Modern Monticello
Sovereignty but connected.
Modern Monticello is a homestead-meets-maker system — real build plans for off-grid living, developed and tested on our own hillside property in Appalachia. Rivendell in Appalachia, built one system at a time.
— Z.L., sketched on a hillside in Charleston, WV
Common Ground is the philosophy underneath it — the same pattern-recognition read across every religious and wisdom tradition, distilled down to what actually holds up. MM runs the show; Common Ground writes the show's bible.
Behind both: an ER nurse in Charleston, West Virginia, fifteen years into watching people pay in fear and money for things that never needed a gatekeeper — clean water, your body's own healing, a straight answer. He's written the long version of this across four books, if that's more your speed; this site's the short version, for people who'd rather try it than read about it first.
Read more about Zach →The Builds
FIG. 2A full off-grid cabin, engineered and documented.
The complete build spec for a 600 sq ft off-grid cabin: papercrete brick envelope, masonry heater with hot water siphon, solar/battery hub, roof-fed water catchment, and copper-accented finish work — the flagship proof-of-system for the Modern Monticello build method. Includes the two locked build milestones (First Fire, First Loaf) and the six specialist sign-offs required before construction.
Zach Lambert
Everything on this site — the homestead systems and the philosophy behind them — comes out of four books written by the same person who built it.
More of the site
Curated Collections
A specific chunk of the site, without buying full access. Every set below opens up to show exactly what's in it before you buy.
Cookbook
Candy & Confections
16 candy and fudge recipes — brittle, divinity, turtles, pralines, and eight fudge variants — in one bundle.
▸What's included (16)
- Homemade Tootsie Rolls
- Peanut Brittle
- Divinity
- Fudge
- Turtles
- Pralines
- Haystacks
- Strawberry Fudge
- Mango Fudge
- Coffee Fudge
- Caramel Fudge
- Coconut Fudge
- Rose Fudge
- Butterfinger Balls
- Peanut Butter Fudge
- Pistachio Fudge
Cookies & Bars
10 cookie and bar recipes — from oatmeal cookies to no-bake bars and candied pecans.
▸What's included (10)
- Fresh Apple Oatmeal Cookies
- Amish Peanut Butter Cookies
- Buttery Pecan Snowball Cookies
- Reese's Peanut Butter No-Bake Bars
- Old-Fashioned Cowboy Cookies
- Grandma's Sugar Cookies
- Milwaukee Public Schools Peanut Butter Bars
- No Bake Cookies
- Melt Away Bars
- Cathy's Candied Pecans
Cakes & Frosting
11 cake recipes plus the cooked frosting method — from a basic white cake to Black Forest Gateaux.
▸What's included (11)
- Basic White Cake
- Basic Chocolate Cake
- Neighborhood Coffee Cake
- Black Forest Gateaux
- Marshmallow Fluff Cheesecake
- Basic Vanilla Mug Cake
- Victoria Sponge
- Chocolate Moist Cake
- Sock It To Me Cake
- Gingerbread (Germany)
- Cooked Frosting (Ermine Frosting)
Pies & Custards
7 pie and custard-style desserts — pumpkin, pecan, chocolate, coconut cream, sugar cream, bread pudding, and a no-bake cheesecake mousse.
▸What's included (7)
- Homemade Pumpkin Pie
- Granny's Cast Iron Skillet Pecan Pie
- Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pie
- Grandma's Coconut Cream Pie
- Hoosier Sugar Cream Pie
- Grandma's Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce
- No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Mousse
Fair & Carnival Treats
8 fried and fair-style treats — funnel cakes, beignet squares, pop tarts, popcorn balls, and apple fritters.
▸What's included (8)
- Homemade Pop Tarts
- Alabama Firecrackers
- Homemade Gummies
- State Fair Funnel Cakes
- Glazed Buttermilk Beignet Squares
- Cinnamon Sugar Biscuit Bites
- Old-Time Popcorn Balls
- Baked Apple Fritters
Doughs & Breads
All 20 dough and bread recipes — pizza dough, naan, tortillas, egg noodles, cinnamon rolls, scones, quick breads, and Auntie Anne's-style pretzels.
▸What's included (20)
- Bread in a Bag
- Homemade Cinnamon Bread
- Bread Dough
- Pizza Dough
- Pasta Dough
- Pie Dough
- Cinnamon Roll Dough
- Flour Tortilla
- Pita Bread
- Garlic Naan Bread
- Cheese Stuffed Naan Bread
- Homemade Egg Noodles
- Lotty's Crispy Bread Rolls
- Scones with Jam & Cream
- Lemon Loaf
- Orange Loaf
- Zucchini Baked Bread
- Old-Fashioned Monkey Bread (Grandma's Way)
- Old-Time Cornbread (No Sugar)
- Copycat Auntie Anne's Pretzels
Canning & Pickling
All 12 canning and pickling recipes — from classic dill pickles to kimchi and horseradish.
