[southerner-no-more]

I have been reading post here for about a month now and I really like what mostly everyone here believes in (homebirth, breast feeding etc.). I am not at the point in my life or close to it to have a family or get married. But I wanted to know what exactly off the grid is. I want to live in the country in southern New Mexico or Alaska, but near civilization because of what I want to do for my job. So can someone explain what it is !

 

[thriftyqueen]

Off the Grid in general means that you have your own source of energy (solar, ground source heating, wind energy) so you are not depending on the power company to supply you with your energy.

That is a very general term for it, but it basically means that you are self sufficient with you personal energy needs.

 

[southerner-no-more]

do you live on acerage in the country ??

 

[Red]

Most of us here are just trying to get a bit more off the grid.

It's tough to do, means giving up a lot. So many of us are raising animals or growing our own food, Some of us might have questions about Solar power, or abut how having your own well and septic works.

My family lives out in the country. We are 'on the grid' (we have electricity, an electric pump and well water.) But he heat our home with wood my dh cuts himself, raise chickens for eggs, and next year for meat, raise pigs for meat, sell eggs and pork and cordwood. So we don't live like we used to, but we aren't even close to officially off the grid.

Welcome to MDC!

 

[SoggyGranolaMomma]

We will live in the mountains. My husband still has to work though, and will have an hour+ commute to work everyday.

We are looking into wind/solar power we will have a well and septic. We probably won't ever get to the point of raising our own meat, but I would like to have chickens, maybe goats (if I can develop a taste for goats milk) or a cow.

We live in a rural area though where buying a whole farm slaughtered pig or cow is quite a common occurence, so we might do that. I sew and bake and my husband is a builder so bartering for stuff is always an option to provide things that we can't ourselves produce.

I will always need my computer

because I also run an online shop, but we aspire to be a good ways "off the grid" so to speak.

 

[2busy2clean]

Off the grid and self-sustainability are two different things. To be self sustained you would need to be off the grid, but being off the grid does not make you self sustained!
Self-sustainability is when you can produce and consume only what is generated on your lands. I think that all of us here have a leaning toward being self sustained. Which is why we discuss things like critter care and canning and other stuff here as well.

 

[stretchmark]

Off-the-grid means that you are not connected to the power grid. It also means that when main electricity goes out, yours doesn't because you're "off-the-grid."

People living in town can be off-grid just as well as people living remotely.

Our house is being build off-grid and the only thing we will have that is dependent on society is some propane for cooking and maybe for a gas dryer.