5  Tips to living off the land

You’ve decided to move out of the big city and start living off the land. It’s a big decision with so many issues to consider so start making a list.

The great part of living off the land is families can control how their food is produced, how much power they consume and know what is in their water. Living a rustic lifestyle can be very empowering, although it’s a lot of work. Someone needs to tend the plants, care for the animals and fetch the water.

This house takes advantage of its southern frontage with solar panels.

1.  Before you get into the day-to-day details, you have to figure out where you are going to live. Will you be in a rural area close to a big city or in an isolated region cutoff from civilization? Here are key issues to consider:

• Cost of land. It’s cheaper in a rural area than suburban. If you choose a suburban community be aware that many towns have bylaws regarding keeping animals in city limits and about solar panels on roofs.
• If you choose a rural setting consider how long it will take to get to work especially in bad weather conditions. If you are quitting work, then this isn’t an issue. If you choose to have animals, you’ll need space for a barn.
• There are many issues for contemplation if you pick an isolated plot. Remember your access to health care and other emergency services will be limited. There might be no cell service and the closest neighbor could be a few miles away. If you have health problems that need frequent doctor’s visits, this would not be the selection for you.

So you’ve picked your land, if there is already a structure on the property you can alter it. If you have to start fresh, choose a design that is small and efficient. You don’t need a lot of space, especially if you’ve downsized your possessions.

There are many tiny or small home designs available. One British company built a luxury tree house that sleeps four and is warmed with a wood-burning stove.

Many folks build log homes, but before you make your decision you must investigate the climate and materials best suited for where you will live. Wood expands and contracts during the seasons and your design needs to take that into consideration unless you want a drafty house.

If decide to put solar panels on a roof, it must be able to handle the weight of the equipment, so it may be best to go with a ground unit.

2. So now you must decide whether you want electricity. Energy is not essential to living. If you are going off the grid consider solar panels or plan a lifestyle without power. One Idaho family had propane lanterns to provide light at night that cost them about $45 per year.

Remember during the winter months there are fewer daylight hours so unless you plan to go to bed at 5 p.m., you might want to create an energy source. Candles are not a long term solution and also pose a fire hazard.

If you plan to live in an isolated area you may want to take a course on how to maintain and repair your solar panels. You can install them yourself although most folks hire an electrician to help out.

3. Beside power, one of your major concerns will be water. Going off the grid means living without municipal water or sewer services. You use water for survival. Not only do you drink it, but it’s for personal hygiene, cleaning clothes and food for plants.

Make water a priority when looking for land with a well or near a stream or lake. To pump water to your home, you will need a power source or an ability to pump it manually. A solar powered battery will do the trick especially in winter weather when mechanics and water lines can freeze.

4. If a water source is unavailable, you should install rain barrels and have some kind of holding tank to enclose the water.

When you shut off water, you also don’t have access to a sewer system. While it may seem simple to build an outhouse, it’s not a pleasant experience to use one in the middle of the night in frigid temperatures.

You have to decide what you are going to do with your waste. Many people turn to composting toilets that breakdown the waste. One couple turned to purchase a composting toilet but found it too expensive so they built their own.

5. Lastly, you will need to eat. You don’t have to be a vegetarian to live off the land. In fact protein will be especially important to your diet during the winter months.

In this garden, off-the-grid farmers are growing a wide range of vegetables.

Food can be grown or raised. You need to research what kinds of food you can grow in your region. Take into consideration altitude, soil composition and length of season depending on how far north or south you plan to locate. One Idaho family built a greenhouse to grow tomatoes and peppers because the region they chose had frost even in the summer.

Think about vegetables that can be stored without refrigeration like carrots, potatoes, onions and squash. Some of these can last for months in a cool dry storage place.

Root vegetables have a much longer shelf life than other perishable food.

Hunting and fishing in the summer can help provide food for the winter so long as the meat is smoked, salted or stored in such a way to last for months.

Before investing in livestock make sure the zoning of your land allows it. Many urban/suburban communities ban the housing of livestock within city limits. Don’t forget that you will need to feed and care for your animals, so take that into consideration when doing your financial planning. As well, most need shelter. A chicken or duck coop for the birds, barn for larger animals.

Here are 3 low maintenance livestock that can provide you with a great source of food year round:

• Chickens give you a daily egg and when they stop producing and need to be slaughtered they can provide a protein meal. Buy them as chicks.

• Ducks can also provide eggs and the meat is tasty. Buy them as chicks.

• Goats serve several purposes. They can provide milk and meat at the end of the season and the animals eat any overgrown brush.