I live off-grid, AMA

[Toomanyparsnips]

If anyone is interested in what it's like to be living (or striving to live) a largely self-reliant life...

I get what you mean by off grid and in the construction industry that's what we mean by it too.
I have had a few clients who have been completely off grid for services some for eco reasons but others just logistically that's what worked. It's more common rurally.
Do you have a septic tank or have you gone for soak away / reedbeds? If the latter how have you got on with it? Do you have composting toilets? If so how have you found them with kids. I find this is the least likely thing for people off grid to want to take up so always interested to see how people solve this essential problem.

We live in the north west, we have 2 acres, currently 7 pet sheep and 9 chickens.

I'm off to do a Covid test! But will be back to answer more questions/justify myself later...

Are you Barbara and Tom Good?

I did an off grid eco refurbishment for clients in the Lake District - beautiful place.
We went for slightly easier choices like an auto fed pellet biomass boiler for heating and hot water. They threw a bit more money at it to make life easier with automated eco tech as they were worried about maintaining stuff as they got older.
Was yours an active choice or just dictated by location/ circumstances?

Off-grid generally means, not reliant on major infrastructure for essential services

Except you're reliant on roads, schools, the internet...

Are you actually quite wealthy compared to average people in the UK? I think your sort of off-grid means you have to be living in an expensive property to have the space to live without using mains facilities. Am I right that it's not an option available to most?

Hahaha. Good one. You’re on the internet! That’s not off grid

I think it sounds brilliant OP.
Ignore the people that think meaning offgrid means living incommunicado like a hermit in siberia.

Pet sheep? So you don't breed them and eat the lamb? Why not, are you vegetarian?

Yes but it's also not basically living as normal but without mains electricity and growing veg and keeping chickens. Absolutely nothing wrong with that and admirable etc etc. But not really "off grid" other than the electricity grid/mains water.

No car, home schooling, small crofting, barter, weaving etc would be closer. I don't think anyone would expect no phone or Internet nowadays. I'm sure even Tom and Barbara had a phone (and electricity etc If I remember correctly)

I’d love to do something like this. What do you find easiest to grow? Any good tips? Do you sell the eggs? I love the idea of a self-sustainable farm.

Waxon, what is your beef? If you don't think I'm interesting enough then scroll on! I never claimed to be the only person living like this but it isn't the norm, and some people might find it interesting.

Your living expenses must be fairly low if you can afford to both work only part time?

I did find it interesting which is why I asked how you supported yourself. Then it became apparent that it wasn't what you made out it to be.

Might have still found that interesting.

I have no beef, but apart from not accessing mains water and electricity and keeping pet sheep, you are doing what folk in housing estates across the country are doing.

I have neighbours who keep chickens, have a allotment, have solar panels, don't drive a car, live an eco lifestyle, I guess I was expecting more?

wax on, bore off

I would love to do this but would actually want to be cut off from everything, including internet and society possibly on a big deserted mountain in Switzerland

Please can I ask (it was only you saying you're going for a CV test that made me think of this!) Do you have a car? Or do you use public transport, or are lucky enough that everything is within walking distance?

I hope your test is negative

Waxon I haven't "made it out to be" anything other than what it is, you've come up with your own definition of what I'm talking about and are giving me grief for not actually meaning that. I realise I should have put more detail in my OP, but I didn't realise people would interpret it so widely - I thought that people would understand "off-grid" in the way wonkylegs and a few other posters have done. So know you know what I actually mean, maybe rather than being cross with me you should just move on?

Bran and yet, here you are, taking the time to post on the thread simply to say you think it's boring...thank you for your opinion, I'm sure that people who are interested enough to ask questions are grateful to you for sharing your opinion

Oh shit I've misunderstand that haven't it I sincerely apologise @Branleuse!

I think it was a little confusing as it didn't look like you were name checking someone! See not my fault really

I did think "wax on bore off" was some kind of slang for "fuck off you're boring" and had filed it away in my mind for future use

wonkylegs thanks for your input. If we'd had more money to throw at it we would have loved an automated biomass boiler and other systems that would make the maintenance easier - as it was we did it on a total shoestring, and are upgrading small things here and there as we are able to.

Contrary to what some people are assuming, we don't have very much money at all. We bought a bit of rough, badly drained agricultural land about 15 years ago as we wanted somewhere to plant trees and escape from our cramped inner-city house at weekends. Then 6 years ago the planning regs changed and we were able to convert the tiny barn into a dwelling under permitted development. To fund this we sold our house and paid off the mortgage, and then did the very no-frills conversion ourselves (and I do mean ourselves). We did this because it was a golden opportunity to live the sort of simple, healthy life we dreamed about, and we're practical people so we thought we'd enjoy it. On the whole we do, although it is hard work especially in winter.

Yes, we do have a car. With small children and the need to move building supplies around this is kind of essential. We only had bikes before we moved out here and hope to go back to near total bike use again when the kids are older. I currently commute 10+miles to work by bike when the weather isn't too horrendous.

i think to some people you would be living off grid but to others of us who live rurally your set up actually is just normal. Most of my friends live in converted barns, lots of them have septic tanks of some description , lots of have water from a bore hole, no gas and although are connected to electric most also have solar panels, landlines and internet are shit so most have satellite services or have to put up with snail like speeds and are unable to stream or upload anything! Most people have some sort of veg patch, chickens etc. lots have pigs and llamas and horses and other livestock. quite a few are actual farmers living on farms!
None of them would class themselves as 'off-grid' as all still shop in supermarkets, have jobs, kids go to school, shop in normal shops etc etc.

About the food situation - we're not self-sufficient in food but we do as best we can. We're quite high up a north-facing hill in the north of England, so root crops and brassicas grow really well, salads and sub-tropicsp crops not so much. This winter I'm planning to invest a little bit in more greenhouse/polytunnel capacity so we can stretch the growing season out for longer. I'm also experimenting with better storage systems for the winter, but it's still a learning curve.

And no we don't make our own clothes, although I have made a few of our rugs from the sheep's fleeces. I knit the odd jumper but that's about it.

@wonkylegs that sounds amazing.

@Toomanyparsnips sounds great! This is growing in popularity, there is a now an off grid type festival/ info show in 2021 at Newark show ground.

I have dreams of living in a artists bitchy on my own land, one day..