Learning to Live a Self-Sufficient Life

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Robert and Summer Schulz take their horse-drawn wagon out for a ride. They've built a self-sufficient life on a homestead in southeastern Wisconsin.
Robert and Summer Schulz take their horse-drawn wagon out for a ride. They've built a self-sufficient life on a homestead in southeastern Wisconsin.
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Robert, Summer and their son, Yha’ni, have made their homesteading dreams a reality.
Robert, Summer and their son, Yha’ni, have made their homesteading dreams a reality.
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The Schulzes’ home is as inviting on the inside as its exterior promises — the family has made it a beautiful base for their life.
The Schulzes’ home is as inviting on the inside as its exterior promises — the family has made it a beautiful base for their life.
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Exterior of the outhouse.
Exterior of the outhouse.
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A cordwood section the Schulzes built as an accent in their plastered straw/clay home.
A cordwood section the Schulzes built as an accent in their plastered straw/clay home.
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Summer collects cabbage and other fresh produce from the garden.
Summer collects cabbage and other fresh produce from the garden.
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Robert checks on the farm’s honeybees. In addition to providing honey, the bees are hardworking pollinators.
Robert checks on the farm’s honeybees. In addition to providing honey, the bees are hardworking pollinators.
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Summer, Yha’ni and photographer John Ivanko’s son, Liam, visit the hen house.
Summer, Yha’ni and photographer John Ivanko’s son, Liam, visit the hen house.
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Robert works on a pair of hinges for a customer’s barn in the blacksmith shop he built on the property with the help of neighbors.
Robert works on a pair of hinges for a customer’s barn in the blacksmith shop he built on the property with the help of neighbors.
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With a spirit of innovation and a love for living wisely, the Schulzes wake up each morning with ambition.
With a spirit of innovation and a love for living wisely, the Schulzes wake up each morning with ambition.
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The Schulzes relax on the porch after a day of hard, fulfilling work.
The Schulzes relax on the porch after a day of hard, fulfilling work.

In June 2004, my wife, Summer, and I arrived at the 40 vacant acres of grass and woods we had just purchased, nestled in the hills of southwest Wisconsin. Summer was six months pregnant, and we had our work cut out for us to get a warm shelter built before the cold set in. We came with high hopes and a solid work ethic. We also brought with us feelings of freedom, concern from our families, and anxiety over what we were about to embark upon. Both of us had been preparing for this step into self-sufficient life since we were teenagers, saving money and learning old-fashioned skills, natural building techniques, and various arts and crafts (including blacksmithing and fiber arts). We worked on conventional and organic farms, learning to live simply within limited means. We also held several intern positions, participated in WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms), and spent enough time on other people’s land that we knew we wanted to have our own. As an artist, it had always been my dream to arrive on vacant land and gradually build up my homestead, a lifelong creation.

Our wish list for our dream property included privacy, a quiet road, 20 to 60 acres that were half tillable/half wooded, and, most importantly, a clean spring. Finding all these attributes was not easy, and we looked at more than 40 properties over five months. When we found a parcel that met most of our wishes, our only hesitation was that it was 30 miles from the main social center in the area. In exchange for being so far out, however, we landed amid a thriving Amish community. This was a major attraction for us because we knew people in the community would have rural living skills we could learn. We would also have a direct connection to their horse-drawn lifestyle, and the possibility of borrowing horses and equipment until we got a team of our own.

Making Plans

During the land search process, we started to design the home that we planned to build. It was a small, simple, straw bale structure that I thought I could put up in a couple of months. Well, more than five years later, we’re still putting the finishing touches on the house. One of the best bits of advice came from my older sister, who suggested I start by building the walk-out concrete foundation and putting on a temporary roof for the first winter. That gave us three solid walls, and I then framed the south-facing fourth wall, which is 80 percent windows. We could then start early the following spring and frame out the rest of the house without such pressure. This made it possible for us to get a dwelling built by October (our baby was born Oct. 6). Throughout that first winter, we had the time to design and build the home we wanted, using the materials we wanted, without having to rush or make compromises because of time constraints.

That winter, the plans for our house grew from 800 square feet to 1,380 square feet, as we realized that having personal spaces to focus on our individual passions would be critical for our overall happiness. Summer has her own room, and I have an office. These rooms are meant to be spaces that we can furnish, decorate, and use in ways that are right for us — self-expression within the family.

  • Published on Feb 25, 2010
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