# Anyone watch new "Homestead Rescue" show?



## Blueridgeviews (May 3, 2015)

The first show was on Discovery channel last Friday.
I'm curious what people's response to it was.
I was shocked at the couple's pick for an off grid homestead, and felt sorry for them as they were clearly way in over their heads with all the mistakes and bad choices they had made. But I really liked the solutions Marty and his family came up with for them, and was amazed at all of Marty's homesteading skills and problem solving.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

What number is the discovery channel? 254? What time on Fri?


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## WoodsDweller (Jun 15, 2016)

FarmboyBill said:


> What number is the discovery channel? 254? What time on Fri?



182 on dish network. 9pm central


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## WoodsDweller (Jun 15, 2016)

We have two threads going on this same topic moderators. Just an FYI


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Wheres the other one?


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## WoodsDweller (Jun 15, 2016)

FarmboyBill said:


> Wheres the other one?



It's called homestead rescue and was posted in about an hour ago sir


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

I watched it and will watch it in the future as it looks really cool. So many of these reality type shows on today, but this one is a good one. Save my restaurant, save my bakery, save my bar, save my now Homestead. LOL


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Sorry. I have scrolled up and down here in HQ and cannot find 2 listings on Homesteading Rescue.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Ah. Found it in HF. My ignorance.


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## Blueridgeviews (May 3, 2015)

Sorry, I didn't know there was another thread on this topic.

I wonder if they are going to come back later with a follow up to see if these homesteads made it.
Amazing greenhouse in this one.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

OK, Its on Channel 182 at 9 00/ What day?


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

FarmboyBill said:


> OK, Its on Channel 182 at 9 00/ What day?


Friday 

here is more about it.

http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/homestead-rescue/


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

It looks interesting. Would like to be able to watch it online but don't know if it will be available on the website or not. 

Just from the short promo videos, it sounded quite sad. These people moved from a place where they were canning 3,000+ jars of food every year from their own garden, to a place that has no garden, no water, and apparently feral cats big enough to eat people. I dunno, but it seems like those are the kinds of things you'd want to have figured out before setting out to make a new piece of land "home". It seems like "how are you going to get your water" and "how are you gonna eat" are some pretty big questions that should have been answered before they ever moved there.


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## Blueridgeviews (May 3, 2015)

The show said that Marty has been homesteading off grid for forty years.
It would be nice if they did a segment on his homestead and what he's achieved.
Both his kids seem really together and very skilled.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Saw it yesterday, SAat. 2 shows. I think that he ought to have something agreed on to where, IF I come all the way to Virginia from Alaska, to help you, the help of which YOU requested, You do things MY way for the week Im there. The people with the hogs and hawks were really pips. I imagine he was intending on selling pastured pork, so he didn't want ANY kind of confinement. NOT to mention building a house right under a leaning tree, leaning the houses direction. And she keeping her goats at a neighbors cause she wont build something to keep them in.
IF I looked at a place that had the ruins of 3 earlier trys on it, and for the money they wanted for it, Id have to say sinanara. ESPECIALLY for the money they paid for it.
I like the show and will continue to watch it. While watching it, I kept telling X, AND YOU THINK I took you to some bad places. She FINALLY admitted, after 40yrs, that I ---- her to fine places compaired to what those 2 familys had.
One place, they hadn't built a outhouse in years, just crapped by a tree. The man told his kids and the camera, the hogs are cleaner than the people were.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Caught the 2nd show, the one with the 'free range' everything. Girl was whining the pigs ate all her garden carrots.....AHAHAHAAA.....what part of free range didn't you get ?

Loved it when Marty said: "I don't want to hear the words You-Tube".....guy was a graduate of You-Tube University.

Did you notice the punching bag/workout stuff in the yard ? WHO the heck homesteads full time and still has the energy to 'work out' ?

I predict they will be like my neighbor (same attitude), they will last a while, then run off down the road, hands in the air, hollering "I give uppppppppppp"


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

What I didn't get was that they had a tractor there, and yet they were pulling on that tree without it. Id like to know how the father got his hands looking like they did at the start of the shows. He sure made some money offa that tree didn't he. I told X that, theres some people they shouldnt let out of town. What gets me is, they invite these people to come all the way across the country to help save them, THEN when they come, they try to tell them they want to be saved their way. THE WAY THAT WASNT WORKING. Go figger.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Our ancestors were big on pastured pork. The thing is, according to the antique books that I scored, those pastures all had a fence around them!


