1. What is the most useful tool you have:

Carl
Squeezo Press (Victorio) or Kitchen aid to peel and squeeze apples and tomatoes
Tiller
Chainsaw


Ruellen:
4 tine fork
wood splitter

2. What would you change or do differently:

Ruellen: Build house further from the easment
Carl: Nothing (Though later he chose not to use reverse osmosis water because it gives him heartburn.

3. What has been the most rewarding:

Carl: This is paradise, everything the whole endeavor
Ruellen: Having berries (she is famous for her pies) and making things from scratch.



Other useful tips that they have found:

Always put some windows on the north side of your house
Teach chickens to come in at night if they are free ranging to prevent wildlife eating them
Get an automatic milker
barn like (gramble?) roofs give you a lot more space
grow on the top of the ridge but you have to add a lot of top soil as it runs down the hill.
can easily get too hot in the upstairs - need ventilation - no loft
No reserve/osmosis water
Change all land not in use to forestry (As long as you maintain it as such) to save on land taxes.
Make house modular
Get a mill or bring someone out to mill the wood that you have in order to get rid of trees and get wood,
Need a storage area