The Ewerts at Wildwood Farm
 In 1974, Tim and Linda Ewert drove out west from
Ontario and discovered the Peace River country. They were
in their mid-20s and had wishes to raise a family and develop
a farm in an area that was neither overcrowded nor polluted.
A bit by chance they found a parcel of crown land with a beautiful
creek and waterfall that they were able to purchase. Since
it was 'new' land, there were no buildings, fences,
dugouts or any of the other necessary things to start farming.
Over time they
turned the bush into farmland and built their barn and log
house.
The Ewerts had great dreams, lots of energy and very little
money. They wished to prove to themselves (and anyone who
might observe) that people who were untrained but determined
could learn the skills necessary to build buildings, grow
crops and live a rewarding life without being
part of the mainstream consumer society.
Creating and nurturing Wildwood Farm taught the Ewerts much
patience and has given them insight into the lost art of
farming on a small scale. They have always farmed their land
in an organic fashion. They have worked over the years
to realize their dream of using draught horses for much of
the farm
work. The use of five Percheron horses has significantly
reduced their fuel consumption, provided a wonderful source
of fertilizer, and kept the Ewerts grounded to the land by
setting a non-industrial pace.
Tim and Linda chose to live off the power grid and lived completely
without electricity for nearly 20 years. In 1995 they installed
a small solar array and since then have slowly upgraded the
system. They now have six 35-watt panels mounted on a pole
beside the house, with two additional 50-watt panels that
can be moved around the farm. The panels combined produce
up to 310 watts of power that feeds through #2 wire into
a battery bank in the basement of the Ewert's home. The bank
is rated for 600 amp hours of electricity but only provides
half of this rating as the batteries cannot be fully drained.
The Ewerts have a 12-volt direct current system that requires
heavy gauge wire to be run to all fixtures. Given the chance
to do it over again, they would opt for a 24-volt system.
They also have an 800-watt inverter that produces 120-volt
alternating current; this is run to a couple of plug-ins
and allows them to use a vacuum, floor polisher, battery
charger, blender, and most importantly, a small coffee grinder!
A digital display in the kitchen allows Tim or Linda to monitor
their power system. In spring, summer and fall
they have more than enough electricity to meet all their
needs. They transfer the two portable 50-watt panels to a
pump that runs water for the animals and to the garden. In
winter, there is a bit of extra effort required with their
solar system - not only is the number of daylight
hours limited, but the angle of the sun is so low that it
takes longer to charge the system. During these times, the
portable 50 watt panels are added to the main system. As
the solar array is not mounted to a tracker, it must be manually
moved two or three times a day. When it is sunny, the Ewerts'
system can run completely on solar, but if it is overcast
for long stretches at a time, they periodically use a homemade
five-horsepower generator to charge up the batteries.
The main barn also has electric lights,
powered by a small solar cell that charges
two very old gel cell batteries (which function better in the
cold than conventional batteries). Because of this limited
electricity supply, Tim and Linda have to minimize the use
of the barn lights. They still find them preferable to using
propane lanterns, which presented
a considerable fire risk in the dusty barn.
The Ewerts' relatively small solar electric system (costing
about $5,000 to date) works well for them because they have
reduced their electricity needs to the basics. The only large
appliance that they own is a 12-volt DC freezer.
Located on the north porch, the freezer uses very little
electricity in winter, and is protected from the hot sun
in summer. For most heating and cooking, they rely on wood
cut from their land (during the hotter months, they sometimes
use a portable propane stove for cooking). They also have
a root cellar, cold well, and a propane-fueled refrigerator
for storing/preserving their food.
Tim and Linda Ewert have found their solar power system has
added greatly to their quality of life at Wildwood Farm without
compromising their desire to live in an ecologically-friendly
manner. It has allowed them to have
most of the benefits of an electricity supply without any
monthly bills, untimely power outages, or concerns with where
and how the power was generated. |
