We Made the Papers (Again!)

Tumbleweed Houses Make their Valley Debut: Tiny Houses Seek to have a small Environmental Footprint

BY DIANA EVANS                                                                        
THE CONWAY DAILY SUN

JACKSON — The Little House on the Prairie is getting a new look — as the Tiny House of the Valley.
Being hosted at The Lodge at Jackson Village, the Tumbleweed Tiny House looks like it just rolled in on the wind — literally. The Tiny House looks like the legendary Laura Ingalls Wilder plans on stepping out and waving hello at any minute. With large windows, wood finish, and the smell of a newly built cabin, the Tiny House immediately gives one the feeling of stepping into a well-built and homemade home. There’s just once difference from prairie to valley — and that’s size. Set atop a seven-by-18-foot trailer, the house is only eight feet by 19 feet wide.

The Tumbleweed Tiny House Company is the brainchild of Jay Shafer, who has been living in the original Tumbleweed Tiny House since 1997. According to the Tumbleweed Tiny House Co. website, Shafer’s philosophy behind his Tiny House designs has to do with wanting to leave a small ecological and economical footprint.

“My decision to inhabit just 89 square feet arose from some concerns I had about the impact a larger house would have on the environment, and because I do not want to maintain a lot of unused or unusable space. My houses have met all of my domestic needs without demanding much in return. The simple, slower lifestyle my homes have afforded is a luxury for which I am continually grateful,” shared Shafer on his company’s website.

It is this kind of philosophy that caught the interest of Cathi Belcher, owner of The Lodge at Jackson Village.
“I discovered [Tumbleweed Tiny House Co.) 10 years ago. I love little things and we’ve done a lot of building in our lives, so this really appealed to me,” Belcher said.

As to the Tiny House situated now at The Lodge, Belcher shared that she had won a contest through the Tumbleweed Tiny House Co. for the house to be exhibited at The Lodge for the next year and intends to have it used as a perk attachment to one of the rooms at The Lodge, so that when renting the room, visitors are also given access to the Tiny House.

This particular design of a Tiny House is called a Fencl and is one of the many that Shafer’s company produces. As one of the original designs, the Fencl is built on a trailer, so that it can be easily moved and leaves no remnants of its presence behind, shrinking it’s ecological footprint.

Belcher also shared that she and her husband Dana attended one of Shafer’s workshops back in March and met with Shafer personally. After meeting with him and getting to know their fellow Tiny House lovers at the
workshop, an idea was put into the works to have a week-long building workshop at The Lodge in the fall when the Belcher’s busy season has calmed down a bit.

“We are planning a little house festival … we’ve been in contact with people from workshop and [they will] bring their trailer and materials here to build at The Lodge. Contractors [will also be] brought in for non-builders to help go through the project, so[each participant’s house] can be built during the festival,” Belcher said.

The goal will to have the shell of the house up and on the trailers, leaving the inside and finishing to be completed by the participants when their Tiny House gets to its destination. Being conscious of leaving behind a small ecological footprint isn’t a new thought being practiced at The Lodge, however, as the Belchers were recently promoted, after an environmental audit, to Environmental Champion status with the N.H. Sustainable Lodging & Restaurant Program.

The Fencl Tiny House at The Lodge is also for sale, and interested parties are encouraged to come explore if they are thinking this is the kind of lifestyle they would like to adopt.

“I’m happy we can offer this experience,” Belcher said.

Photos (above)
Cathi Belcher, of The Lodge at Jackson Village, is pictured above with the Tumbleweed Tiny House the Lodge is hosting.
The Tumbleweed House fits three rooms, including a kitchen, bedroom loft, and living area, into its
eight-foot by 19-foot frame. The house, a creation of the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, is on display in Jackson. (JAMIE GEMMITI PHOTOS)