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
The last time we were in Portland we visited one of our favorite date spots, aka: ‘the friendliest store in town’. There, we headed to the sample counter and were introduced to a simple, locally-made treat — and it blew our … Continue reading
While traveling through the incredible city of Louisville, KY, my brilliant filmmaker friends, Roni Jonah and Jason Crowe, took us in and lavished us with some SUPER tasty meals that happened to be raw, vegan, and packed full of protein! I became … Continue reading
Drifting amid the endless Texas prairie near Waco, the sky begun to grow strangely dim for mid-day. It was then that we pulled off of the freeway and saw the bobbing heads and flapping feathers of the eager emus at Willow Grove Ranch. Dave and … 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
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
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
Every year I see the media barrage of new and interesting tips and tricks to roast a Thanksgiving Turkey. I’ve read so many silly recipes over the years that basically instruct people how to make a soggy-skinned death trap in only 78 … 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
As long as Free Range Quest is on the road, finding healthy, fresh and local food (especially meat and fish) is an important part of our day… and sometimes it can be tough! So we were really excited to discover … Continue reading
While hanging out at Hook and Ladder in Sacramento, waiting for the first leg of repairs to be completed on our recently rear-ended ALFie, we told the story of our Free Range Quest to our server Micheal and handed her … 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 finally scored our first bag of shrooms on the road! The gourmet mushrooms of Far West Fungi were the focus of our tour in the Monterey Bay area this week. (And we’ve got a great giveaway too!) Edible mushrooms are a … 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
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
Here is a recipe for elk stew that I made in my mini slow cooker — the perfect size to cook with in an RV to make a simple and delicious meal** for two: Ingredients: 1 lb. elk steak or … 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
There are a few classic comedy staples in our household. Always sure to get a laugh: ANYTHING involving a rubber chicken, a banana peel, an ottoman in a footpath, or the pinnacle of holiday hilarity — Fruitcake. Plum Pudding, a … 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
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
While visiting Minnesota we came upon a magical wonderland of Siberian apples from Natura Farms, an organic paradise that we will be profiling as part of our Quest. Below is a recipe for my lovely vegan friends from someone who … Continue reading
See on Scoop.it – Free to Leave
A Meat á la Mode recipe by Kristina Von Kroug
See on www.meatalamode.blogspot.fr
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
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
This recipe is so easy… The short version is to just dissolve a quart of honey in enough water to fill a gallon jug and add a load of Chamomile blossoms, then a half package of prepared Montrachet yeast and … 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
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
Free Range Quest 