▸What's included (12)
- Dill Pickles
- Spicy Jalapeno Pickles
- Bread & Butter Pickles
- Pickled Red Onions
- Garlic Dill Pickles
- Spicy Kimchi
- Sweet Pickle Relish
- Indian Mango Pickle
- Pickled Green Beans
- Horseradish Pickles
- Pickled Carrots
- Pickled Beets
Soda Fountain
All 8 homemade soda syrups and fountain drinks.
▸What's included (8)
- Anti-Stress Moon Drink
- Mexican Hot Chocolate
- Homemade Horchata
- Orange Crush Soda Syrup
- Mountain Dew Soda Syrup
- Dr. Pepper Soda Syrup
- Homemade Hot Apple Cider
- Homemade Sprite Syrup
Sauce & Condiment Bar
All 15 house sauces, dressings, and condiments.
▸What's included (15)
- Tartar Sauce
- Ranch Dressing
- Blue Cheese Dressing
- Honey Mustard
- Chipotle Mayo
- Sriracha Mayo
- Buffalo Sauce
- Garlic Aioli
- Sweet Chili Sauce
- BBQ Sauce
- Alabama White Sauce
- Tzatziki Sauce
- Velveeta Cheese Sauce for Vegetables
- Homemade Ketchup
- Alfredo Sauce
Family Originals Keepsake
All 8 real Lambert family recipes, kept together as one keepsake collection.
▸What's included (8)
- Hanky Pankies
- Classic Deviled Eggs
- 101-Year-Old Pound Cake
- Crock Pot Pinto Beans & Ham
- Appalachian Fried Cabbage
- Potato Gravy (Lambert Homestead)
- Chow Chow
- Kraut & Weenies
Homemade Cheese Making
All 6 homemade cheese recipes, from paneer to mascarpone.
▸What's included (6)
- Paneer
- Mozzarella
- Ricotta
- Cream Cheese
- Mascarpone
- Feta Cheese
Plantings
Kitchen Herb Garden Starter
9 core culinary herb growing guides — basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, mint, chives, cilantro, parsley, and tulsi (holy basil).
▸What's included (9)
- Basil
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Mint
- Chives
- Cilantro
- Parsley
- Tulsi (Holy Basil)
Berry Patch Starter
9 bramble/bush-berry perennial growing guides — blueberry, honeyberry, raspberry, blackberries, strawberry, alpine strawberries, red currant, gooseberry, and dwarf blueberry.
▸What's included (9)
- Blueberry
- Honeyberry
- Raspberry
- Blackberries
- Strawberry
- Alpine Strawberries
- Red Currant
- Gooseberry
- Dwarf Blueberry
Backyard Fruit Trees
7 fruit and nut tree growing guides — pawpaw, columnar apple, dwarf apple trees, Nanking cherry, service berry, persimmon, and American hazelnut.
▸What's included (7)
- Pawpaw
- Columnar Apple
- Dwarf Apple Trees
- Nanking Cherry
- Service Berry
- Persimmon
- Hazelnut (American)
Root Cellar Vegetables
9 root vegetable growing guides — potato, carrots, Parisian carrots, beets, turnips, radishes, sweet potatoes, Jerusalem artichoke, and skirret.
▸What's included (9)
- Potato
- Carrots
- Parisian Carrots
- Beets
- Turnips
- Radishes
- Sweet Potatoes
- Jerusalem Artichoke
- Skirret
Squash & Melon Patch
13 squash, melon, and gourd growing guides — zucchini, crookneck, pattypan, butternut, delicata, acorn squash, pumpkin, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, cucumber, Armenian cucumber, and luffa.
▸What's included (13)
- Zucchini
- Crookneck (Yellow Crookneck Squash)
- Pattypan
- Butternut Squash
- Delicata Squash
- Acorn Squash
- Pumpkin
- Watermelon
- Cantaloupe
- Honeydew
- Cucumber
- Armenian Cucumber
- Luffa
Pruning & Propagation Masterclass
13 real technique cards, not species guides — pruning by fruit type, cloning blueberries, rooting grocery-store pits, cutting habits that keep herbs producing, and more.
