When does just surviving off the grid turn into Homesteading? I guess everyone may have a different view of this.
As our family transitions off the grid once again, starting on RAW land with no Utilities or Internet, we enter the isolation zone. Although we are not the only family going through it alone this time. Adam Kokesh and Macey Tomlin are doing it with us, or rather we have joined their efforts to establish FREEDOM RANCH and the Freedom Homestead Academy.
As our work intensifies, I find it hard to give us a title. I have been working on organizing the shipping container delivery, internet, volunteers, ordering merchandise, and transitioning our family from Oracle, Arizona to Juniperwood (near Ash Fork) with our 16-month-old son Neo, and our cat Rocket.
On our way through the valley we had to make many stops. One was to see our friend Greg, who very graciously had let us borrow his 1000 watt solar panels since we went off the grid last July. Brian stopped at his house to drop off the solar panels, and Rocket escaped. We decided to leave him, and pick him up the next day. We stayed in front of his family’s house the first night, boondocking on a public street. Brian’s mom made us dinner, and Neo got some time with his grandparents. The next morning we picked up Rocket and it was on to the next stop.
Ananda and Xander welcome us to their “1 Full House Homestead” every time we pass through. It is always an important stop for us, due to the fact that they are growing their own food. This allows our family to help them in exchange for organic home grown food. There is nothing healthier then the food you grow for yourself and your family (as long as you are not poisoning it). You can see the video here of their chickens that we will be butchering in March, when we come back to the valley to help them. I am also hoping to pick up a Cluck N’ Feeder for our chickens in Ash Fork.
On the way up the hill into Prescott, the transmission in the Jeep died. We knew it was only a matter of time, but things like this always seem to happen on big trips. So we had to go to Concho to get my Jeep that we left there. Patrick had graciously allowed us to store some of our things there while we on the solar job in Oracle. I only wish we could have stayed longer, as Patrick is the kind of family people hope to have in life. We will never be able to thank him enough for the support he offered us.
As I sit here now at 5:45 in the morning….Brian just left to head back to Oracle in my Jeep. I really just hope that I can spend the next two days settling in. There is so much work to be done. As a mom, activist, and the Project Coordinator of the first Sapioponic House EVER created, I can’t help but be thankful that we are not alone. It is important that we share our thoughts during these getting off the grid times, so that when time comes for you to do it, you can learn from our good times and bad. You will be able to see what we choose to do during times of dispute, and how we find resolution.
Brian has a few days left in Oracle. The batteries have arrived, and we can leave our client with a fully functional off-grid solar system. It is refreshing to have almost finished the biggest job our family has worked on as agorists. Once Brian is done, he will be headed back to Ash Fork with our new solar panels. I’ll give you the details at a later time, but this might be the most exciting news. Our family will have reached a whole new level of freedom, and so will have Adam and Macey. The freedom solar brings to individuals and families brings us one step closer to self-sufficiency.
Original Article: http://thefreedomline.com/when-surviving-turns-into-homesteading/
