Harsh Truths About Homesteading and Off-Grid Living...

10:12 am - 65 degrees - clear sky, 24+ mph wind gusts...

First things first - you need to realize that the "simple life" isn't so simple. Too many new homesteaders fail to realize that a simpler life does not mean an easier life. In many ways, you will be working harder than you ever have before.

With that being said, if this lifestyle is the right choice for you and your family, all your hard work will be more than worth it!

Here are a few harsh truths that we have learned along the way...

A lot of family members and friends will think you are nuts. -- Get used to it. Some people just will not understand or embrace your lifestyle choice. They may even try to talk you out of it. That's okay, just keep doing what you are doing.

Instead of getting defensive, or frustrated, try to stay focused and positive. Try to surround yourself with supportive people who can help you achieve your goals.

Homesteading is unpredictable. -- Often times you are dealing with the whim of Mother Nature and she cannot be controlled. Not enough rain, and your garden or crops suffer, or the threat of a wildfire gets high. Too much rain, and it ruins your garden or crops, or your road washes out. Crazy howling wind (which is a normal thing here) causes its own damage. And snow... trying to keep our driveway/road open is a full-time job and makes all the chores 10 times harder.

Forest fire about 1.5 miles from our home.

Besides Mother Nature, you also have to deal with whatever Life throws at you. Every year is different. Every year has its own difficulties, hardships, and rewards.

Homesteading and off-grid living is year-round, long hours, and hard work. -- Homesteading is 365 days a year... in sickness and in health... sunshine, rain, howling wind, and snow... and often involves long hours with hard work. 

It is also hard to get away. Want to go on vacation for a week... a weekend... or even an overnight trip? Who is going to take care of the animals?

The Rules Of 3. -- Everything takes 3 times longer than expected. You think building the chicken coop will take 1 week to build - wrong it will take 3 weeks to build.  

3 regularly used items will break within a week of each other. The washing machine will die, then the next day the power inverter just stops working, then a several days later something breaks on one of the cars.

And finally, the top 3 - time, money, and healthy - one always seems to be missing when you're getting ready for a big project.

Both Homesteading and off-grid living cost money. -- Some people may choose to develop a sustainable income from this lifestyle, and some may choose to continue working their traditional jobs. Either way is great, just choose whatever works best for you and your family. 

Just keep in mind... you will still need some sort of steady income. This lifestyle is not free, in fact, sometimes it is quite costly. You will need financial resources to pay taxes, insurance, purchase equipment, medical expenses when they occur, and any other supplies you may need. Just try to take things one step at a time.

This lifestyle is not for dummies. -- In reality, there is a drastic learning curve for beginners. Unless you grew up with this lifestyle, you will find yourself looking up how to (fill in the blank) quite often. 

If you want to grow your own food, you will need to learn how to garden, and how to properly preserve that food. You will need to learn construction, plumbing, and electrical work. You will need to know how to build a chicken coop, or raised garden beds, or how to build a fence, or how to build a shed or barn, or how to wire your off-grid power system, or how to plumb your garden's irrigation system.

The vast amount of knowledge, over a wide spectrum, that you will need is sometimes daunting, and much of your education will be in the form of on-the-job training, and learning as you go.

You won't always be able to do everything yourself. -- Regardless of how hard you try to do it all yourself, sometimes you will need help. Whether that help is in the form of barter, trade, paid help, or simply getting advice from someone with more experience - it is nice to have a network of like-minded people who you can look to when needed.

You are going to fail at some things. -- Some of your failures may not be pretty. And some may result in should of, could of, would of moments.

This lifestyle is going to have its major ups and downs. Your farming equipment may fail. Your snow removal equipment may break during a snowstorm. You may run through your savings more quickly than you thought you would.

But if you try to prepare for the worst and hope for the best, you will hopefully maintain a healthy attitude.

Windstorm broke our first set of solar panels.

You may occasionally have a love / hate relationship with this lifestyle. -- You are going to have times of frustration, disappointment, failure, and ask yourself "what the heck are we doing?" "Why isn't anything going as planned?" "What have we gotten ourselves into?".

You will also have feelings of accomplishment, appreciation, and sometimes awe - which, at the end of the day, somehow makes all of the chaos worth it.

These harsh truths are not to discourage you, but to hopefully help you. With some advance planning and forethought, and by learning from other homesteader and off-griders' mistakes, you will be able to weather through the initial rough periods. With each passing year, you will gain more experience, more knowledge, and more confidence to handle the inevitable problems that come with the territory. You will also gain the satisfaction of living out a rewarding lifestyle that you and your family enjoy.

Self Reliant Living...

6:35pm - 56 degrees - scattered clouds...