▸What's included (13)
- Blackberry Tip Layering
- Pruning Blueberries — The March Window
- Pruning Berry Bushes by Type
- Fruit Bushes That Produce in Year 1
- Crops That Benefit From Pruning
- Match Pruning Style to Fruiting Wood Type
- Kitchen-Counter Fixes for 6 Garden Pests
- Pruning Peppers to Extend Harvest
- Seeds That Benefit From Soaking Before Planting
- Cloning Blueberries From Softwood Cuttings
- Grocery-Store Pits That Root in Water
- Trees and Shrubs You Can Root From Cuttings
- Better Cutting Habits for Kitchen Herbs
Alliums
5 allium growing guides — garlic, onion, walking onion, green onions/scallions, and ramps.
▸What's included (5)
- Garlic
- Onion
- Walking Onion (Egyptian Onion)
- Green Onions / Scallions
- Ramps (Wild Leeks)
Cold-Hardy Uncommon Perennials
8 resilient, less-common perennial growing guides — sea buckthorn, beach plum, sea kale, Siberian pea shrub, goji berry, autumn olive, Halls hardy almonds, and hardy kiwi.
▸What's included (8)
- Sea Buckthorn
- Beach Plum
- Sea Kale
- Siberian Pea Shrub
- Goji Berry
- Autumn Olive
- Halls Hardy Almonds
- Hardy Kiwi
Patio & Greenhouse Exotic Fruit
8 container/greenhouse fruit growing guides — Meyer lemon, kumquat, passionfruit, dwarf pomegranate, strawberry guava, pineapple guava, che fruit, and dwarf fig.
▸What's included (8)
- Meyer Lemon
- Kumquat
- Passionfruit
- Dwarf Pomegranate
- Strawberry Guava
- Pineapple Guava
- Che Fruit
- Dwarf Fig (Petite Negri)
Cleaning Supplies
Soap & Bodycare
6 DIY personal-care recipes — soap root, shampoo, shaving product, hand/body wash, whipped body butter, and a zinc oxide skin barrier salve.
▸What's included (6)
- MM Soap Root (Soapwort)
- MM DIY Shampoo
- MM DIY Shaving Product
- MM Castile Hand/Body Wash (Xanthan-Thickened Gel)
- MM Whipped Body Butter
- MM Tallow & Zinc Oxide Skin Barrier Salve
Wood Finish System
6 cards covering the full wood-finish pipeline — strip old silicone polish, refinish hardwood floors, apply and maintain the MM finish, plus two alternate polish/hardwax methods.
▸What's included (6)
- Removing Old Silicone Polish (Prep for MM Wood Polish)
- MM Hardwood Floor Refinish
- MM Hardwood Finish (DIY, post-strip/sand)
- MM Hardwood Finish — Maintenance Guide
- MM Wood Polish
- MM Hardwax Oil
Readiness, Backpack Guide & Herbal Medicine
Bug-Out Gear Kit
9 Readiness gear-list cards — winter BOB, cheap-gear picks, waterproofing methods, heavy lifting, evacuation checklists, and fixed-cabin supplies.
▸What's included (9)
- Winter Bug-Out Bag — Complete Gear List
- 12 Cheap Prepper Items That Outperform Expensive Gear
- 8 Methods to Waterproof Survival Gear
- Budget SHTF Heavy Lifting Kit
- 25 Survival Uses for Plain Cotton Balls
- 10-Minute Evacuation / Emergency Grab Bag Checklist
- Power Outage Kit — Buy It Once, Store Together
- Bug-Out-Bag Checklist (Categorized)
- Deep Woods Cabin — Critical Fixed Infrastructure Supplies
Wild Edibles Field Kit
7 Backpack Guide reference charts — the field-guide overview, foraged-flour sources, nuts & seeds, hazard plants, 2 mushroom hazard/ID charts, and wild soap plants.
▸What's included (7)
- Wild Edible Plants for Survival — Field Guide Overview
- Wild Plants for Foraged Flour — 6-Source Overview
- Wild Edible Nuts & Seeds (Beyond the Flour-Substitute List)
- Hazard Plants — Know These On Sight
- Deadly Wild Mushrooms — Know These On Sight
- Mushrooms Commonly Found on Oak Trees
- Plants You Can Use as Soap
Herbal First-Aid Kit
8 Herbal Medicine cards for topical/first-aid use — burns, salves & balms, safety principles, yarrow, plantain, calendula, echinacea, and a warming cayenne salve.
