The Windy Homestead: Adding a Dome Greenhouse

Brooke and Russell Waugh live in Laramie, Wyoming. Most people know Wyoming is windy, but it is actually the windiest state in the lower 48 states. Hence their homestead name, The Windy Homestead Wyoming.

Along with being homesteaders, Brooke is a nurse, and Russell is a firefighter. They found their homestead in 2019 and have been expanding it every year. They practice zone 4 gardening, both outdoors and in their Growing Spaces dome greenhouse, raise chickens and bees, hunt, fish, and share practical homesteading tips. Sharing knowledge is important to them, so they also teach beekeeping classes at the conservation district.

When looking for a greenhouse, they knew it would have to withstand winds of 30-40 mph with gusts that can reach 50-60 mph. Although they hadn’t heard of Growing Spaces, they had seen dome homes before. Luckily for them, their parents bought a 22’ dome from friends in Saratoga, Wyoming. After they bought it they decided not to set it up, so Russell and Brooke bought it in August 2025. They completed the dome setup in 2026.

They are living the homesteading life with their two children, learning about gardening year-round and sharing the adventure with anyone who wants to learn, both the successes and the challenges. We love that they are focused on helping others as they learn. You know the saying, “Sharing is caring!”

Growing in a Dome Greenhouse and an Outdoor Garden

On their homestead, they have an outdoor garden and a hoop house, but adding the Growing Spaces dome greenhouse this year will allow them to grow through winter. That’s a major bonus for a homesteader with a harsh winter climate. This was their first summer growing in the dome, and they are very happy with it!

Their hoop house structure is also useful as a windbreak for their outdoor garden. The winds come from the west, so to protect their outdoor garden, they planted currant bushes on the west side of their hoop structure. Along the north side, they planted hops, and on the south side they planted grapevines to provide shade for the hoop house. Unfortunately, the hops have proven to be invasive, so Brooke and Russell will be removing them this year. Gardeners learn and grow right along with their crops!

Advice For New Dome Owners

Trying something new can come with challenges. When they put up their dome, the center bed flooded in May, and they discovered their dig point water level is 1 ½ feet, so they added a sump pump. Hopefully this will solve that issue!

One of the things they suggest is to hire the Growing Spaces crew to build the dome, and Russell recommends asking your wife for help! It’s also good to have a plan on what you’re going to grow inside before starting to finish the interior. They didn’t do that, and it took longer than they anticipated, and sometimes they didn’t like the way it looked.

Having a dome in the windiest state in the lower 48 meant they needed to make some changes to their vents. They have two operational side vents (one on the east side with no wind), sealed the top vents due to the wind, and added an exhaust fan.

For their raised beds, they used grain bins, a center bed with a concrete wall, and a crescent moon section with river rock.

What They Are Growing

Inside the dome, they have started their winter crops and plan to grow aquaponics in the pond in the future. Psst: Hey, Russell, you can fish in the pond, too!

A wise gardener will learn techniques for regular gardening in their zone (zone 4 for Brooke and Russell), but growing in a dome is a whole different process.

Note: Growing Spaces has a blog with all sorts of information, such as growing specific plants in the dome, pest control, raised bed designs, and more.

Russell has a secret green thumb, and he will take seeds from fruit that Brooke is eating and grow them. He is growing date palms in 5-gallon buckets, and it will be fun to watch them grow and see if they produce dates. They collected tadpoles with their daughter to see if they could watch them grow into a frog. They now have a frog dome mascot named Frankie!

Luckily, they have not had any issues with critters. They do have bears that come down from the mountain sometimes, but they have not discovered the dome or their bees.

We hope you enjoyed this story! Follow them for advice on a range of homesteading activities such as building a chicken tractor, pollinating your corn, gardening, making your own soap and cleaning supplies, beekeeping, food preservation tips, selling homestead products at the local farmer’s market, and more. The Windy Homestead Wyoming on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Happy “domesteading”!