Why do some people love going to the office, day after day? Now we understand… Working in a corporate office seems pretty damn fun when ET’s bike is flying through the stairwell, Slimer’s head is mounted in the hallway, and R2D2 greets … 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
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
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
-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
ALERT! 24 Hours left to donate to send Boondockers to TERRA MADRE and receive some super cool prizes!!!!! Sometimes it’s easy to overlook bounty in your own backyard. We’ve always known that the Portland area and Oregon have the … 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
Today we pulled over to have a picnic brunch on the beach. We were soon joined by a majestic heard of elk, who were kind enough to stay a few yards away and let us take their photo. Incredible!
“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
It’s an unwrapped wrap! We got a call Thursday morning – For the first time with ANY vendor we have worked with on the bus conversion project, something was done ahead of schedule! A Little Further’s exterior makeover was complete! … 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
Free Range Quest was invited to the Mother Earth News Fair in Puyallup, Washington last weekend. We learned about beekeeping, aquaponics, cheesemaking, fermentation and much more! We got to tan hides, build earth ovens, pet alpacas (not the one from … 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
I created a sliding door ALFie’s bathroom for under $30! Some of these barn-style door hardware kits are hundreds of dollars, I wanted to find a way to simplify and slash that cost drastically (Later we added a custom stained-glass … Continue reading
Normally we are anti-hoarding, but in this case, it helped us! We had been saving wine corks in a vase for a few years for no particular reason. Between our collection plus that of a friend and our parents we … Continue reading
Chemical based sealers will often peel as the natural cedar oils degrade them, so finishing or staining cedar walls isn’t recommended. Sanding the walls with a fine sandpaper will revive the cedar scent as the aromatics dissipate over time. Another food-safe, non-toxic, … 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
The short bus conversion in progress! Subscribe here or follow us on Facebook to see more updates as our project moves ahead! Night and day (in below freezing temperatures and with multiple layers of clothing) we installed the kitchen countertop and sink, … Continue reading
We have rain, freezing temperatures, and back-to-back illnesses — but we persevere! Luckily, we have ALFie’s mini cube fireplace to keep us warm while we continue to rehab our 1999 diesel GMC bus into the perfect rolling cabin. Right now … 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
“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
The navigator/passenger seat that we converted from an old office chair is now mounted with 360 swivel action! Carefully calculating the space we had to attach the seat without disturbing anything in the undercarriage was a daunting task! Dave spent … 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
This week we started the construction of the bedroom in ALFie. We decided on a raised storage platform because storage is what we are lacking most in the space and we liked the idea of the bed being toward the … 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
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
Matthew Colin is currently playing amazing music and traveling through the US and Canada in a van which is partially solar powered (more inspiration!). For those lucky enough to catch his live shows (the next one being in Portland, OR at … 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
We began experimenting with fermentation in a variety of forms a couple of years ago. Making pickles, beer, breads, cheeses, and kombucha have become relished (winkwink) hobbies – It’s cheaper than buying the store bought stuff and we always feel … 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
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
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
~Steve Jobs
Free Range Quest 