Permaculture is one of those words I hear batted around a lot in conjunction with the tiny house movement, but have never taken the time to learn what it is. Kenton Zerbin is the perfect guest to help explain it. In this conversation, we’ll learn that Permaculture isn’t some technique or life hack- Rather, it’s an entire way of thinking: A design philosophy that pairs beautifully with tiny homes. Kenton is a teacher by trade, and he’ll also share how he designed his tiny home to survive off-grid in cold, Canadian winters.
In This Episode:
- Learning and teaching permaculture
- Do you want to own your life or let your life own you?
- Needs and yields: how you connect things together matters
- Water storage in a cold climate: Kenton got creative!
- A large part of efficiency is resiliency: the importance of redundant systems
- Don't set yourself up for failure
- Kenton's advice for feeling more connected to others in today's world
- Realistic ideas about tiny house costs and why
- You can grow food in and on your tiny house
- Navigating with and working with building codes to live legally in your tiny home
- About Kenton's tiny house workshops and tour
Links and Resources:
- Kenton's workshops
- KentonZerbin.com
- Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
- The Story of B by Daniel Quinn
- My Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
- Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemenway
Guest Bio:
Kenton Zerbin
Kenton Zerbin is a passionate and professional educator for the tiny house movement and Permaculture (A design science for sustainable living). He has taught over 30 tiny house workshops across North America, started a school for Permaculture in Barbados, and served as a speaker around the world for government programs, cities, universities, and public events. Kenton lives in an ultra-efficient off-grid tiny house in Northern Alberta, Canada, that he designed and built. He continues to travel the world teaching people to reduce their footprint, live for less, and get more out of life. You can check out his courses and details at ATinyHouseWorkshop.com and KentonZerbin.com
This Week's Sponsor:
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More Photos:
Great use of the space for cupboards
This tiny house even has a washer!
Beautiful dining area
The Kitchen
Cubic mini wood stove
View from the loft
Kenton's tiny house exterior, complete with solar panels
That's a cool shower design
Kenton's couch doubles as water storage
A bird's eye view of the kitchen