As the rumble of the overhead tracks at 116th and Park Avenue in New York City fades after each passing train, a gentler sound emerges. Something you won’t often hear in Spanish Harlem… The happy clucking of chickens at the … Continue reading
For more from our Free Range Quest, subscribe to this blog or visit us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. _________________________________ “The thrust is no longer for ‘change’ or ‘progress’ or ‘revolution,’ but merely to escape, to live on the far … Continue reading
For more from our Free Range Quest, subscribe to this blog or visit us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. _______________________________ “Myths and legends die hard in America. We love them for the extra dimension they provide, the illusion of near-infinite possibility to erase … Continue reading
You can help to honor Dr. Hunter S. Thompson and be part of GonzoFest 2014 by clicking here and donating a couple bucks to this epic grassroots event organized by family, friends (such as legendary writers and poets Ron Whitehead and Frank Messina) and fans to … Continue reading
“I was never trying, necessarily, to be an outlaw. It was just the place in which I found myself.” -HST Paris Review, 2000 Dave was born a Kentucky boy. Some happenstance had transferred his father to the bluegrass state for … Continue reading
Life is all about balance. When the balance is disturbed, you do what you have to to regain it immediately. It was early in the valley on the sunny, warm morning of my birthday when I awoke to my wife’s … Continue reading
After seven months on the adventure road, we took a pause for the past few weeks in the beautiful Embudo Valley, New Mexico, at the El Bosque garlic farm. Noted author and off-grid farmer Stanley Crawford (A Garlic Testament) and … Continue reading
HAPPY 2014! We took our biggest leap in 2013 — selling our home and giving away all of our possessions to document amazing farm and energy innovators, culinary pioneers and off-gridders across the continent, while searching for our own piece … Continue reading
Greetings from Amarillo, Texas! Free Range Quest is raising funds for FamilyFarms Charities by taking The Big Texan Steak Ranch Challenge TODAY! This means Kristina will attempt to follow in the footsteps of Joey Chestnut and a 500 lb. bengal tiger by eating a 72 oz. … Continue reading
Living full-time on the road and in the woods has put our survive and thrive priorities up front – instead of paying someone else to take care of our needs, the basics take up a good chunk of our time. … Continue reading
In the Adirondacks, overlooking Lake Champlain is Essex; a small town of a little over 600 people where from fertile ground and a lot of dirty work sprouted one of the most inspiring farms in the world. We put our … Continue reading
-Click here to see more, including updates from the road!- Larry and Nancy Midlin should be having a little cow right about now. Last week, mom was set to go into labor any day at the beautiful Exuberance Farm in Northeastern … Continue reading
-Click here for more photos, self-sufficiency stories, and updates from the road!- Adventure could be defined by how many times you find yourself saying “I don’t know how we’re going to get out of this one.” We have been … Continue reading
Free Range Quest cruised across the prairies, hills and fields all the way from Portland, Oregon to the Mother Earth News Fair in Seven Springs PA 2013 to find loads of inspirational people working with real food, natural healing and all types … Continue reading
The best stories we find on the road are those of the people who made a decision, packed up, and set out to start again. Karen Evans’ husband Chuck was a college art department head in the town of Winona, … Continue reading
Dear friends – we have discovered three tiny, raised-bed garden boxes here at our corporate, business-class hotel. Farm-to-table at…. The DoubleTree?!? The chef uses all he can from the fresh herbs, tomatoes, corn and even squash in the cuisine served … Continue reading
Once a model for some of the top fashion houses in the world, Renee Gunter traded in her jet-setting lifestyle to provide the most gorgeous and delicious fruits, veggies, and natural products available to Los Angeles residents — all from … Continue reading
“We saw that painted bus coming and we thought ‘oh no, here come more of those dirty hippies,’” the Ranger told us at the park gate. “But we were wrong, the bus looks great – and you guys don’t smell … Continue reading
Click HERE to like us on Facebook for more photos and updates from the road, including our first rolling home-cooked meal and daily travel essentials! _____________________________ On our last day in our old house, we awoke to a classic hot … Continue reading
BEFORE: AFTER: Like us on Facebook to see more photos and updates from the road! It took a year, a lot of hard work, a lot of re-purposing. The words “shim” and “jerry-rig” were bandied about quite a little bit… … Continue reading
Ed Begley Jr. is perhaps the most well-known face of the Mother Earth News Fair. His work in comedy and drama (Spinal Tap, Arrested Development, Portlandia, St. Elsewhere) is rivaled only by his passion for living and promoting a greener … Continue reading
Today I quit my job in corporate American media. I/We have been working up to this move for many years as we journey towards our farmstead. I told Kristina that, in a way, I feel like I am starting my … Continue reading
In the immortal paraphrasing of Slack Master Ferris Bueller – leaving our jobs, selling our house, and liquidating most of our possessions to live in our bus may seem a little childish and stupid, but then, so is the rat … Continue reading
Joel Salatin, the internationally famous ‘Lunatic Farmer’, Author (Folks, This Ain’t Normal, Everything I Want to do is Illegal, You Can Farm … and many more), and star subject of food renegade documentary films, (Food Inc., Fresh, American Meat) thinks … Continue reading
We at Free Range Quest are blessed to meet so many who motivate, inspire, and teach us. Sandor Katz has been called evangelical in the way he speaks about fermented foods. It has been said that he “has become for … Continue reading
The Island Where People Forget to Die – NYTimes.com.
