Most middle schoolers probably have other things on their minds besides building houses.
But Luke Thill, a 13-year-old from Dubuque, Iowa, is unlike any other middle schooler you’ve seen before.
This talented and proactive boy has crafted his very own little house — in his parent’s backyard.
The project cost him roughly $1,500 USD — and now Luke is living his dream in his little cottage.
Come on in and have a look at what it looks like inside.
I think it’s safe to say that Luke is not like many of his 13-year-old peers. In a time of iPads, smartphones, gadgets, and X-Boxes, this young man decided to keep himself busy in a different and more ‘old-fashioned’ way. As he explains on his YouTube channel, his desire to build a small house grew out of feeling bored last summer.
After some thorough research, Luke had a pretty good idea of how he was going to put his plan into action.
The Process
It took him about a year to get the money and materials he needed to build the house. Luke mowed lawns, started a fund-raiser online, and ran errands for anyone who needed help in the neighborhood to make money.
An electrician Luke was friends with helped him install the electricity in exchange for Luke cleaning his garage out, for instance.
Luke used about 75 percent recycled material, many of which were things left over from his grandma’s house. The front door of the house was a gift from an uncle’s friend.
The 89-square-foot house is 10 feet long and 5 1/2 feet wide, with electricity but no plumbing, so no water or bathroom… yet.
“I liked the minimalism,” he told The Des Moines Register. “And I wanted to have a house without a huge mortgage.”
Luke has made several video clips and posted them online, where he talks about his project as many have grown curious about the little house.
As you can imagine, Luke also received some help from his parents, both financially and with the building itself.
But dad Greg made sure that it would be Luke himself who would pay for most of his project and also build most of it himself.
“It was a chance for a kid to do something more than play video games or sports,” Greg told The Des Moines Register. “It teaches life lessons.”
Teenager’s Dream
The house is in many ways a teenager’s dream, an oasis where you can chill and hang out in. It has a microwave, a TV, and a loft with a bed.
There’s even a barbecue and flowers at the back.
Luke usually does his homework after school at his new house and some nights during the week he gets to sleep there.
Luke already has aspirations to build another house — one that’s a little bigger for when he starts college. He also hopes to inspire others to follow their dreams:
“I want to show kids it’s possible to build at this age,” he says in one of his videos.
You can really see how proud he is about his project below.
Luke’s story is a great example of what a child can achieve with a clear goal, a strong worth ethic, and support from home.
You can avoid using chemical fertilizers by using a miracle fertilizer
A novel farming technique gaining popularity involves a farmer digging a hole for tomato planting, where an egg and a banana are strategically placed. While this may initially seem peculiar, the results are truly remarkable, and the approach is gaining widespread adoption.
The viral video depicting a farmer excavating a hole, inserting a banana and an egg, has taken the internet by storm, accumulating nearly 1.2 million views and spreading globally. In the accompanying images, the farmer is seen employing a unique method to fertilize vegetables. By creating a hole in the soil and depositing an uncooked egg and a banana in its shell, he establishes a foundation for planting tomato seedlings. The entire setup is then covered with soil.
Over time, the decomposing egg and banana release what is referred to as “magic nutrients,” crucial for the optimal growth of vegetable seeds. This natural fertilization method proves highly effective, requiring only two simple items compared to the harmful chemical fertilizers that pose risks to the land, crops, and human health.
In the face of environmental challenges, with the ozone layer and ecology deteriorating, the cultivation of fruits and vegetables becomes increasingly challenging. The conventional response has been heavy reliance on synthetic fertilizers, exacerbating the issues at hand.
The drawback of chemical fertilizers lies in their synthetic nature, which can lead to soil, fruits, and vegetables being “poisoned” with overuse. This poses a significant threat to consumers. Despite their ability to enhance the appearance and expedite the growth of plants, these chemicals have adverse effects on the flavor of food and eventually inflict harm on crops. Weakened plants become more susceptible to pests and diseases, hindering growth and development.
Given the detrimental consequences of chemical fertilizers, it is advisable to explore natural alternatives. The example of using an egg and banana illustrates the potential of natural fertilizers such as ash, manure, and vegetable waste, which not only promote healthy plant growth but are also cost-effective. Embracing such natural solutions can contribute to sustainable and environmentally friendly farming practices.
Leave a Reply