I grew up in Northern California and actually remember when Real Goods was located in Ukiah. They’ve been selling the greenest products for years and are experts in everything from passive and active solar, to construction techniques, to living off-the-grid, to organic gardening. Mendocino County is the perfect place for an organization like Real Goods. There many remote and hidden homes tucked way off-the-grid and plenty of folks who have escaped the San Francisco Bay Area in search of a simpler life. It’s where I was born and dream of returning.

Many years ago Real Goods moved it’s store to a spot just a few miles south of Ukiah to a tiny town called Hopland that shares its main street with Highway 101. Hopland was once a major hop growing center but now its mostly surrounded my vineyards. Just as you drive into town from the south is Real Goods, which is much more than a store now, it’s a sustainable demonstration community for alternative energy technology and simple living.

My friend Kent Griswold lives about 45 minutes south of Hopland and stopped by there the other day to photograph all the tiny houses they’ve built during workshops. They now have an amazing collection tiny homes that show off a variety of different green building technologies. Visit Tiny House Blog to see all Kent’s Real Goods tiny house photos. If you ever plan a trip through northern California be sure to stop by Real Goods. Photo credit to Kent Griswold.