Home, Home On The Range…

The picture at left is from Architectural Digest, which did a photo layout of one of John and Cindy McCain’s Arizona homes in 2005. Here is the full slide show. Nice place.

Not exactly like our homesteads, which more often look sort of spliced together from this and that as we attempt to grow our personal independence and self-sufficiency in an increasingly hostile economy. Heck, many of us dedicated homesteaders have had to invent some creative ways just to pay the mortgage, which does tend to bite into time for completing the goat barn or installing the solar panels or building the sluice for the water turbine or… well, suffice it to say that for most of us, our homesteads are a forever work-in-progress. We wouldn’t be doing it if “Home” were not the most important asset we have in the world, on which we lavish our time, toil and love unconditionally.

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Filed under Economics, Garden, Goats, Home Buying, Homestead, Independence | Comment (0)

Are You Prepared to Survive GW?

Many modern homesteaders became modern homesteaders in a “back to the land” movement geared toward greater self-sufficiency in all things the average citified automaton expects government, corporations and society to supply. As government, corporations and society have begun to fall short of those provisions - either during exceptional circumstances or generally failing to provide goods and services cheaply, safely or consistently enough to be counted upon - we left to carve for ourselves a life where we can be primarily responsible for ourselves.

Now, it’s a long-term project. Unless you’re very rich to begin with, getting your homestead up to real self-sufficiency (and fully in your own name) can take decades. Maybe a lifetime or two. We can grow some of our own food, but probably not all. So we develop relationships with farmers and other homesteaders in our regions and learn to trade and barter for consumables. We can slowly but surely develop our own power sources (or learn to do without), but will likely remain tied to the grid or some other out-supply until the technology is developed and affordable enough for us to go off-grid. Etc., etc., etc.

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Filed under Emergency Preparedness, Environment, Food Production, Future Planning, Homestead, Independence | Comments (2)

EVs: Hope for Rural Transportation?

Yeah, I know. EVERYBODY is starting to dream about a whole new generation of cars and trucks for getting around in the 21st century without fossil fuels. But those of us who live in the wider countryside inventing wider, self-sufficient lives as homesteaders usually have to plan a bit farther out than city dwellers. Who, when push comes to shove (or just $5+ a gallon gasoline), can always ride the bus or take their bike or even hitch-hike on crowded roads full of mostly empty vehicles at a near standstill any time of day.

I’m a big fan of Toyota’s Prius and Honda’s Insight, but the hybrid technology isn’t really where it needs to be for my desire to somehow translate someday homestead energy self-sufficiency to transportation as well. For that, I’ll need all-electric. And something a lot more stable, dependable, useful and warmer in the winter than a glorified golf cart.

Something big enough to carry at least a couple of people, safe enough to protect us from bad drivers, fast enough to use the interstate, with enough range to get to and from the nearest regional farmer’s market - that’s about 60 miles round trip - without having to buy someone else’s electricity. Grocery store and other such amenities are in closer, smaller towns, 5-7 miles away (less than 15 round trip). I’ll need either a pickup-style bed - with sides and tailgate - or large luggage space in order to carry tools, machinery, trash (we have to haul our own), groceries (only shop once a week) and general ’stuff’. Like logs for firewood and lumber for building and… well, you know what I mean. And something that charges in a short enough period of time (whenever gas stations start offering paid by-the-hour 110 and 220 volt chargers) to get 500 miles in one day on occasion.

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Filed under Alternatives, Economics, Energy, Future Planning, Homestead, Independence, Transportation | Comment (0)