Eco-friendly acreage | Living the Country Life

Eco-friendly acreage

The whole Snoey family, and even the poultry, alpacas, and wildlife, pitch in to help the environment on this Washington acreage.
The Snoeys plant their garden densely to control weeds. The children help manage insects and do chores around the 5 acres.
Water barrels collect runoff from the roof, and the children use the water in the garden.

The True North Ranch

Folks at The True North Ranch are not only friendly, they're eco-friendly. Owen and Peggy Sue Snoey of LaCenter, Washington, are using their 5-acre enclave to teach their children and friends how they can help the environment.

The little ranch, home to a herd of alpacas, geese, ducks, chickens, and a dog, lies within view of the sheared-off dome of Mt. St. Helen's volcano, visible from the backyard. The Snoeys have been there five years, busily making the acreage a garden paradise and learning center for their two children, Ken, 6, and Rae, 8.

Owen, a sailor, named their home the True North Ranch in reference to the Polaris, or North Star. Their mission is to create an atmosphere where they can all be eco-friendly in every way.

"The kids when grown will probably say, 'You knew all about global warming. Why didn't you do something?' " says Peggy Sue. "We can say, 'We did!' "

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Comments (1)

Teresa wrote:
Thank you for sharing your life. This is precisely what I hope to do. I didn't realize I could do ALL this on five acres. Our four children's lives will certainly be enriched!