Got age-related homesteading issues?
(After a needed sabbatical, I’m back to offer NO-BS assistance as I can to those interested in acquiring property for off-grid homesteading on or near the Cumberland Plateau region of Tennessee’s Southern Appalachians. As a 70-something off-gridder, I share what I have learned – usually the hard way – to guide folks away from making the same mistakes I have. OTR)
We’ve received a number of requests for help from well-intentioned individuals who aim to move out of urban and suburban areas to homestead, either before or after they retire from the daily grind. Before offering assistance, we attempt to “qualify” these requests using some basic criteria for successful homesteading. These include marriage status; financial wherewithal; outdoor experience; mechanical skills; ages of children; personal physical health; type/amount of land, mineral rights and other property restrictions; level of personal motivation; security needs; distance to nearby hospitals; nuclear facilities, and to civilization in general. However, more and more often age is becoming a significant consideration in making the jump to self-sustaining off-grid living. Why is that?
Several reasons come to mind. One major factor is an ever-growing number of individuals aged 40 and younger who have no real concept of what homesteading, off-grid or even “gentleman farming” life is like. For some, it’s an eco-pipedream to escape to a romanticized green lifestyle in the country and live off the land. For most who aren’t millionaires, that dream doesn’t end well. It’s not necessarily that these folks aren’t physically capable of the workload, rather it’s that they haven’t been personally taught any of the basic skills that were once commonplace for all youth in the 1940s and 50s. It’s rare to find urban schools that teach “shop class,” “home economics” or even “civics” for that matter. Farming skills, even in the “fly-over” states, are becoming a lost art as small family farms disappear. Urban youth have no interest in animal husbandry, food storage, hunting or gardening skills – it’s just not cool. Good luck getting these kids interested in your crazy off-grid homesteading ideas. If you’re middle-aged and have no actual experience doing most of the things you’ll need to master as an off-grid homesteader, you might want to re-consider your pipedream. I’m not saying it can’t be done, but it’s likely to be a serious uphill challenge in unknown territory.
Of course, physical ability is another primary consideration that is usually related to age. You must keep yourself in shape for a self-reliant lifestyle. Daily physical labor will do that. Off-grid life requires a lot of sacrifices and hard work – manual labor – every day. Even with a tractor or skid steer for heavy lifting projects, the list of manual processes required 24/7 to maintain an off-grid homestead can be physically exhausting. As we age, everyday labor is harder on our joints and muscles and that limits agility. Cutting/splitting firewood for your stove and bucking bales of hay for your livestock is a never-ending job on the homestead. Homesteaders must know their physical limits and work within them in order to limit their risk of injury. The natural progression of aging makes homesteading more difficult but far from impossible. Effective use of tools and power equipment must be learned, including repair and maintenance techniques. These often require substantial manual labor. Keeping physically fit is a must at any age, but it’s more important when homesteaders reach advanced age. A self-sustaining lifestyle can certainly be perpetuated; just work smarter at a slower, more measured pace.
For most people, economics is an issue in pursuing the off-grid lifestyle and again, age is a factor. If you retired well with a pension and good savings or can afford to leave your high-dollar job to work online, you’re probably good to go, assuming you aren’t so far into the sticks that broadband access is nonexistent. Otherwise, prepare for a significant loss of revenue that cannot be replaced by selling your garden surplus at the county farmer’s market. Jobs in rural areas are sparse and barely provide a living wage even if your actual cost of living has been substantially reduced by leaving the city environment. Regardless of age, understand that starting an off-grid homestead requires a significant upfront outlay of capital for required resources such as: an adequate solar power system; septic system; water supply and filtration system (rainwater collection, pipe well, etc.); possibly propane, a hydropower system and definitely a backup energy generation system. These are basic items that you dare not scrimp on. It’s important to note that in some mountainous rural areas, central station electric service is not available. Your choice is to pay the local utility or electric co-op tens of thousands of dollars to build overhead service to your homesite (after you have cleared the right-of-way at your expense) or to build your own solar power system. Beware of anyone who tells you that it’s cheap to live off-grid. For seniors or new retirees, the best thing about starting or continuing the off-grid lifestyle is, we have done the travelling, the spending, the acquiring of goods, so it’s easier now to live on very little vs. how it would have been 20 years ago.
Another age-related issue for those who aim to transition to off-grid homesteading is the isolation of rural living, particularly in remote locations where the weather routinely traps you at your homesite for weeks or months. If you don’t already have some immediate family located on your homestead or are part of a tightly-knit off-grid community, the lack of social interaction can be challenging. Empty-nesters can find this situation particularly depressing as the colder months drag on with limited outside human contact. However, snowmobiles, high-ground clearance 4x4 vehicles and horses offer real alternatives to cabin fever in most areas of the US.
It boils down to this - age is relative. As a senior, I can assure all of you that chasing self-sufficiency is tough regardless of age or physical ability, but it’s the endless journey forward that actually keeps us in good shape and able to persevere. I don’t want to downplay the real personal satisfaction that comes from methodically working at homesteading and self-sufficiency. It’s not the instant gratification that so many people seek these days. It takes time, but it’s rewarding in so many ways. Seniors like myself can be successful in many aspects of off-grid living and outdoor life is amazingly good, even if it’s more difficult. A life outdoors is a life well lived – good words to live by regardless of age.
Homesteading is always a learning experience. The physical demands keep you in shape, and there is no time to complain about things that go wrong. You just move on and don’t stress about what you can’t change…like your age – just deal with it. Learn more at basiclifetraining.com
Personally, we like Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau. I’ve been in every state of the USA except Alaska (nothing personal) and more than my share of foreign countries. We found that the Cumberland Plateau offered everything we valued most. Over time, we built our 50-acre property into a modest off-grid retreat and farm. Location was the primary consideration. The Plateau serves as a natural barrier between the east and west because it’s up to 1,000 feet higher in elevation than surrounding small cities. Communities around the upper Cumberlands are advantageous for those with homesteading mindsets. Properties sell for relatively reasonable prices and the state has no income tax. The Cumberland Mountains straddle Kentucky, Tennessee, and a bit of western North Carolina and the Virginias. It’s beautiful mountain country with a modest climate and not densely populated. Tennessee is a Castle Doctrine state, the cost of living is low, and government regulation is limited. These and other good reasons make the Cumberland Plateau a good location for homesteading and retirement. Good luck in your search. Keep your tinder dry.
Ole Tennessee Ridgerunner