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How self-sufficient do you think it's possible to become? And where could you do this in the US?
I am at the point where I've just had enough with "civilization." I know, I know, I need to just suck-it-up and deal with it but my defenses are down today and I'm feeling completely drained physically and emotionally. I just want to become a hermit.
I'm not rich. I'm living on one paycheck a month and putting the other one completely toward debt. I'll be debt-free within a year. After that, I am leaving Big City, USA to find a place on the outskirts of rural Small Town to live forever. Quietly. Peacefully. I'm tired of all the crap, issues, political correctness, lies, government, media (and I don't even own a television) and all the rest.
All I want is a tiny little house with some property where the water and air are clean and the soil is good so I can grow a lot of my own food. I don't want to be taxed to death and I'm a big believer that "less is more" when it comes to government.
Surely, there must be some remote area where a person could move to and just be left alone?
Go to Sheldon, IL. The closest "big" town is 8 miles away (which is Watseka, IL). Houses are big but cheap. No one is around to talk to... and if you die no one will probably find you for years, it can be that isolated. Live on a dirt road in Sheldon, and you won't see a car drive down it in a week. If you miss the city, you can drive for 3 hours straight and go to Chicago. It's total farm country.
nothing wrong with opinions, everyone is entitled. Just trying to give people some facts so they can form intelligent opinions.
Guess we have different ideas. The sort of rural lifestyle I have in mind in this thread (and what I'm working towards myself) is nothing like the suburban lifestyle that is unsustainable and too reliant on cars. My own goal, which doesn't sound too different from the OP's, is to grow/raise/keep bees/hunt/fish/etc. for all my own food. Heat will come from my site (wood) or the govt. forest land bordering my property as long as the permits to do so are available. I am not going to have a normal "job" to commute to (closest large city is over 140 miles away over a rough dirt/gravel road anyways), which won't be a big problem given the lack of taxes where I bought land. I'll have to do some things for money--sell honey, trap and maybe some other things, but trips to town will be very rare indeed. The average bush dweller in Alaska may only leave the bush once a year, some even less frequently. Not at all the suburban, commute to work, lifestyle. Obviously also more extreme, perhaps, than the average rural lifestyle too. I've watched some segments from that documentary and read a little on it, to get a feel for it. The average suburban lifestyle, which is what that film's main target is, is not at all like what I have in mind. The problem with cities is that water, food, fuel, etc., all comes from elsewhere. True that within a city public transportation and walking can take the place of the car for transportation, but that's only part of the picture. Once oil is too depleted/too expensive, those resources will be either very expensive, or scarce. Modern agriculture methods will be more difficult or even impossible to use, because of their reliance on oil, and as much as I like organic methods, the current population couldn't be fed with the current amount of farmland available. Cities and suburbs have grown too much. Alternatives aren't panning out and we're inching closer and closer to a meltdown, as I see it. Things will get ugly in the cities and suburbs, when people don't have enough water, food, fuel, etc., and the economy suffers, govt. intervention (there will be some) fails, etc. Cities will be bad places to be. I should be on my land for good though before things get too bad. Obviously not everyone can get a sizeable chunk of land in a real remote area like I am, and many lack the skills needed to live self-sufficiently, but I think it'll be the best answer for those who can.
wouldn't it easier to self-sufficient in a city if there's good public tranpsortation and walking areas? of course you wouldn't be able to hunt but you could grow a garden on the roof. no bears and snakes either.
wouldn't it easier to self-sufficient in a city if there's good public tranpsortation and walking areas? of course you wouldn't be able to hunt but you could grow a garden on the roof. no bears and snakes either.
The rules and regulations in cities, the pollution, limited space, taxes, etc., generally make it impossible.
Absolutely! One of the reasons I want my own land to live this way is so I can grow huge quantities of vegetables and fruits and herbs (dill, basil, etc.,) to help out neighbors who need help. The more people help each other in this way: food, sewing, building, fixing, etc., the better our communities and neighborhoods will become and show "big business" that they aren't so necessary after all.
