In this episode of Occupy the Land, we focus on practical infrastructure by building a concrete work pad outside the shipping container workshop. Ernie levels and compacts the area using excavated Khaleesi (caliche) soil, then experiments with a structured Adobe mix (Cow Creek) — combining the high-calcium local dirt with Portland cement and testing linseed […]
In this episode of Occupy the Land, we finally fire up the heavy equipment needed for the root cellar project! Ernie tests and sets up the welder on 220V, then brings the massive vintage stamp press (a WWII-era machine) online after maintenance, greasing, and motor/belt upgrades. He demonstrates how the press flattens, rounds, and punches […]
In this episode of Occupy the Land, we make major progress on the root cellar by shaping the bottom of the 20ft geodesic sphere trench. Ernie carves the reverse-dome floor for the sphere, explains the ramped access and second-level floor plan, and experiments with wetting the ultra-hard Clichy (caliche) soil to create a moldable Adobe-like […]
In this episode of Occupy the Land, we dive into the engineering behind our new root cellar project on the Arizona desert homestead. With the trench already underway, Ernie walks through the dome calculator on DesertDomes.com to plan a 16ft geodesic sphere (4-phase) that will be buried mostly underground for natural cooling. He breaks down […]
In this episode of Occupy the Land, we prioritize food security by starting the root cellar on our Arizona desert homestead! With the main home pad and guest dome progressing, we excavate a deep trench for a 16ft geodesic sphere that will be insulated with Air Crete and a pond liner to stay naturally cool […]
In this powerful, reflective episode of Occupy the Land, Ernie Hancock delivers a raw, personal recap of the journey that led to building their Arizona desert homestead. From the Ron Paul Revolution and silver education in the late 2000s, through the Love Bus Liberty tour during COVID lockdowns, to decades of street activism, lawsuits, and […]
In this episode of Occupy the Land, we kick off a critical food-security project on our Arizona desert homestead: digging the root cellar! With warmer weather approaching and family holidays behind us, we excavate a deep trench for a 16ft sphere (insulated with Air Crete and pond liner) that will stay naturally cool underground—perfect for […]
In this episode of Occupy the Land, we finally resume the guest dome build on our Arizona desert homestead with cooler weather making it easier to work! We prep and install heavy-duty hurricane straps (mule tape) between earthbag layers to cinch the future dome roof securely to the stem walls via a planned concrete bond […]
In this episode of Occupy the Land, we resume the guest dome build after a busy stretch of other homestead projects! With cooler weather finally here, we prep and install heavy-duty hurricane straps (mule tape-style) between earthbag layers to anchor the future dome roof securely to the stem walls via a planned concrete bond beam—over-engineered […]
In this episode of Occupy the Land, we walk the property to show the lasting results of an earlier flash flood that filled our sand pond with an estimated 70–90,000 gallons, proving our check dams, berms, and augered holes effectively slow runoff, create temporary lakes, and deeply saturate the clay soil. Months later, the desert […]
