The owners have been very low energy and resource consumers since arriving in Canada in 1972.
- The main wood furnace and heat distribution system was home-made using an existing design and was constructed of recycled and new materials.
- The small wood heaters are recovered units used for cooking and heating in both the home and business.
- The kitchen stove firebox was enlarged so it would produce hotter and longer fires. The owners use about 6 cords of split wood annually.
Additional energy- and resource-saving features in their home and business include:
- a greywater system for the garden and orchards,
- a composting toilet/outhouse and
- a sauna as the principle method of bathing.
The boat-building shop uses an array of solar/wind electric powered and pedal powered tools, as well as some larger belt-diesel driven tools. Some of the tools are recovered from previous use and one metal lathe is well over 100 years old.
The house is constructed from locally-available materials including wood and stone.
