About Us has changed, but I want to preserve where we have come from. This is where we will always realign to, regardless of the home, the homestead, or the land.
When J and I found ourselves without solid work, we decided to take what we do have and make more of it. We live on 5 acres in the high desert of Central Oregon. Our home is unusual because we live completely off-grid. We have no wires or pipes connecting us to the outside world. We have solar panels and a generator for our power source. We haul water from the community well about fifteen miles from here. We have three miles of dirt road between us and the pavement. It's unusual, but it's peaceful.
Our home is a homestead, but by no means is it rustic. We have tile floors, indoor plumbing, and internet...along with all of the other comforts of a newer home. But we are conscious of how we consume. We conserve because it is part of the reality of our chosen lifestyle, not because it's cool. We hang dry the clothes, even in the winter, whenever it's dry outside. We hand wash our dishes because it uses less energy and water than the dishwasher. The kids check the battery bank before turning on the computer because they don't want to be in the dark at night. It's a natural part of our existence, but one that most people ignore.
We are working on growing a large garden - with the goal of feeding ourselves through the winter. There are unique challenges with a garden where we live. We have no well so water conservation is critical. Our growing season is short as we live at 4200ft. But with a greenhouse and very specific watering systems, we hope to succeed.
We have pigs, goats, dogs, geese, ducks, rabbits, and chickens that all serve their own purpose. We have three boys who are very involved in the daily activities around here. They help to feed livestock, build fences, and plant the garden.
We are certainly not the only family who has done this, but as the chaos of the modern world advances, we find ourselves in the minority - and we don't mind. While most people wouldn't enjoy the challenges of our chosen lifestyle, we find joy in the simpler pleasures - fresh goat milk, a well-built fence, podeos (pig rodeo). These are simply the day-to-day events of a small farming family in America.
