This is the first post in a series from the Schaap family about their effort to reduce their dependence on the modern system and increase their self-reliance called March Off Grid.
One of the primary goals of the Beyond Off Grid project is to motivate families to take action to reduce their dependence on the modern system. Those who spend at least a little time studying the reality of the risks posed by the modern economy and technology systems can easily become overwhelmed at the enormity of our situation and the difficulty in accomplishing the steps needed to significantly reduce the risks we face.
Many supporters of our project have already begun to take steps to become more self-reliant and to move their families towards a viable alternative to the current system that is coming apart at the seams. One such family is the Schaap family, who has shared their idea with us of taking the month of March to take sensible steps to reduce dependence on the modern system and practice the habits of a simpler and more sustainable lifestyle. They are taking the steps to March Off Grid. Here’s their perspective on this effort and how they’re putting it into practice.
Like many who are following the Beyond Off Grid project, my family aspires to be more like the folks who will be featured in the documentary: self-sufficient, prepared, more in touch with God’s creation, liberated from the chains that bind us, and considered odd or insane by the rest of the world’s standards.
We suspect there are also many, like us, trying to figure out an escape from the rat race that we regrettably bought into way back before we had eyes to see the vision and ears to hear the message of this effort. That departure from the 9-to-5 lie is easier for some than others.
We are a big, young family. We’re blessed with seven children and another on its way. As tempting as it is to jump into the deep end of the off-grid pool, we are seeking wisdom and patience, wading our way in from the shallow end making sure the little ones can swim well enough when we get to deeper waters.
This has created a bit of limbo for our family. We live in a place not suitable for our homesteading goals. Yet we’re tied to a job that is not family-friendly and limits where we can move. So we’ve long been exploring our options, waiting to see what direction God wants us to go.
Living with life on hold, as it seems, can be frustrating. Especially with the approach of spring, when trailersteading, playing in the dirt and getting sick from botched lacto-fermentation experiments sounds like a whole lotta fun. And Lord willing, we’ll get there.
Meanwhile, we decided to focus on what we can do now. Since this is the time of the year when people start getting off-gridesque projects going, we decided to approach the current month with a theme the whole family could enjoy: March Off Grid.
The theme is part of our intermediate plan. Another way we can continue on our journey, marching toward and preparing for whatever God has waiting for us.
Our immediate goal was to do at least one thing each day that related to a more off-grid lifestyle: eating by lamplight, getting rid of stuff that clutters our lives, and listening to Beyond Off Grid webinars way past our bedtime.
We posted our plan on Facebook, encouraging friends and family to share their ideas, comments, hate mail, questions and ways they aspired to March Off Grid. This unintentionally turned into a great accountability source.
Turns out, telling the world that you are going to do something helps motivate you to actually do it. So we’ve been posting photos and descriptions of our March Off Grid to Facebook. It’s been fun and rewarding to see the interaction.
We want our friends and family to understand the method to our madness. And, as we explained to our children tonight, our march off grid is not about finding a five-bedroom, two-and-half bath cave beyond the edge of civilization.
We want to be part of a community of like-minded people who are just as crazy as we are. A place where cavesteading, bathing once a week and goat milking sounds like a whole lotta fun. And Lord willing, we’ll get there.
How You Can Get Involved
If you’d like to take part in this effort, here are a few things you can do:
Brainstorm with your Family
Sit down and talk about what aspects of your daily life are affected by the modern economy, technology, and consumer culture. Discuss how you can take small steps – each day if possible – to reduce your dependence on these factors and begin moving towards a more self-reliant lifestyle.
Share what you’re Doing to March Off Grid
Use the hashtag #MarchOffGrid on any posts you make on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. Use the tag +MarchOffGrid on Google+
Interact with Others Taking Part in the Effort
Comment on this blog post, and others that we’ll be featuring from this effort. Join the March Off Grid Facebook Group. Follow the March Off Grid Pinterest board and comment. Join the conversation on Twitter by tracking the #marchoffgrid hashtag. We’d love to have you join in this effort. Please let us know what you’re doing to March Off Grid.
What if there was an off-grid way to heat your home with less fuel (like 80-90% less wood)?
There is, and it’s called the Rocket Mass Heater. In this design, the fire burns sideways, the smoke doesn’t come back up, and the heater stays warm for hours. As a result, it uses 80-90% LESS wood, while producing very little smoke and less CO2 than natural gas or electric heat. Better yet, folks have built these heaters for less than $20!