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Category Archives: Off Grid Living
Is Sewing a Survival Skill?
Is sewing a survival skill? Good question. Some would argue sewing is a forgotten or dying art and therefore irrelevant. I couldn’t disagree more. Back when I was in high school, learning to sew was part of the Home Economics … Continue reading
The Off-Grid Sewing Machine
When preparing to go off-grid, one item that may be overlooked is the family sewing machine. Who gives this device a second thought until they need it to repair a rip in their pants or a tear in a shirt … Continue reading
Posted in Off Grid Living
Tagged homesteading, off grid, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance
3 Comments
Self-Sufficiency Versus Off-Grid, Is There a Difference?
Although quite a few people view these terms as synonymous, in reality they are not. There is most definitely a difference between self-sufficiency and being off-grid. Often the terms off-grid and self-sufficient go hand in hand but the terms mean … Continue reading
Posted in Off Grid Living
Tagged homesteading, off grid, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance
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Those people aren’t off grid! How dare they claim that!
Those people aren’t off grid! How dare they claim that! The following was written by two off grid people, Ron and Johanna Melchiore, sent to you via satellite for distribution on social media. A couple of weeks ago, our publisher … Continue reading
Posted in Off Grid Living
Tagged homesteading, off grid, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance
9 Comments
Basic Knitting Equipment for the Self-Reliant Homesteader
As we’ve eluded to in previous posts, winter on the homestead is the perfect time to engage in pursuits there’s no time to do during the busy summer months. Knitting is a pleasurable hobby but for the self-reliant homesteader it’s … Continue reading
Winter Activities on Our Homestead
We had a recent inquiry about our woodlot work as well as our winter activities on our homestead so here it goes. With gardens put to bed, preserved bounty socked away in the root cellar, pantry and freezers, life on … Continue reading
Posted in Off Grid Living
Tagged homesteading, off grid, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance, Woodlot
2 Comments
The Off-Grid Dream – the Realities
Going off-grid is your dream, but how do you proceed? Where do you begin? First you need to come to grips with the realities of going off-grid. We’ve lived the off-grid dream for 41 years beginning in northern Maine at … Continue reading
Posted in Off Grid Living, Uncategorized
Tagged homesteading, off grid, self sufficiency, self-reliance
2 Comments
Quilting, Weaving and Other Worthwhile Homestead Pursuits
We recently received a comment from a reader of our book The Self-Sufficient Backyard: For the Independent Homesteader who asked how I do quilting and weaving on the homestead and whether my fabric and yarn are purchased from elsewhere. This … Continue reading
What Does It Mean to Live Off-Grid?
Bear with us for a minute and this will all make sense in the end. As kids, (only a few short years ago), we were entertained by some great TV. One of the many shows we watched was the dynamic … Continue reading
Posted in Off Grid Living
Tagged homesteading, off grid, prepping, self sufficiency, self-reliance
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Off Grid Refrigeration
Update January 2019… We lugged the refrigerator to the local repairman who confirmed it is leaking refrigerant. He traced it to the refrigerator compartment that is inaccessible. It can’t be fixed and we were told to take our extremely expensive … Continue reading
Posted in Off Grid Living
Tagged off grid, Off Grid Cooking, self sufficiency, self-reliance
10 Comments
Floor Plan For The Perfect Homestead Dwelling – Part 2
Welcome back! In this part of designing the perfect homestead dwelling, I’ll discuss more factors to consider when developing your floor plan, beginning with the workshop. At the Maine homestead, the workshop was attached to the barn. This was convenient … Continue reading
Posted in Off Grid Living
Tagged homesteading, off grid, self sufficiency, self-reliance, wilderness living
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Floor Plan for the Perfect Homestead Dwelling Part 1
Designing the floor plan for the perfect homestead dwelling, whether it be on or off the grid requires careful thought and consideration. Let’s face it. You’ll be engaging in activities most people have never dreamed of doing. Certainly modern houses … Continue reading
Posted in Off Grid Living
Tagged homesteading, off grid, self sufficiency, self-reliance, wilderness living
5 Comments
Selecting Your Homestead Site
You’ve decided you want to live off-grid. Now what? How do you proceed? How does one get started picking the perfect homestead site? The process can be overwhelming but let’s start logically and take it one step at a time. … Continue reading
Why Homestead? Why Live Off-grid?
Welcome kindred spirit. Thank you for stopping by. Why homestead? Why live off-grid? Two great questions whose answers vary depending on each individual’s unique circumstances. In my case, back in the old days of the 1970’s, I had a career … Continue reading
