Community-Building and Self-Reliance: Our 2013 Homesteaders of the Year

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This off-grid timber frame house overlooks the garden at Deer Isle Hostel, an environmentally conscious hostel located on Deer Isle, Maine.
This off-grid timber frame house overlooks the garden at Deer Isle Hostel, an environmentally conscious hostel located on Deer Isle, Maine.
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Anneli Carter-Sundqvist and Dennis Carter prep the private hut guests can rent at Deer Isle Hostel.
Anneli Carter-Sundqvist and Dennis Carter prep the private hut guests can rent at Deer Isle Hostel.
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Deer Isle Hostel’s garden provides fresh produce for the guests’ communal dinners. Harvesting food and cooking meals together is one of the unique features of this low-impact hostel.
Deer Isle Hostel’s garden provides fresh produce for the guests’ communal dinners. Harvesting food and cooking meals together is one of the unique features of this low-impact hostel.
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Amy Saunders shows a preschool tour group how to turn homegrown broomcorn into a homemade broom at her homestead in Lawrence, Kan.
Amy Saunders shows a preschool tour group how to turn homegrown broomcorn into a homemade broom at her homestead in Lawrence, Kan.
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Amy Saunders and her daughter spread mulch on soon-to-be-planted garden beds as part of the family’s efforts to conserve moisture and control weeds.
Amy Saunders and her daughter spread mulch on soon-to-be-planted garden beds as part of the family’s efforts to conserve moisture and control weeds.
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The Freedman family taking a rare break on the porch of their handbuilt home near Frederick, Md.
The Freedman family taking a rare break on the porch of their handbuilt home near Frederick, Md.
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Phil Freedman built his family’s home by hand, adding on through the years.
Phil Freedman built his family’s home by hand, adding on through the years.
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In Reno, Nev., the Chandler-Isacksen family takes full advantage of the ample sun and heat to dry fruits, such as the pears pictured here, in a homemade solar dehydrator appropriately named “El Gigante.”
In Reno, Nev., the Chandler-Isacksen family takes full advantage of the ample sun and heat to dry fruits, such as the pears pictured here, in a homemade solar dehydrator appropriately named “El Gigante.”
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The Chandler-Isacksen family runs the urban Be the Change Homestead on a half-acre in Reno, Nev.
The Chandler-Isacksen family runs the urban Be the Change Homestead on a half-acre in Reno, Nev.
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A group of farmhands volunteers as part of a workday in front of the hoop house at the Freedman family’s House in the Woods Farm.
A group of farmhands volunteers as part of a workday in front of the hoop house at the Freedman family’s House in the Woods Farm.
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The Varney family established the first organic dairy in Maine, and they have since expanded to include a cafe, bakery, fiber shop and farm store to sell their additional products and to offer community education.
The Varney family established the first organic dairy in Maine, and they have since expanded to include a cafe, bakery, fiber shop and farm store to sell their additional products and to offer community education.
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Dawn and Carson Combs raise their two children, create herbal, edible medicines, and run a medicinal CSA out of Mockingbird Meadows homestead near Columbus, Ohio.
Dawn and Carson Combs raise their two children, create herbal, edible medicines, and run a medicinal CSA out of Mockingbird Meadows homestead near Columbus, Ohio.
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Honeybees and livestock are at home at Mockingbird Meadows, a United Plant Savers Botanical Sanctuary near Columbus, Ohio, run by the Combs family.
Honeybees and livestock are at home at Mockingbird Meadows, a United Plant Savers Botanical Sanctuary near Columbus, Ohio, run by the Combs family.
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By layering damp sand between two clay pots, the Chandler-Isacksens are able to keep foods “refrigerated” and edible even though the family lives in hot, sunny Reno, Nev.
By layering damp sand between two clay pots, the Chandler-Isacksens are able to keep foods “refrigerated” and edible even though the family lives in hot, sunny Reno, Nev.
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Amy, Dan and the Saunders family pose on their homestead property just outside of Lawrence, Kan.
Amy, Dan and the Saunders family pose on their homestead property just outside of Lawrence, Kan.
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The farm store and cafe are a focal point of Nezinscot Farm, which is an organic dairy and homestead run by the Varney family.
The farm store and cafe are a focal point of Nezinscot Farm, which is an organic dairy and homestead run by the Varney family.

The MOTHER EARTH NEWS 2013 Homesteaders of the Year embody the learning-by-doing ethos by providing opportunities for others to adopt new self-reliance skills through hands-on experience. These six homesteading families are dedicated to community-building — they open their doors to share the fruits of their labors and the knowledge needed to complete those labors. Through workshares in community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs and on-farm workshops, these families inspire their neighbors by giving them an example of modern homesteading in action.

Our second annual call for nominations of modern homesteaders was met with a response nearly double the number from last year (Our 2012 Homesteaders of the Year: Living the Good Life Through Modern Homesteading, August/September 2012). To select our finalists, we eagerly paged through stories of plowing with draft animals, photos of solar panels soaking up rays, and lists of traits that make each nominee special. (Read more amazing nominations at Star Modern Homesteaders.) Now, we proudly present the stories of our 2013 winners!

International Homesteading Education Month

To encourage hands-on learning and skill-sharing, MOTHER EARTH NEWS and Grit magazines are again coordinating International Homesteading Education Month this September. Our goal is to foster “Neighbors helping neighbors — building more self-reliant communities.” Sign up as an event host or as a speaker, and peruse our event listing to find out the happenings in your area.

Hostel With a Positive Impact

  • Published on Jul 2, 2013
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