There is a myth surrounding acorns that states Acorns are poisonous and can’t be eaten! Acorns can be eaten, but you wouldn’t want to just pick one up and eat it. There’s a leaching process that must be done in order to make the acorns edible.
One of my favorite parts about living on a farm or off of the grid is getting to work with the animals. Chickens are usually the first animal people get on a farm – or sometimes even in a backyard.
There are literally hundreds of chicken breeds out there. You could look at pictures and decide which ones you want to raise according to looks but I recommend looking into some things. Important factors to consider when choosing a chicken:
The Autumn Equinox is one of my favorite seasonal transitions to experience. Don’t get me wrong – I love all of the seasons and I appreciate the changes, but Autumn is just the bee’s knees.
I never thought I would say this, but when I was a kid, summers were spent playing outdoors. There were no smartphones, iPads, laptops, or any other fancy technology to distract us. And vacations? Well, we spent those camping.
Living off the grid provided me with several encounters with nature in many forms – whether it was the weather, creature critters or the growing forest. Some of my favorite encounters were with animals and I love them all. I was far enough out in the woods that spotting wildlife was as easy as finding a game on ESPN. I have so many experiences but today I will share with you a few of my favorites.
The Big Bear
Before electricity, the fireplace or wood stove was the heart of every home. For those of us that live off of the grid, we know that fire is life, just as it was back then. Fire is everything: it provides heat for warmth and cooking and provides light at night.
Everything about fire serves a purpose in one way or another:
“I love not Man the less, but Nature more, From these our interviews, in which I steal From all I may be, or have been before, To mingle with the Universe, and feel”
Quote From Lord Byron: Childe Harold's Pilgrimage
When I first journeyed off the grid I had to learn about keeping food the so-called “old-fashioned way.” Shopping is a little different when you trade in your refrigerator for a root cellar. However, root cellars are actually quite efficient. It's not that you have to change the way you eat, you simply have to change the way you shop. Root cellars are underground storage areas that stay at cool temperatures, even in the summer.
Our natural world is receding from human experience, but the physical and mental benefits associated with communing with nature remain as important as ever. Declining interest in the outdoors has been described as “nature deficit disorder by Richard Louv in his book, Last Child in the Woods. Children especially are experiencing a nature deficit disorder.
The amount of time children and young adults spend outside is in sharp decline, and demographic trends indicate the great outdoors is becoming less relevant for more people, statistically speaking.
Adobe structures are some of the oldest buildings, yet still remain some of the most sustainable. These structures naturally regulate temperature indoors, are made from natural materials, and are able to withstand some of the harshest climates.