Here's the thing... I'm a bit of a worrier. I find that when I'm worried about something, being able to take a positive, substantive action, makes me feel like I'm a bit more in control. This is true when preparing for the harsh upcoming Winter season. This is true when preparing for natural disasters - both small and large. It's true when dealing with any medial issues. And it's true when fretting about the economy. With the world in a bit of a turmoil these days, it seems that there's a lot of worrying going on, and not just in my own head.

With the rising costs (which everyone is feeling the pinch) I started wondering about the people who survived the Great Depression. My grandparents were teenagers during that time, and I've listened to their stories. But I still wonder... in hindsight, how would they have prepared themselves for such a tough time. If their parents, my great-grandparents, had known what was coming, what would they have done differently? What did they wish for in the midst of their survival efforts? What would they have deemed mandatory survival needs?

I'm a voracious reader... and once I'm interested in something I seek out every resource I can find to learn everything I can about a topic. And maybe I've been reading too many apocalyptic novels lately, but these are questions that are concerning to me.

These days, we're so conditioned to jump in the car and run to the store whenever we need (or want!) something. What would our world look like if you weren't able to do that as often, or possibly not at all? 

In this day and age, we also heavily rely on the internet. During a power outage, or when the internet is down, you can't Google, or ask Alexa, how to do something, or look something up. That's why it is essential to have physical resources to turn to when digital isn't an option. 

Being prepared for when times are tough is an exercise in self-reliant living. Getting through tough times - whether it is nature related or man-made related - will be easier if you have skills. Knowledge is power, especially when the unexpected happens.

Here are some invaluable books you'll want on your shelf to get you started... 

Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition

Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival

Field Guide to Wilderness Medicine

Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants: Identify, Harvest, and Use 

SAS Survival Handbook, Third Edition

The Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual

The Survival Medicine Handbook

The Vegetable Gardener's Bible, 2nd Edition

Ultimate Guide: Wiring, 9th Edition

When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need To Survive When Disaster Strikes

Where There Is No Doctor: A Village Health Care Handbook

...then you can continue to add to your collection - cook books, gardening and wild edibles specific to the region you live in, bread making books, animal husbandry, general food preservation, herbalism books - really the list could go on and on.

I would absolutely love book recommendations, and I encourage you to let me know your favorites in the comments below. 

20 Small Reminders...

12:42 pm - 23 degrees - overcast, strong winds...

Are resolutions the same as a to-do-list?  I don’t really know but I work really well when I have a list.  Anyways... here are a few small reminders I am aiming to keep in mind for the new year!

1. Believe that anything is possible.

2. Choose a narrow path.  The sooner you pinpoint exactly what you want to achieve in your live, what you want your legacy to be, the sooner it will happen for you.  Don’t choose the well beaten path; create your own.  Dare to be different and aim for the moon.

3. Break a bad habit.

4. Work hard(er).  Start each day with goals.  Set your goals high and higher... your limits are only those you believe to be true.

5. Purge the unnecessary and decrease clutter.

6. Embrace change.  If life were consistent and without ups and downs, it would be boring, bleak and monotone.  We’re here to dodge bullets, get back up when we’re kicked down and make decisions for ourselves.  It’s all about building your character.  Never fear change, it could be exactly what you need.

7. Never allow waiting to become a habit.  Live your dreams and take risks.  Life is happening now.

8. Eat more real food.

9. Try to grow more food.

10. Take care of your body.  It’s the only place you have to live.  But never forget you don’t have a body, you have a soul.  Your exterior will never define your interior.

11. Exercise daily even when it sounds like a terrible idea. 

12. Its okay to eat cereal for dinner.  You only live once...

13. Make time for creativity.

14. Be loyal.  In love, friendships, and most importantly with your family.  Stay true to your word.

15. Hug the ones I love more.

16. Find the best in others.

17. Show others the best in me.

18. Own your mistakes.  The only way to learn is to make mistakes.  The only way to learn from mistakes is to own them.

19. A lot can happen in a year.

20. You’ll never be as young as you are right now.

We Have Power...

11:55 am - 63 degrees - gorgeous day...

I am beyond excited to finally be able to say... we have power! 

It has taken a long time to get to this point - reliable 24 hour power.  The end of May will mark 5 years living off-grid with only a generator for our occasional power needs.

For the past several months, after Tony got home from work, he would go straight to work again on our “control room”.  Some concrete, framing, plywood, insulation, sheetrock and the room under the stairwell was enclosed to house our power system.

Once the control room was enclosed Tony was busy making battery cables, connecting the 16 deep cycle batteries together, connecting the batteries to the inverter, wiring the inverter, numerous trips to different stores to get parts, and several phone calls to Magnum Energy to get questions answered.  

There are still a few small details that need to be finished or worked out, but for the most part... our battery bank and inverter are finally hooked up and working!

