The Homesteading Retreat Weekend

by | Mar 30, 2017 | Batteries, Economy, emergency preparedness, Energy, Experience Off Grid, Food, Gardening, Home Heating, Net Zero Energy, Off Grid Vacation, Off-Grid Communication, Self-Sufficiency, Septic Systems, Solar Power, Speaking Events, Wind Power, Woodstove

(or more specifically the “Dispelling the myths and showing the realities of the homesteading, independent, sustainable, independent ‘life in the country’ dream” totally awesome weekend!) Michelle and I have had great success with our one day workshops over the years....

The Fabulous, Actual and “For Real” Off The Grid Weekend at Sunflower Farm

by | Mar 3, 2017 | Batteries, Carbon Footprint, Energy, Experience Off Grid, Making a Difference, Off Grid Vacation, Off-Grid Communication, Self-Sufficiency

So, I’ve noticed a term that’s becoming really, really over used in our world today, and that’s “off the grid.” I hear it in movies and on TV and read it everywhere. Come on, enough! I suppose it’s a good thing because it makes what we’ve been doing for 20 years seem...

Mommy’s Alright, Daddy’s Alright, They Just Seem a Little Weird

by | Feb 9, 2017 | Chickens, Firewood, Food, Home Heating, Music, Off-Grid Communication, Parenting, Self-Sufficiency, Solar Power, Wind Power, Woodstove

When you’re a parent there comes a time when you have to look back and think about your parenting choices and their impacts on your kids. And how did they perceive you as a parent? The song lyric from the title is from the band Cheap Trick. It was on their 1983 Live...

The Best (and only) Solar-Powered, Off-The-Grid, Zero-Carbon, All You Can Grow, Living Independently, Ready for Rough Times WORKSHOP

by | Sep 24, 2014 | Carbon Footprint, Complexity, Energy, Food, Home Heating, Off-Grid Communication, Self-Sufficiency, Solar Power, Speaking Events, Uncategorized, Wind Power, Woodstove

Since Michelle and I moved off the grid 16 years ago we have answered a lot of questions about how to do it. Eventually we saw the need for more complete answers so we published The Renewable Energy Handbook and a few other books about living independently and...