Back to the Land in Maine

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These are a few examples of the wooden playthings that Jim produces in his home workshop to fill the rapidly expanding demand for his creations.
These are a few examples of the wooden playthings that Jim produces in his home workshop to fill the rapidly expanding demand for his creations.
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The author proudly shows off the new stone-and-glass, sun-heated greenhouse that he and his family built after viewing the Nearings' structure firsthand in 1981.
The author proudly shows off the new stone-and-glass, sun-heated greenhouse that he and his family built after viewing the Nearings' structure firsthand in 1981.
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Chub and Patch, the pony team, perform one of their many tasks around the homestead.
Chub and Patch, the pony team, perform one of their many tasks around the homestead.
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The Strohauers' first major construction effort was this 30' X 30' pole barn built in 1977 to house their workhorses.
The Strohauers' first major construction effort was this 30' X 30' pole barn built in 1977 to house their workhorses.

We often ask ourselves why we didn’t make our 3,800-mile move from smog-shrouded Denver and the stress of city living to the pure air of the Maine woods and simplicity of rural life 20 years sooner. The answer is probably that we hadn’t yet read that borrowed copy of MOTHER EARTH NEWS … the one that made us realize how unhappy we were with our urban lifestyle and gave us the inspiration to do something about it.

Back to the Land

When we finally did decide to make the move back to the land in July of 1976, we sold everything we owned except our camper, four-wheel-drive truck, and household goods. Fortunately, we had enough capital to get us started on our adventure … plus professions that enabled us to earn some part-time income while devoting most of our time and energy to establishing our homestead. (My wife, Claudia–a registered nurse–works three nights a week at a local hospital, and I teach music as time allows and barter opportunities arise.)

One thing for sure: Our newly purchased 20-acre domain–four miles from the nearest store and 20 miles from “town”–was going to need some establishing. About all it boasted was a hunting camp (with no running water or electrical fixtures) and a stand of mixed trees (hardwood for fuel; pine, spruce, and fir for building; cedar for fence posts; and maple for syrup).

Settling in

  • Published on Jul 1, 1984
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