Last night was the first time we were able to turn on a lamp without having to run outside to turn on the generator first.  It is amazing how exciting it is to be able to turn on a simple lamp.  

This morning, as I'm tying out this blog post on our desk top computer that is being powered by our own power system... I am in awe of my amazingly awesome husband who I believe can do anything and is Superman in our children's eyes.

The Off-Grid Homestead…

52 degrees - 8:19 pm - clear night sky...

I had no idea when I started this blog that the homesteading movement would begin as a small wave that would turn into a very large one like it is now.  More and more people are jumping on board and realizing the need to be more in control of their world by growing their own food and getting more self-sufficient.

Back in the days of our great-great grandparents, “to homestead” meant to go out and claim some land, make improvements on it and the land would be yours.  But in the more recent years, the word homesteading has come to mean more than just one’s home and land, but instead it represents a lifestyle.  A back-to-the-basics lifestyle.  A lifestyle of self-sufficiency, sacrifice, hard work and satisfaction.

When we bought our property we joked that we were “homesteading it” (as in the 1800’s) – because we haul in our water and go outside to use the bathroom.  The idea of the “modern homestead” never really entered our minds… we were just thinking of the quality of life for our family.

We wanted ample room for our kids to run and play, to build a tree fort should they want or whatever project they dream up.  We want them to be outside and enjoy all that mother nature has to offer.  To spend the days with dirt between their toes, playing make believe in the yard, and being outside from nearly sun up to sun down, doesn’t that sound like a wonderful childhood?

We want our children to grow up gardening and raising animals.  We feel that it’s an important element of life that is missing from our modern lives.  Being able to get your hands dirty, to work the earth, to raise and care for animals; they will have an appreciation for those things and a deeper sense of gratitude.

We want our children to learn the value of work.  We want them to have a strong work ethic – to work hard and honestly.  We don’t want them to be afraid of work or afraid of working hard.  That fear only leads to the feelings of entitlement which seems to plague our society today.

We wanted to remove ourselves somewhat from the hustle and bustle and busyness that we experience in our fast paced society.  Granted, we are plenty busy around our “off-grid homestead” building our home, but that busyness will keep us at home rather than pulling us away.

We want to be together.  We will be working together, sacrificing together and enjoying our lives together.  The family is the most important unit in society so why should we all be going in different directions?

Though we didn’t purchase our land with the intention of becoming part of the modern-day homesteading movement, we are quickly falling in love with the idea as we continue to explore options for our property.

Off-grid homesteading will be a simpler life, although not necessarily simple.  We feel it is the right type of lifestyle for our family and we are working hard to make our dreams of off-grid homesteading a reality.

What are your dreams for your family?  Why are they important to you?

Happy New Year…

36 degrees - 10:10 am - clear morning with 48+ mph wind gusts...

Today brings us the beginning of the 2012 year!  We don’t always make a big deal out of it on New Year’s Eve, but I sure love what it means… a year full of possibilities; some of which might be life changing.

A new year is… a fresh start… a chance to correct the wrongs of yesterday… a chance to be a better person – listen more, love more, care more and give more.

As I bid farewell to 2011, I am filled with gratitude – gratitude for my son and daughter, for my husband, for our families and for many great friends.

I love a New Year!  2011 is behind us and my arms are open wide for 2012!

Off-Grid Internet…

42 degrees outside – 8:14 pm – it’s been raining all day, currently raining at a quarter inch per hour (2.82 inches total for today so far)…

I have two books that need to be written this summer.  In order to write them, I not only need my computers (desktop and laptop), but access to the Internet. 

Nowadays, there are Internet solutions that don’t require wires.  So, theoretically, we should be able to get the computers on the Internet in a place where wires don’t go.  Like our place in the foothills of the Cascade Mountain Range, which is entirely off-grid.

Now if you are not familiar with the phrase off-grid, it’s pretty simple.  It means that there is no access to public utilities, such as electricity, telephone, water, gas, or cable television.*  People who live off-grid have to provide for their own utilities.  Off-grid does NOT mean being some recluse who is untraceable and completely disconnected! 

With satellite, wireless Internet and wireless phone service it’s possible to have communications in even the most remote areas.  Anyone choosing to live off-grid can still enjoy efficient communications via one or more of these options.

Our computer-Internet hook up consists of desktop and laptop computers with Internet service currently being provided by Airspeed Internet.

Airspeeds network consists of a series of Repeater towers that relay our Internet signal to their base station, which is wired to a dedicated high-speed connection in town. 

Airspeed provided us with all of the hardware that connects to our wireless router, which in turn allows us to have Internet access throughout the house. All we need to do is turn on the generator, then the computer, and voilà we’re online.  So yes, it’s not only possible, but also simple to have an Internet connection while living off-grid.