Unraveling the mystery of why the inhabitants of Ikaria, an island of 99 square miles that is home to almost 10,000 Greek nationals, live so long and so well.
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As usual, a clean diet and strong social circle seem to contribute to a long life — “Even if you’re antisocial, you’ll never be entirely alone. Your neighbors will cajole you out of your house for the village festival to eat your portion of goat meat.”
“Look back to where you have been, for a clue to where you are going” -Unknown “I sure hope not.” -Me I said to my wife the other night, “In the last decade of my life, I can clearly mark … Continue reading
Hard work in exchange for a life filled with love, adventure, and a wealth of great memories is my idea of a great profit. For me, the most interesting and desirable returns come from money, energy, and time invested so … Continue reading
A Killer Halloween It was dawn of Halloween 2011, the cold crackling air was leaving chilly crystals on the ground and falling from our breath as we grabbed the drunken turkeys by their giant, dinosaur legs. They usually go limp … Continue reading
Here is a glimpse into our RV bus conversion, this tiny home design is complete (with some fantastic personal touches sure to be in place for the bus-warming party, thanks to starchitecht, Colin Jensen)! — Note the powder room with … Continue reading
In an effort to un-hoard, we sold our dining table and chairs, a side table, our guest bed and frame, our giant dresser (who needs a dresser when all we wear is The Uniform?!), and any remaining childhood memorabilia — save for one mint … Continue reading
Farm school starts real early. And on a Saturday, no less! Kinda like actual farming, I suppose… I recently received an email from the Oregon State University Extension Service about the 2012 Small Farm School, so of course Kristina and … Continue reading
Though we’ve had some major delays in our remodel schedule, we were still able to make some great progress during the month of August. We got a pretty nasty rock chip in the windshield and that needed to be repaired … Continue reading
We are striving to live a more simple life. To clear the clutter so that we can form a more meaningful view of our world and cultivate the best relationships possible. Sometimes simplicity isn’t easy, our attachments to certain things … Continue reading
Due to the graphic nature of this blog post, reader discretion is advised… I have always remained firm in my belief that meat is perfectly natural, nutritious, and delicious to eat. I love tasting everything. I especially love indulging in a … Continue reading
While we were visiting family in Minnesota, we came across Autumnwood Farm. Pat Daninger, who runs this dairy farm and creamery was kind enough to host Free Range Quest for an early morning cow milking lesson before we caught our … Continue reading
This is not a story for the chicken-hearted… Or my parents… or in-laws who would undoubtedly be horrified… There is something that I must reveal in a public forum so that anyone reading might hold us accountable and shame us … Continue reading
Kristina and I paid off all of our debt in 2011. Save for our home, we have no loans. We have worked very hard to become more self-sufficient (stop paying people to do things we could learn to do ourselves) … Continue reading
See on Scoop.it – Free to Leave
City Folk Learn to Dispatch and Dress Chickens!
See on homestead.org
Below are some items we wear currently as clothing staples. Many we chose based on a low price, ease of replacement, quality, and fit. I always keep an eye out for items that wash well and don’t wrinkle easily because … Continue reading
Steve Jobs passed away around the time that my wife and I started getting very serious about living a more minimalistic and intentional lifestyle. Jobs was a unique and fascinating individual; the bold exclamation point on his physical presence was … Continue reading
I can’t believe it’s June. Of course, when it’s 50 degrees and rainy ten months out of the year it’s tough to see summer coming. After a very late night show with The Old States in St. John’s on Friday, … Continue reading
The seats are all removed and the bus has been approved for travel by our diesel mechanic! In this clip, Dave uses an angle grinder to remove that last, stubborn bench…
Free Range Quest 