Ever want to grow your own veggies and protein source, while saving water at the same time? There’s an ancient permaculture method whereby you can do all of it at once: Aquaponics. A resurgent trend that is getting bigger – … 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
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
I’ve been a moonshiner For seventeen long years And I spent all my money On whiskey and beer And I go to some hollow And set up my still If whiskey don’t kill me Lord, I don’t know what will … 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
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
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
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
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
Here’s a little DIY curtain project for our awkwardly sized bus windows, they are easily removable and totally convertible — We added a screen print of one of our favorite band posters from Saint Jude to dress it up, but … 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
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.”
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
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
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
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
See on Scoop.it – Free to Leave
City Folk Learn to Dispatch and Dress Chickens!
See on homestead.org
See on Scoop.it – Free to Leave
A story by Lauren Weiss on Cowbird. Cowbird is a small community of storytellers, sharing heartfelt, personal stories.
See on cowbird.com
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
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…
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
~Steve Jobs
Free Range Quest 