How true! If we would become self-sufficient/self-reliant once again, we must show big business that they aren't as important as they think they are, and we must also stop relying so much on government to do everything for us. Time to learn how to stand on our own two feet, much as our ancestors did! To that end, we must generate some pride, and realize that we are capable, just as our forebears were. Secondly, we must get smart, and understand that for everything that big business, and especially the government, does "for us", there are strings attached, always!
Homestead.org is also a site full of good info on this topic.
Becky, thanks for bringing this one up! I just found it, myself, a few days ago, and had forgotten to to put it in my favorites. Good thing you reminded me!
Also, for any who are interested, there is a series of books called "Foxfire", (I'm sure some of you will remember them), that was originally started as a highschool project back in the late 60's, (they apparently also put out a couple of magazines each year, though I've never read it). The kids went around the Appalachian area, interviewing the old-timers, and came up with not only interesting stories, but quite a bit of "how-to" knowledge, as well. I have the first two books, and intend to buy more, as money allows, (the last I knew, there was a total of 12 in the series, though I've not read the newer ones). I found that Amazon had the best prices for them, and I think they have most of them. You may be also able to find them in used-book stores, though I've not looked, myself. They make for fascinating and educational reading, and I highly recommend them! Of course, check out your local library; they may have some of them, that you could sample, before you buy any. I just really liked them, because they definitely harken back to a time of simple, and self-sufficient, living.
Last edited by CelticLady1; 04-07-2008 at 08:23 AM..
wouldn't it easier to self-sufficient in a city if there's good public tranpsortation and walking areas? of course you wouldn't be able to hunt but you could grow a garden on the roof. no bears and snakes either.
You make a great point, Dangerous Boy. It is possible to become pretty self-sufficient when you live in a city. Many people are doing it.
For me, however, the point is to get out of the city altogether. I'm a country boy at heart, so living in the city is NOT easy for me.
I should clarify, that by being self-sufficient, I don't necessarily mean that I want to hunt for my food. Frankly, I'm not a huge meat eater, except for salmon and they're disappearing off the California and Oregon coasts as it is!
I just want to live in a very rural area (not necessarily so remote that my nearest neighbors are three hours away) and have plenty of space for myself to grow a garden. I want a HUGE garden so I can help others with fresh fruits and veggies, too. I still want to help others, and not completely isolate myself from people altogether. If I end up living in an area that has electricity, that's fine. If not, I have no problem going with wind and solar energy.
By the way, I took the time to watch the video that allforcats linked to. StumbleVideo I really enjoyed it! This would be about as remote as I would want to be, although I'm not opposed to being a little closer to town if that's where I found good land. Either way.
The great thing about this video is that it's honest. You're not getting the flowery, nature-child version of what it's like to live off-grid and how glorious it is. It's rough. It's hard work and it's definitely not for everyone. Personally, I could do it easily.
Thanks allforcats! I wish there were more videos like that. I can't seem to find any though. I found a few on Earthships, and that idea interests me, too, but I can't believe how expensive they are to build.
By the way, I took the time to watch the video that allforcats linked to. StumbleVideo I really enjoyed it! This would be about as remote as I would want to be, although I'm not opposed to being a little closer to town if that's where I found good land. Either way.
The great thing about this video is that it's honest. You're not getting the flowery, nature-child version of what it's like to live off-grid and how glorious it is. It's rough. It's hard work and it's definitely not for everyone. Personally, I could do it easily.
Thanks allforcats! I wish there were more videos like that. I can't seem to find any though. I found a few on Earthships, and that idea interests me, too, but I can't believe how expensive they are to build.
I saw that video too a while back. That's pretty comparable to my land (though I own less, 20 acres as opposed to over 100), being quite remote (well away from the road, and the road being a bit rough) but not fly-in either (transportation costs are what kept me from buying fly-in only land).
Tough going it can be, but few things worth having are easy to get I guess. Unless you have a lot of money saved up, you may consider doing without electricity, solar/wind is pretty expensive.
Are you planning on growing grains too?
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To that end, we must generate some pride, and realize that we are capable, just as our forebears were. Secondly, we must get smart, and understand that for everything that big business, and especially the government, does "for us"
, there are strings attached, always!
