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WElcome To Our Homestead

Alternative Energy Sources For A Off Grid Homestead

2/23/2016

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PictureWoodstove cooking sounds so off grid glamorous. BUT the reality is you cant do it year round!
This week I reposted a video about our alternative source of energy here on  our homestead. One of the easiest things to overlook when going off the grid is other sources of energy. We tend to think that solar or wind is all that we need to sustain off the grid. But the reality of true life off the grid is WE NEED other sources! 
We all know wood of course is top priority. It serves to heat our homes and water but we cannot keep a  fire going year round. Its impratcial! There is a misconception that having solar and wind will provide for all of  your needs. But as a woman in the kitchen, this isnt  so

Picture
The cook top for the wood stove was fine if we had a good fire going. But again, even in the dead of winter, a fire wasn't always necessarily burning!
Now could one live off grid with just a wood stove. INDEED you can. you can do anything if your willing to put up with a couple inconveniences . But Im not to that point. I dont wasn't to live a compromised life always adjusting and making sacrifices. 

PictureMy indoor stove top runs on propane. A convienant option for off grid living
Propane  for us is a  practical  no frills FRUGAL alternative that works well on many off grid homesteads out here. Some families elect to buy their own tanks and have the propane companies come fill them up yearly. Buy purchasing a large amount they save money. By having their own tank they have power over who to purchase it from also!
We elected not to go down this route for several reasons. One because of privacy issues. We didnt want a propane truck coming up here on the homestead.For us we want minimal people up here, no trucks, no businesses.
For some this may seem extreme. But not for us. We moved here to be freer, which includes  not having to monitor such things as a propane truck!
What we do then is buy smaller tanks which are easy to  handle. Again we can pick and choose now where to purchase the propane. Plus we arent forced into making a big purchase all at once. We may pay a slightly higher rate, (VERY minimum) but we also dont have to lay out a large amount  of cash!

PictureI have a great option to cook outdoors w hen its hot. If I dont use a solar oven or a campfire this is a great option with propane!
We are then able to heat our water when the wood stove is unable to do so, and we  have very flexible cooking arrangement. When Im not using my solar over or wood stove, I use my propane cook-top which is truley convenient. I also use my cylinder s outside for my canning arena and my outdoor stove-to keep the house cool in the summer. So much flexibility for me as a woman cooking I love it!

So off grid, keep a open mind to other sources of energy. Always have back up, always plan for the worse,  but never sacrifice comfort and practicality for a lifestyle that affords the freedom to do what you want your own way if you think outside the box!!

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Small 50lbs cylinder easy to handle and fit in underneath the cabinet
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