].
4) Naturally aspirated ventilation. Designing the locations of windows to encourage summer cross-ventilation based upon the locations prevailing summer winds, etc.

5) If you want "mechanical heat" hydronic systems works well if you have a solar system that powers the pump to move the fluid through a concrete floor. Of course, to be passive the sun would also have to heat the fluid which has proven to be prone to failure.

For heating I believe a solar powered forced air system with sistered wood stove (LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION) is best.

The house design and wood stove should be carefully considered. Eliminate as many hallways / corridors as possible and consider a loft for winter sleeping. The woodstove should be centrally located, but close to an exterior "wood box" door to prevent having to go outside for firewood.

A "wood box" is to be built onto the side of the house with a single opening between the two to permit wood to be pulled in. You fill the wood box instead of carrying in loads of wood (and letting out the heat).

FILL ALL CRACKS. Heating and cooling is lost through the smallest of cracks. "Infiltration" is the #1 cause of problems. Find a natural material and FILL ALL CRACKS! Did I mention to fill all cracks?

Chose the highest quality glazing you can afford. Not all glass is made the same. The quality and location of the coating, etc. all impact the glazing's performance. Try to limit the glazing (doors with glass and windows) to 15% or less of the exterior facade.

EDITED: typos

Great reading!