Living Off Grid – How We Survive a Long Winter

Reader Contribution by Ed Essex
1 / 4
2 / 4
3 / 4
4 / 4

We live fairly high in the mountains. Just being three miles off the paved road with a 1000′ elevation gain will virtually assure that no one will come to visit you. We seem to have an average of 3′ of snow anywhere from October to March.

So what do we do in the late fall, winter, and early spring to pass the time?

Ed: I work on the website a lot, updating products, text, pictures, blogs, pricing, and shipping costs. There is always a lot of work to do.

I have to shovel snow by hand around the house and barn every time it snows. We have to keep a path to the chicken coops, solar panels, insulated cold frames, and hay stacks for the horses. I plow the road. It is three miles long and takes anywhere from three hours to six hours depending on how much snow we get. This year it has been anywhere from once a week to three times in the same week. We’ve had wind storms that have caused the snow to drift and pile up to three feet high in the exposed places. I also hand shovel large areas under the trees for the chickens to scratch around in.

Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368