In this episode of Occupy the Land, we focus on workshop organization and preparation for mass-producing the EMT conduit struts needed for the 20ft geodesic sphere root cellar. Ernie welds custom racks from salvaged metro wire shelving poles onto the shipping container wall for efficient strut storage, repairs the road hone with welding, and discusses […]
In this episode of Occupy the Land, we build a functional concrete work pad outside the shipping container workshop using local Khaleesi (caliche) soil mixed with Portland cement — a structured Adobe technique called Cow Creek. Ernie levels and compacts the area, experiments with different ratios and reinforcement (including fiberglass mesh), and tests how the […]
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 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 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 […]
In this episode of Occupy the Land, we push forward on two key homestead projects in the mild Arizona winter weather. Ernie completes the mobile battery shed behind the shipping-container workshop, leveling the pallet platform, adding a wooden floor, and installing the full 15kW 48V battery/inverter system to deliver reliable 120/240V power for welders, plasma […]
In this episode of Occupy the Land, we finally overhaul the bus’s aging electrical system on our Arizona desert homestead! Ernie clears out outdated 24V inverters, glitchy charge controllers, and tangled wiring, replacing them with a powerful 48V inverter and high-capacity batteries for simplified, reliable 120/240V power. We bypass failed rooftop flexible solar panels, prep […]
In this episode of Occupy the Land, we make strides on our Arizona desert dome build by installing cleats and conduit for outdoor electrical outlets, preparing for patio power and hot tub possibilities. With cooler weather, we resume hyper Adobe earthbag layers, planning windowsills and dome integration. Meanwhile, Donna enriches garden beds with lightweight rabbit […]