▸What's included (8)
- Treating First-Degree Burns — Topical Herb Reference
- Herbal Salves & Balms — What They Are and How to Make One
- Herbal Medicine — Safety Principles
- Yarrow — Traditional Use & Preparation
- Plantain — Medicinal Use, Seeds & Tincture
- Calendula — Traditional Use
- Echinacea — Traditional Use & Real Cautions
- Cayenne — Warming Topical Use
Build Blueprints
Compiled concept-stage reference for a specific build — not a substitute for the professional sign-offs each one lists, just everything in one document instead of scattered across the site.
The Snow Wasset
Einstein absorption fridge, Mythic tier — networked, property-wide units, bigger than the Foreman-tier fridge already bundled in the Greenbrier. Tier ladder, technical basis, required sign-offs, and open items, compiled into one document.
The Snawfus Hearth
Double-bell masonry heater, Mythic tier — 10,000+ lb mass, twin-firebox option. Tier ladder, technical basis, the RMH prototype variant, required sign-offs, and open items, compiled into one document.
The Uktena
Terraced water catchment cascade, Mythic tier — 15,000+ gal, redundant filtration. Tier ladder, technical basis, required sign-offs, and open items, compiled into one document.
The Grafton
3D-printed, panelized cooler liner inside a cedar box — no fluids, no power. Tier ladder, technical specs, required sign-offs, and open items, compiled into one document.
The Flatwoods
Low-draw DC washing machine closing the water loop with the Uktena catchment and food-forest greywater reuse. Tier ladder, technical specs, required sign-offs, and open items, compiled into one document.
The Nunnehi
Cedar chest clothes dryer run on tapped heat and self-powered thermal fans, no electric dryer motor. Tier ladder, technical specs, required sign-offs, and open items, compiled into one document.
The Ogua
Wood-fired, salt-sanitized hot tub with a no-pump thermosiphon loop, plus geopolymer-basin and budget IBC-tote variants. Tier ladder, technical specs, required sign-offs, and open items, compiled into one document.
Pantry Brain
Self-hosted Grocy setup for pantry/fridge/root-cellar inventory — barcode scan-in, auto-generated shopping lists, and how it ties into the Recipe KB, Kitchen Hub, and Buddy. Early concept stage, honestly flagged as not yet built.
Closet Brain
Photo-logged wardrobe tracker — wear-count and last-worn tracking, a 'cold closet' view for unworn items, and how sell candidates feed toward Mara's Rack. No off-the-shelf tool exists for this, so it's a custom-build candidate. Early concept stage, honestly flagged as not yet built.
TV & Gaming Tier System
'Punch above weight' home entertainment — cheap Pi 5/mini-PC retro+Jellyfin boxes on every TV, streamed to from one real gaming rig via Moonlight/Steam Link. Early concept stage, honestly flagged as not yet built.
Smart Mirror
Two-way-mirror MagicMirror² build — calendar/weather/NPR morning display, motion-sensor wake, and the planned voice-accessible Buddy persona layered on top. Early concept stage, honestly flagged as not yet built.
Fire Tower Meshtastic Network
A personal, individually-owned solar-powered Meshtastic repeater tower — no institutional coordination needed — and how individual towers combine into a decentralized regional mesh. Early concept stage, honestly flagged as not yet built.
Cellular Uplink for the Cyberdeck
An LTE HAT for the cyberdeck/Wanderer field build — direct and hotspot modes, IoT SIM options, and a mobile Tailscale exit node independent of WiFi. Early concept stage, honestly flagged as not yet built.
Small-Build Package Deals
The small builds below are already free to browse one at a time on the Builds page — these packages just gather a few related ones into a single document, nothing new unlocked.
Small-Flock Homestead Housing
Chicken Coop, Rabbit Hutch, Quail Hutch, and Beehive & Pollinator System — 4 free Builds pages compiled into one document for planning a small-flock setup.
Passive Cooling & Climate Control
Zeer Pot Cooler, Reflective Roof Coating, Attic Vent Fan, and Earth Tube Cooling System — 4 free Builds pages compiled into one document for beating the heat without grid power.
Homestead Byproduct Skills
Rendered Tallow, Home-Tanned Rawhide, DIY Biochar, and Wax & Wood Shaving Fire Starters — 4 free Builds pages compiled into one waste-nothing skills reference.
Mini Monticello Starter Builds
Cedar Birdhouse, Terracotta Olla, and Cedar Garden Planter — the full Tier 1-3 build-ladder sequence, 3 free Builds pages compiled into one document.
More builds are in the works.
Ogopogo (a modular papercrete/geopolymer building kit), the Osage orange self-bow build sheet, and more are on the way. Join the list and we'll let you know the moment they're live.