Birch Cottage has a new website of its own
Visit the Birch Cottage website to bookWelcome to Lackan Cottage Farm
We’re Steve and Claire Golemboski-Byrne, we live here off grid with our daughter, our dog, cats and horses. We make all our own energy using wind and solar, grow as much of our own food as we can (it varies widely) and have used permaculture design principles to help us create a great place to live.
Here on the website you’ll find stories about the projects we’ve undertaken – what works, what doesn’t. You can come stay in our guest cottage – Birch Cottage and we will show you round, or maybe you just want to find out how to do some of this stuff. Either way, welcome.
Enjoying being a Power Generator
Our solar may be reliable, and every day I thank it for providing yet more free power without having to go and prod it in any way, but there is something very satisfying about sitting watching the wind generator spinning. Somehow it proves that theres electricity...
We’ve got wind
Today we put up the wind generator - a huge thank you is due to all those who very kindly gave us something towards it - with any luck that gift will keep on helping to make power for us for a long time to come. Thanks also to Sinead, who unwittingly came for lunch...
The Tir Teg crew
It's been a busy month to say the least, but more of that later. Last week we were in Wales, and spent a few days at the PontYGafel farmhouse plotting the building of our empire, and exploring all the local towns. The Tir Teg group is getting well established now,...
Community Hub Building at Lammas
Doesn't it look fabulous? So pleased to see the Community Hub building finally nearing completion, and can't wait to see it again in a fortnight. Spending time on the build, and having a part in its construction is something I'm really proud to have done, and I've got...
Answering the critics
A common accusation that I've seen made to those who live off grid seems to be 'you're off grid and living self sufficiently, but you'll be quick enough to use the NHS when you get sick, and you're using a laptop that couldn't be made if it wasn't for big business and...
Turning the tap on
Lets face it, installing 1000 litre rainwater storage tank was always going to guarantee us some sunshine, and so it was that we had a week of glorious weather.All good things come to an end of course, and so it was that today we got some serious rain, and a nice,...