Consulting by Phone, Email, Video Chat or in Person
Trip has a Builders License which allows him to build almost any residential or commercial project. He has an extremely diverse set of skills and experiences (see partial list of projects below). In addition to his work for others, he has built his own personal retreat. This includes a residence, studio workspace, natural pool, fire circle, trails, pond, garden, greenhouse, fruit trees, outbuildings, and a badminton court. His residence was off the grid for 22 years and incorporates all of the resiliency features necessary to live comfortably without external inputs for 9 to 12 months. All of this was accomplished at a fraction of the normal cost.
Trip Has Two Passions in Life
The first is to embody the most sublime wellness possible, summarized by a love of self, and the life being lived right now, no changes necessary. The second has been to manifest a sanctuary that is the outward expression of his inner joy.
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Now that these desires have been fulfilled, Trip wants to give back to this beautiful life by helping others to manifest the same for themselves. If you want to live in peace and harmony within yourself and with your loved ones, on a beautiful property, feeling safe, secure, resilient, and grounded in a deep connection to your land, Trip wants to help you get there.
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Trip offers a Free introductory half-hour consult. Choose to concentrate your private consulting focus on a specific area of interest, participate in group workshops, or join Trip for a Homestead Intensive designed to meet your goals.
Trip will make every effort to meet your appointment request. Same-day appointments are not always possible. You will receive a confirmation as soon as he has reviewed your appointment request.
Intensives
Our 3-day Intensives are the perfect way to achieve your sustainability goals. At Trip's personal paradise in Snow Camp, North Carolina, we offer hands-on, customized experiences to help you achieve your homesteading dreams. Trip works with you no matter where you are in your journey to develop a plan and provide expert advice tailored specifically to your needs.
Grow Your Vision
Are you ready to start your homesteading journey but don't know where to begin? Hourly consulting sessions allow you to address questions as they come up. Half-Day 3-Day Intensives allow the level of guidance you need to support your homesteading journey each step of the way. Onsite consultations are available upon request.As a leading homestead consulting service, we offer a free introductory Half-Hour consultation to help you get started. Email your questions, book your appointment or even better request to learn about a topic of interest below.
Consulting Topics:
Overview to Homesteading
Begin Your Journey
Are you ready to start your homesteading journey? Our introductory workshop will provide you with an overview of the process, including tips on selecting land, building a home, and growing your own food. Join us to learn how to live a sufficient lifestyle and create a sustainable future for yourself and your family.
Free introductory Half-Hour consult.
Land Acquisition
Fulfilling Your Land Ownership Dream
We offer support in locating, purchasing, and developing the perfect piece of land to meet your needs. Topics may include: How much do you need? What are the ideal conditions? What are the best forest-to-clearing ratios? What is required for solar?
Anticipating your water requirements - groundwater, wells. Surface water considerations, resources – ponds, man-made and natural. Soil, build it, or buy it? Understanding soil quality and septic issues..
Free introductory Half-Hour consult.
Zoning and Permitting Guidance
Getting Through the Paperwork
Help in understanding municipal or local laws or regulations that govern how real property can and cannot be used in certain geographic areas. Questions answered may include:
How will zoning impact you?
What permits you will need.
Not pulling permits - what and how to get away with what you desire, consequences.
How to deal with inspectors.
Free introductory Half-Hour consult.
Hiring Your Contractor
Building A Sustainable Homestead
Choosing the right contractor for the job is a critical first step in your planning process.
What does a good contractor look like?
What should you require?
What are the current labor market realities/costs?
How do you handle contracts and dispute resolution?
What should you watch out for?
Money - How it gets paid, when, how much, and with what documentation?
Free introductory Half-Hour consult.
Outbuildings and Amenities
Created Your Personal Happy Place
An experienced-based review of your wants and wishes.
What do you need?
Should you build or buy?
What storage do you need on your land?
What do you want and why?
Do you really want it?
Will you really use it?
How to build the things you want?
Free introductory Half-Hour consult.
Relationship Considerations
Commitment for a Sustainable Future
Making responsible marital and financial considerations/arrangements
What are reasonable legal protections? Creating plans for the future.
What happens when you invite people onto your land?
What do you need to know about Air bnb and other types of renting on your property?
What will and won’t drive you nuts?
What do you need to consider when building a Mother-in-law structure?
Taking care of elders/resources/costs - What is involved?
Free introductory Half-Hour consult.
Power And Resiliency
Rising to the Challenge
We eliminate any risk or common mistakes made by novice homesteaders. Considerations include:
Solar - how much do you need?
Grid intertie? Batteries? How many amps?
What are the costs and options?
What about backup power, generators, and fuel sources?
How to choose appliance selections to minimize power usage.
Answers to questions about solar hot water, woodstoves, radiant floors, mini splits, thermal mass, and regional considerations.
Free introductory Half-Hour consult.
Community Considerations
Inspire, Innovate, Impact
Do you want neighbors – a community? Are you looking for solitude? How far out do you want to be? The climate is changing - how resilient do you want to be?
Diversity, wildlife, biting insects – how will you fit into/improve your new biosystem? How will you create an agricultural ecosystem that is low maintenance and sustainable?
Siting/Feng Shui – Site planning – Advice in creating a spatial arrangement and orientation of buildings in relation to the flow of energy.
Cost, financing, group acquisition strategies – Impartial advice – cost-saving financial decision-making.
Natural disaster preparedness – How networked are you? What networking will you need in the face of what may come?
Free introductory Half-Hour consult.
Homestead Gardening
Harmony with Nature, Sustainability in Action
A homestead garden can provide a significant portion of year-round calories. It should dovetail with your lifestyle.
What should you plant?
How much space do you need?
How much do you plant?
Garden beds and/or raised beds?
Greenhouses - how large, amenities?
How to extend the eating season past the growing season?
How to freeze, pickle, can, and freeze dry.
What do you need for backup emergency food? Where to purchase?
Free introductory Half-Hour consult.
Spiritual Insights
Balancing Work and Home Life
Support in finding the right balance.
What might it feel like to live in your own paradise?
Your relationship with yourself and how it will affect everything.
Building your connection to your land.
Sharing your homestead with your partner and children.
What is life? Who and or what are you? Why are we here?
What is required to be profoundly well?
Free introductory Half-Hour consult.
Sustainable Homesteading
Your Questions Answered
Do you have a problem you would like to discuss or wish to pose a topic or a question? Below are just some of the topics Trip has experience in and is happy to address: Aircrete, Cell Phone Repeaters, Chicken Coops, Climbing Walls, Columns decorative, Commercial retail store, Composting toilet systems, Contracts, Countertops - custom, Decks, Demolition, Developments, Docks, Dowsing, Drainage, Driveways, Fences, Fire Circles, Floors, Forestry, Foundation settling and repairs, Gathering Spaces, Generators, Greenhouses, Hot tubs, Kiln Structures, Kitchens, Koi ponds, Land Purchases, Log Home Building, Massage Studio, Milking barns, Min Splits, Moved Houses, Natural Pools, Natural Stucco, Nurseries, On-demand water heaters, Outdoor Chessboards, Outhouses, Parking areas, Patios, Personal Sanctuary, Play Areas, Ponds, Post and Beam Cottages, Radiant Floors, Rentals, Restaurant rental property, Retaining walls, Roof raisings, Saunas, Screen porches, Sculpture installations, Sealed crawl spaces, Septic systems, Shelters, Shipping container housing, Snow Camp Sanctuary, Solar Array mounts, Solar hot water, Solar Power systems, Stonewalls, Tornado Shelters.
Free introductory Half-Hour consult.