None of the following photos are my property and links are provided to original content
Recently I came upon the story of Joe and Nicole Naugler, a family that had their ten children removed by child protective services. By the time I write this, it seems that they have had the children returned to them. There have been numerous articles and blogs (pro and con) written about the family and the conditions that their family lived in west of Elizabethtown, KY. While some claim the reason the children were taken was that they lived a different lifestyle (that the public doesn't understand) or that the kids were homeschooled, this is not the case. The homesteading lifestyle can be done without endangering yours and your family's lives.
Lately I've taken a deeper looking into what is known as "off the grid" living. For the most part, this means that someone wishes to live without connection to modern utilities. It also has strong ties to those who wish to be self-sufficient and live off of the land. Many see it as becoming less dependent on "things" - a minimalistic philosophy. As anyone can see, going off of the grid can be done for a number of reasons. I personally would like to start adopting the lifestyle in small steps.
According to an interview with Off the Grid News, the family finally decided to start this life style "by jumping in with both feet". They claimed that this was the only way they could actually start. I can somewhat understand this since some people have a hard time making headway into a project (I'm guilty of this as well). They wanted to go through this experience and document it as a way to share their testimony with the world. They also stated that they wanted their kids to share in this lifestyle so they could have a first hand experience (as opposed to being told about it).
The issue with jumping in means that you risk going into it with little preparation. This seems to be an issue with the Nauglers. They say they have been doing this for years, but they currently have a three sided shelter with an open "patio" area. The covered area seems to have a pallet/plywood floor. They claim they use very little electricity, using a generator when they need it. Here is a link to the public Facebook page that has more photos:
Obviously there are many things that can be said about the way these people live. The thing I see is that they seem to be attempting this lifestyle with little resources. I can appreciate that they are using fallen wood/branches for fencing. It doesn't look great, but if it keeps goats or rabbits out of the garden then good. The issue comes when it's the walls of your living space. This property reminds me of a dwelling in another place in the world (South Africa).
I could continue with all of the issues, but that is not my point in writing this. There are better ways of approaching the "off the grid" lifestyle. Others have done it in much classier ways. As a fellow Kentucky resident, who has worked on a farm with livestock and spent years overseas in impoverished areas, I feel that someone who chooses to live like this is not doing it right. Next I would like to shed light upon another family who has gone off the grid. A sample of the photos from their blog:
This family also has a garden, live stock, and a child. Granted, they don't have ten children, but that's even more reason to have adequate space for them. This family raises chickens and bees. They have a large garden and sell vegetables and honey at farmer's markets. There are many similarities between the two families, but also many differences.
The big difference that I see between the two different groups is that the Nauglers are embracing a much rougher "off the grid" experience. Some commenters referred to it as "more homeless than homestead". Putting forth effort to keep the area clean and neat go a long way. If the Nauglers had kept the burn pit tidy, trash in the burn pit and not next to the large fire pit that children sleep around, and solid walls with better flooring, then maybe CPS and sheriff deputies wouldn't of reacted the way they did. Most mainstream people see those who go "off the grid" as an outcast group of hippies, paranoid doomsday "preppers", or cult members keeping their family away from society.
The biggest issue is that some sites, which promote this lifestyle, are defending the family's claim that their rights are being violated and that the government is out to get us. These sites are ignoring the issue of possible child abuse and rather taking a "parents know best" attitude.. This shows that ultimately, there are two subgroups of "off the grid" people being represented by different outlets. Sadly the Nauglers are getting additional news coverage due to there issues with local authorities and rallying support for their form of "off the grid" lifestyle through news outlets and social media.
As I said before, one day I would like to embrace some of the aspects of being off of the grid for many reasons. It truly hurts my case when fellow Kentuckians show such an ugly example of the lifestyle. They need to stop making claims that the government is trying to take their kids away because of the lifestyle. The lifestyle is perfectly capable of raising children that are not covered in dirt or sick and sleeping in the open by a camp fire (after having eaten spoiled food). The moral of this story is that when it comes time to start a new lifestyle, please take the time to prepare for what is to come, since that is another aspect of what drives people to live "off the grid".