A chat with Elly Van de Velde & Paul Herbosch on chickens, translation, and their open source garden
An interview by Stefan Janssens
On a quiet hill just outside Leuven in Belgium, Elly Van de Velde and Paul Herbosch have built a life that feels half farmhouse, half quiet rebellion against waste.
Their home runs on solar panels, open-source code, and the occasional indignant cluck from the chicken coop when the automatic door opens a minute too late.
Sensors listen to the wind and the rain; the washing machine waits politely for surplus sun; doors unlock themselves when they come home with muddy boots and cat hair on their coats.
Elly translates and edits in five or six languages (and she is now working on the seventh), turning words the way other people turn soil. Paul writes software code the way other people build fences: practical, durable, and stubbornly local. They keep two cats (Jeffrey and Kevin Bacon), a number of hens, and a small forest of vegetables and high-ste, fruit trees.
Elly and I used to work together twenty years ago on a chaotic travel start-up helpline, fixing other people’s holidays in Dutch, French and English while Elly and Paul’s previous cat Dotcom waited to be fed at home. For this informal interview, I mostly wanted to know how AI has impacted their work and lives and most importantly, how they turned a normal house into something that feels gently alive, without spending a fortune or losing their minds.
THE Q & A
Elly, when AI suddenly started doing translation for free, what happened to your work and how did that impact your life in general?
Elly: When AI came to the scene, my regular freelance workflow melted away overnight. It took me a while to carve out a new niche for myself. I moved from commodity translation and a steady stream of copywriting jobs to editorial work for large publishers where tone, critical thinking and judgment matter. It was a surreal period. Luckily, I have always found peace and comfort in our house and our surroundings. We feel lucky to be able to live like we do, having all the perks of a lively city closeby, and all the quiet of a country escape.
Paul: And to be able to blend those together in a framework where technology meets tradition is a nice bonus for me.
When AI came to the scene, my regular freelance workflow melted away overnight. It took me a while to carve out a new niche for myself.
Your home is often described as cleverly managed. What does that actually look like on a normal day?
Paul: I run my own server, with open-source home automation, inexpensive microcontrollers behind switches, and a mesh of sensors. A smart weather station measures wind, light and rain probability. Heating and ventilation respond. Even the chicken coop is controlled by it. Washer, dryer, dishwasher, and even our electric car are set to be powered by surplus solar energy. We optimised our energy use to rely on the grid as little as possible. We don’t have keys anymore, and doors open automatically when we get home. We let the system do its thing and get on with our day.
Elly: I want to read, answer a client, grow veggies, hang out with my cats and chickens, enjoy the view. When something goes wrong, we can easily switch back to manual.
You both love open-source for running the house. Why go that route instead of just buying a nice ready-made system?
Paul: Control, cost, and customizability. If a vendor disappears, the lights still turn on.
Elly: I would say that cost is probably the determining factor to go open source. If we had opted for a tailored system, it would have set us back tens of thousands of euros. We’d rather spend that money on water tanks, composting systems, or a greenhouse.
Control, cost, and customizability. If a vendor disappears, the lights still turn on.
Give us one little story of how you actually built something together: how did an idea become a real thing in your garden or house?
Paul: The new flower garden we built. We started with constraints: shade lines, wind direction, soil chemistry. We asked ChatGPT to propose a blueprint with planting options within those constraints. It offered options; we picked one and refined it outside with string and pegs. The chicken coop is simpler. A light sensor and the weather feed set the opening and closing times. Bright dawn in June, open earlier because the girlies will want to start scratching as soon as possible. When we move towards winter, with the days shortening, the door closes a little earlier every night to protect our fowl from hungry foxes and stone martens.
Elly: People ask if we tune light cycles to force more eggs during winter. We could. We do not. We already share eggs with half our village. Chickens are colleagues with feathers, not a chart.
We started with constraints: shade lines, wind direction, soil chemistry. We asked ChatGPT to propose a blueprint with planting options within those constraints.
What’s next on your wishlist for the house, the garden, or – knowing you two – something that will make the cats, chickens or future greenhouse even happier?
Paul: We really need a rodent deterrent system. Our chicken feeder has been optimised to avoid becoming a rat buffet, but Kevin Bacon – our cat, not the actor – still brings home more rats and mice than we would like.
Elly: And I have plans for a new greenhouse. We’ll need to look for one where we can automate ventilation and water supply.
Elly, I know you really speak a whole bunch of languages fluently (not just a little) and you’re still adding more! What keeps you so hooked on learning new languages?
Elly: It’s nourishment. It enables you to connect in a way that AI and translation apps have not yet mastered. The uncanny valley really is a thing. I use Dutch, French and English daily; Italian, Spanish and German often. A long time ago, I also studied Russian, but that has faded somewhat. I’m currently wrapping up an eight year Swedish course. Next, I will probably give Chinese a try, although I find that daunting.
Teach us some Swedish words we’ll never forget!
Elly: I love the nature-based word use of the Swedes. Mångata is the way the moon creates a street of bright light on a water surface. Smultronställe is a secret place in nature, where you go to relax, only you know where it is. Literally, it means a place where wild strawberries grow. And kosläpp just melts my heart: it’s the time of year when the cows get to go outside again. They are released back into their pastures and go wild with joy, bucking, kicking, and doing cute cow acrobatics.
Paul: I do not speak Swedish but have picked up words here and there. My favourite is minnepinne, which means USB stick or flash drive, literally, a memory stick.
I use Dutch, French and English daily; Italian, Spanish and German often. A long time ago, I also studied Russian.
You live this super low-waste, solar-powered life with chickens and clever tech, but you never make it feel like a big preach or a chore. How do you keep it all so enjoyable day-to-day?
Paul: Choreography. The most sustainable watt is the one you never draw. The second best is the one you schedule. Just stick to your own needs and wants, and do the damn thing.
Elly: It’s habits, not heroics.
For someone reading this who likes the idea but is scared of wires and code, what’s the gentlest first step they could try?
Paul: Fix one annoyance with a low-cost sensor and a local controller. Take note. What you tried. What broke. What you changed. Add a second thing, then a third. Keep core functions local.
Elly: Ask questions in communities. People will happily help you out.
Last one: languages, coding, chickens, solar panels, weather sensors… it’s an interesting mix. What’s the thread that ties it all together for you two?
Elly: Nothing really, until there is a need. In our case, the need to drive sustainability through technology.
Paul: We like technology and we argue with it. We care about sustainability and for us, the two go hand in hand.
We like technology and we argue with it. We care about sustainability and for us, the two go hand in hand.
– Paul Herbosch
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