Click on Home for Construction History
In addition to other village homes, our plans include the construction of an initial home, storage building, greenhouse, barn, and a community center building. The first two buildings under construction are the metal storage building which will house our shop and powerplant and our centerpiece - a model Eco-Home. The home will exemplify a combination of contemporary design, high efficiency, and an extensive use of recycled and "green" building materials. These will allow it to maintain a strong market value with excellent curb appeal, being totally self sufficient in operation, while still being good for the environment.
The Mountain Mission Farms Model Eco-Home is being constructed
in the beautiful Appalachian Mountain region of North Carolina. It has been
conceived as an example of harmonizing traditional style and elegance with sound economic
and environmental solutions. Its design will maximize efficiency, reduce cost of
maintenance, provide a degree of self-sufficiency, and create a small environmental
footprint. Its solutions will be readily available technologies that can be
purchased by anyone willing to do a little research. As a "completed set of
solutions", the home will showcase readily available manufacturers' products that can
be quickly and easily specified for consumer installations.
Our Eco-Home Project Goals:
1. The home will become an educational facility to teach the installation,
use, and maintenance of alternative energy
systems
and building products.
2. The
home is to become a testing laboratory to develop statistical information derived from
alternative energy systems
and
alternative designs.
3. The home
will showcase the latest in "Green Building Materials". It will display
and identify construction alternatives
with
no adverse effects on the occupants, renewable and recycled materials, and minimal
long-term adverse effect on
the
environment.
4. The home
will showcase high efficiency, alternative-building products that provide a reduction in
the use of fossil fuels.
5. The home
will be an advertising medium for manufacturers to introduce and demonstrate new,
alternative,
high-efficiency
and "green"products.
The Mountain Mission Farm Model Eco-Home is planned as the first of up to seven homes to
be built on almost seventy acres of land in Ashe County near West Jefferson, North
Carolina. Unique to the project is a "Permaculture" plan, which
integrates land reclamation, sustainable agriculture, and the protection of natural
habitat for local flora and fauna. As a planned community, land around the homes as
well as nature trails through the property will be community owned, maintained, and
protected. Included also in the plan is a community center that will be used for
group educational activities on an on-going basis and will act as a hub for community
life.
Construction Views of Buildings on Site:
Our construction plans call for a number of buildings on the property. The listings below will take you to progress pictures of each of them:
Storage Building - Started 5/15/00
This is a 28' by 48' steel building that was
recycled. It originally was owned by ASU (Appalachian State University) and was
discarded. It ironically was the coal storage building for the power plant in Boone.
We purchased it from the contractor who removed it for its scrap value.
Model Eco-Home - Started 2/1/01
This is a 50' by 70' home that will be the
center attraction for Mountain Mission Farms Eco-Village. It will an off-grid home
using the latest technologies and building systems, green building materials, and
alternative energy systems. It will be an on-going laboratory and test site as well
as being a living example of what can be done by making sustainable choices.
Greenhouse & Barn - Scheduled to be
started in 2006
This is planned as 15' by 30' area to
experiment with hydroponics, winter gardening, as well as starting and growing other
plants to be replanted on the farm grounds. The addition of some farm animals and a
horse will require the building of a barn on the grounds to be built when necessary.
Community Center - Scheduled to be started
sometime in 2007
A community center is planned for transient
residency, family gatherings, and classroom and community meeting areas. This
building will begin construction when funding has been secured for it.
