What to Know BEFORE Living Off-Grid in Maine
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- Опубликовано: 17 май 2024
- We continue our series on things to know before moving off-grid in Maine. Jason talks about the different bug seasons, Firewood, Unmaintained Roads, and what we think is the most important thing to know before moving off-grid in Maine.
4 Things you need to Plan for BEFORE... • 4 Things You Need to P...
Splitting 9 Cords of Wood in 2 Days? • Splitting 9 cords of f...
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Hanbleceya Ranch
PO BOX 112
Danforth, Maine 04424
Hi folks, we’re a husband and wife team who purchased ~54 acres of #off-grid land in the #Maine North Woods to build our dream #offgrid #homesteading life. We're not experts in anything, but we're getting things done and making things happen despite all the challenges. Follow along as this pair of #Gen-X city dwellers turn their lives upside down and become full-time Maine Off-Grid #Homesteaders!
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When I built both my Woodshed, I made them accessible from the back. It beats handling it even more than I have to. The first of each next year's burning I'd just haul/burn what was left over from the previous year.
That’s ingenious!!! I can see how that would mitigate the number of times we need to handle it.
Excellent tip!
This is what we do. We have it to where it loads from the yard and it is accessible from a small shed from the house.
So excited…. We will be moving up there to Maine this summer to build our dream homestead, after homesteading on not quite an acre here in MA for many years. I will still need to work but husband will be able to retire. We will be on an unmaintained road and are working to develop relationships with the other few families who share it. Have found you and Jen very inspiring. I can’t believe that we will be making our dream control.
We are so happy for you!! Now the fun begins!! Best of luck to you and your husband. Follow that dream!!😊
Fantastic, fantastic video Jason, thank you! I think one of the best things I like about your videos is that you keep them simple, down to earth and REAL! I appreciate all the time and information you share with us based on first hand experience. I'm from Georgia and know nothing about Maine. I just wanted to share something I do with stacking firewood for safety. Starting from left to back to right stacking until you have a keyhole shape (basically a block shaped U) allows for access to your firewood and personal safety rather than stacking from left to right or right to left (depending on whether you're a southpaw lol). Simply refuse to fill the interior of the "U", that's your personal access space that allows safe access without the usual caving, rolling or teetering over of your rows. I hope I explained that correctly. You can have several rows of "U's" depending on the size of your woodshed. Anyway, thanks again for the time you invest in these videos; I really enjoy getting a glimpse into the world of two people who keep their videos real without all the hype of RUclips.
Thank you for the kind words! ❤️ We had a dream and followed it… we were terrified but determined, and through RUclips we’ve been able to throw our fears aside and just move forward… We truly appreciate your support! Love your firewood stacking method, sounds tried and true.
Thanks again for the kind words and support! 😊
Coyotes and bears do not like dogs. They will go the other way when they hear a dog barking. Our Sandie is very alert and does a great job.
Neighbors are awesome. I agree, knowing your neighbors is priceless and neccessary.
We have shared your video with those who ask about moving to Maine!
Thank you for your videos.
The dogs are a huge asset out here!! They have saved us many times!!😊
Without our neighbors we would have struggled. They are amazing!!♥️
Thank you for sharing our videos and your support! 😊
The support from our subscribers (like you) are another huge asset out here! ♥️😊♥️
All good points.
Thank you!😊
When we were clearing our place for building, the bugs -black flies, mozzies, deerflies- were more than a PITA while working. Discovered were FULL screen suits. It was hot so I was chainsawing ((with full PPE BTW ) nude under the screen suit. It did the job. The screen suits just leave your hands and feet exposed. We're on the Downeast coast so the black flies haven't hit yet. Think about joining the Save the Black Flies group ( real ) 👍👍 You're some hard assed, hard working couple ! Impressive. Because of the wet year,our woodlot was barely accessable. So now catching up with the 2+ year firewood plan. Lack of snow for insulation with rain, and temps blow 32F had us burning more wood ( close to 8 cords) this season than when started full time retirement in 2001. I can understand the effort involved, but we stihl enjoy it. Keep it up.