*Yes, technically you can live in the middle of the big city and choose to be off-grid by not connecting to or using public utilities and instead providing them for yourself.  We don’t have a choice in the matter, so the ‘City Off-Grid Living’ is for someone else to blog about.

What A Crazy Week...

33 degrees outside - 7:36 pm - 15-20 mph winds and snow showers...

This past week has been a crazy one.  Everyone has been sick and is finally at various stages of recovery.  This past week has also brought several winter storms that have come through dumping quite a bit of snow.  After the little bit of rain we had today, the snow has compacted down to about 21 inches. 

Today was spent running around town filling up portable propane tanks, filling up gas cans for the generator, and stocking up on groceries in preparation for the possibility of getting snowed in.  We have another winter storm warning for tonight and tomorrow with the possible accumulation of another 2 to 3 feet of snow.  They are also expecting strong winds, which may cause blizzard conditions. 

This current winter storm warning may or may not happen or we may see 3 feet of snow or 3 inches of snow.  Either way, it’s best to be as prepared as we can for whatever the weather brings.

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary…

36 degrees outside - 4:48 pm - overcast, everything is still covered in snow which is slowly melting away...

How does your garden grow?  We have been giving a lot of thought to this question lately.  Well, not about Mary’s garden but our own.

With everything under a blanket of snow, the holiday season underway and spring ahead of us, I thought it was a good time to start putting plans together for our vegetable garden that will be built and planted come spring.  Yes, I know, garden dreaming and it’s not even Christmas yet.

Living on a mountain we are above the smog layer which also lets more UV light in.  We can have some really hot summer days and some really cold winter days.  Plants that did well in town may or may not do well up here on the mountain.  I think the first year will be more trial and error to see what does well in the vegetable garden.  Did I mention that we are also planning on attaching the chicken coop so the girls can run around in the fenced in garden during the day eating bugs.  Getting a little off track here, the chicken coop will be another post for another day.

On the mountain, the sky is truly the limit and we are faced with loads of decisions and choices – heirloom seeds versus hybrids, early, mid or late season varieties (or all three), what veggies should we plant, how much should we grow of each veggie, will it grow well in our climate, do we have room for it, how should we configure the raised beds and when will we ever find the time to install a drip irrigation system?

With all this talk of climate change, peak oil, long food miles, tainted produce and food recalls, factory farming, GMO’s, not to mention the words “global economic downturn”, we’ve decided that becoming more self-reliant isn’t simply a lifestyle choice – it’s a necessity.

                                              

We are looking to make the “right” decisions and “optimize our prospects for success”.  So far we have the location of the vegetable garden picked out.  It will be completely fenced in to keep the deer and other critters out and keep the chickens in.  We will be making raised plant beds with graveled pathways in between and attaching the chicken coop/tool shed in the Northeast corner of the garden. 

This of course is still all in the dreaming stage which will hopefully become reality come spring time.  Off to order seed catalogs (as suggested by my husbands green thumbed grandma - Thanks!) and write down a veggie wish list.

After a little bit of clearing brush, some moving of dirt and leveling,
this will be the future site of the vegetable garden and chicken coop.

{ Update - Dec. 8 }

Here is our ‘Veggie Wish List’:

Blueberries, Carrots, Corn, Cucumbers, Garlic, Green Onions, Lettuce (several varieties), Parsley, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Raspberries, Red Onions, Rhubarb, Strawberries, Squash, Sweet Basil, Tomatoes, Walla Walla Sweet Onions, and Zucchini.

Lay of the Land...

9:38 pm - 47 degrees outside - nice quiet stary night on the mountain...

Technically we have more than 22 acres.  When surveyors plot out the property borders, it is all drawn out according to longitude and latitude on a flat map.  When you actually go out and look and walk the property, with the canyons, hills, plateaus and valleys, you have considerably more land than you thought. 

 

Our property has those hills and canyons, so a large portion of it is inaccessible.  There is a large five acre plateau (which is where we are building our home) that drops steeply down into the canyon to the river and then back up the other side to another plateau.

When we first went to look at the property it had no view.  You could not see 10 feet in front of you thru the thick Vine Maple, Salmonberries and Alder trees.  There was a little overgrown tail that led down into the lot and you could see the very top of the mountain across the valley and that was the only view to speak of.

Some people have a hard time visualizing the end results.  We must have huge imaginations because we were somehow able to visualize all the wonderful possibilities the property possessed.

After we signed the papers, the first thing we did was review topographical maps and satellite photos of our new property to find out where the best build site would be and that was where we started the clearing.

We concentrated on clearing a few acres and after a year and a half we decided to camp on our property for the summer.  We wanted to see where the best location would be to put our new home and see how the weather affected that location so we could build our home accordingly.

One of the biggest things we discovered was that we had far more drainage issues than we ever imagined for living on top of a mountain.  Now the question was how to use that to our advantage?