Thank you for the kind words! I can see how full netting would certainly help, and with the heat I’m sure your method works great. 👍
The black flies have been relentless this season. Hoping for some high winds to give us a break
This was very valuable to me being from the south East
Happy to hear it! 😊
Great video Jason ! I’d put a gate at the end of the road that you and your neighbors maintain. As long as your neighbors are on the same page. I’m guessing you’ll get no kick back from anyone. I grew up walking up from the bus stop to 10 cord tree length sitting beside the wood shed on the side of the barn. Couldn’t help but stop in my tracks and hang my head ! lol. I still burn wood and I love everything now that I despised about it growing up ! We’d cut it with chainsaws and WE were the wood splitter ! lol. Oh and one last thing if anyone asks or u wanted to know : there are no poisonous snakes, bugs or creepy crawlys in Maine. Oddly enough they have Rattlers in northern Canada but they’re pretty rare. And we all have the tick issues. Take care my friend Oh and dogs ! Gotta love em ! We have 3 Lab skillet lickers and they are amazing if they sense something that’s not mom’s cookin. lol. Had a young bull moose come into the yard this past weekend. Kept the dogs in and enjoyed mother natures finest ! Hope all is well
Thanks Tony! A gate isn’t an option but if it were that might be the route to go…
We learned right away it was better to cut firewood over many months as opposed to a few days. I couldn’t imagine splitting all of our firewood by hand… I’m not that hardened….yet… 😉
Thank Jason you for this important information.
You are very welcome!!😊
Another great video full of good information. Appreciate the knowledge you are sharing with me before my move.
Thank you for the kind words. I’m glad to hear you were able to take some info away. Happy to help anyway we can 😊
Hi Jason n Jen,
Wow good advice to all that’s planning to move
Off grid/Maine! It truly isn’t for everyone, but is for
lots of people. I surely don’t dog anyone that
wishes to do the off grid thing, and yeah y’all
know I’m one of those that it’s not for. But I’m
not one that has been in a rat race, never lived
in the city, always country so I wouldn’t know
what it’s like to want to get out of a rat race.
🙌 thank you Jesus. Lol. I may think differently
if so, huh?
Question,,,,don’t you miss that you both cannot
go see your kids together or go off a week at
a time on a relaxing vacation? One of
you has always got to be on the homestead
taking care of animals and the home. I definitely
would miss that a lot. I know doing this kind
of living we have to sacrifice some things, but
I’m not sure I could get used to not doing
stuff with my husband. **remember** I’m
not doggy living off grid. Lol
Hey you both stay safe, be happy, stay
covered up (black flies😤) and God Bless ❤
😳🙄☝️
Hi Pam!👋
Off-grid homesteading is not for everyone. It is hard work….but the most rewarding work either of us has ever done!
The rat race is not something we enjoyed.
We wanted to follow our dreams. Didn’t know how it would work out but we had to try. We didn’t want to always wonder…what if!?!
It is more difficult to be able to go to visit our kids and family together but if needed we could make it happen.
We spend a lot more time together now then we ever did before.
As for relaxing and vacation…everyday is a vacation for us. We both love nature and we wake up everyday in the middle of it!!
The relaxing….sometimes a bit more difficult then we would like but we do take at least a day a week to do just that. You have to enjoy the fruits of your labor…if you don’t then why do it!!
As we get our little slice of heaven complete we will have more time to enjoy it.
That is one reason we didn’t want to wait till your “normal” retirement age.
If we wanted to go somewhere…we have amazing friends and neighbors that would help us out!
You take care and have a great week! God bless!♥️🙏♥️
❤Good show
Thanks! 😊
We have a ton of deadwood. Haven’t taken any trees down ever. We have some fall down every winter. Dogs are great. Black flys suck.
Deadwood is the best firewood, no worries about drying it out. Black flies surely do! 😊
Wood heating for decades. We separate firewood based on season and temps. For shoulder season ( depending on weather and temp ) from mid Spring through mid-late Fall we burn the low BTU hardwoods and spruce/fir for morning -evening fires. Winter firewood ( oak, beech, ash, yellow birch, rare hard maple in separate stacks) is split also for overnight burns. You learn to be a wood snob 😊and self appointed expert on when to burn what. Cedar will burn fast, butt ideal for the quick morning warmups we get even in summer.
You certainly have a selection of complex "things" for living. Admire the hard work.
Thanks for the information!! We keep learning everyday out here!!
We appreciate the comment!😊
I would never live on an unmaintained road. Way too expensive. The equipment, gas or diesel, man hours. We heat with wood. Getting it ready for next winter. We get it off our land. We have 4 chainsaws and two logsplitters. We have snakes. Good for rodent control. I think I’m aging out of doing wood. 😆
Living on an unmaintained road certainly presents added challenges, however it also discourages traffic so it’s a give and take. We love heating with wood, keeps us feeling sore, I mean young! 😉
Thank you for the great information. Curious, do fly traps work at all, or are there just too many flies to be worth using them?
Fly traps work well in the fall when the cluster flies come out of the woods looking for shelter during winter. The traps are useless against black flies
This video was awesome. We are really looking at moving to Northern Maine. Do you guys have an email? What town are you in. We are looking at Houlton or surrounding areas.
Hi Jill 👋 Hanbleceyaranch@gmail.com Look forward to hearing from you! 😊