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

not in the EARLY early days. Hogs ears was notched and they were let go to roam the forests filled with nut trees. They filled up on what was called mast until either needed for money at that point or until fall when they were rounded up. The hogs might mix with neighbors hogs, and they would get together and, like cows in the old west, cut out each others hogs. It was more or less like an old west round up. AND likely the tradition of the roundup with cows came from the eastern woods with hogs.


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## WoodsDweller (Jun 15, 2016)

Why do we still have two threads on this same topic going?


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

MOSTBCWT01 said:


> Why do we still have two threads on this same topic going?


They are in Two Different Forums. One here in Homestead Questions, and one in Countryside families. Two different locations, two different spots for people to read and ask things. Some posters may not go and visit the Questions side much, and stay pretty much with posting in the Family Section of this board.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

MOSTBCWT01 said:


> Why do we still have two threads on this same topic going?


Probably because they are on 2 separate forums. HT is not set up to allow a moderator to combine them.

Also because the people who read Families might not visit Homesteading, and vice-versa.


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

Terri said:


> Probably because they are on 2 separate forums. HT is not set up to allow a moderator to combine them.


 For sure, as there are in two different threads. Two different areas. They are not two in the Same thread.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

FarmboyBill said:


> not in the EARLY early days. Hogs ears was notched and they were let go to roam the forests filled with nut trees. They filled up on what was called mast until either needed for money at that point or until fall when they were rounded up. The hogs might mix with neighbors hogs, and they would get together and, like cows in the old west, cut out each others hogs. It was more or less like an old west round up. AND likely the tradition of the roundup with cows came from the eastern woods with hogs.


That was in the very, VERY early days!!!!!!!!!!!


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

yup. That's what I said.
What im wondering is, Are these families representative on what most homestead sites are like, or are they in the extreme situations as far as living conditions.


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

This is a show that is Saving Failing Homesteads, that is why the places look bad, people are doing poorly and things are all messed up. 
That is why the Show is called Homestead Rescue. They are Rescuing places like this as the people have Failed in either getting started or the entire concept of Homesteading. This show is putting these people Back On The Correct Path about what Homesteading is all about. 
Just like the other shows that rescue people from failed business etc. Bar Rescue comes to mind. And it Not at all a faked and set up, but is real, and tells what has happened after a few weeks and some in the caae of Bar rescue what has happened a Year Later, after the rescue.


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## NikkiL (Nov 6, 2015)

Just more social engineering to portray anyone seeking self-sufficiency as selfish dolts who will be putting themselves in jeopardy unncessarily. You won't see successful people who are making their lives better. So far I've seen two episodes and both showed unsympathetic people with personalities that would turn off the viewer. While people moving into tiny houses are heroes of the environmental movement. Is it just me but this seems backwards.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

You can read my comments in the CF thread. But the show completely misrepresents the homesteaders and takes their comments completely out of context to the point of showing lies.

WWW


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Terri said:


> Our ancestors were big on pastured pork. The thing is, according to the antique books that I scored, those pastures all had a fence around them!


 And so did theirs. They were fenced into a small area to clear out all the brush from where they wanted to build the house and barn. Extra pigs were even brought in from their other operation to speed up the process. See the video in the CF thread.

WWW


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

MOSTBCWT01 said:


> Why do we still have two threads on this same topic going?


Because members are not required to find out if a topic has already been posted somewhere else on HT. The posting of the same topic happens on occasion in two different forums. Sometimes it happens on the same forum. No big deal.


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## WoodsDweller (Jun 15, 2016)

Cabin Fever said:


> Because members are not required to find out if a topic has already been posted somewhere else on HT. The posting of the same topic happens on occasion in two different forums. Sometimes it happens on the same forum. No big deal.



You're about a day late. Lol


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## Explorer (Dec 2, 2003)

wy_white_wolf said:


> You can read my comments in the CF thread. But the show completely misrepresents the homesteaders and takes their comments completely out of context to the point of showing lies.
> 
> WWW


Agree. Totally scripted, probably by some writers that have never set foot on a real Homestead. No doubt the actors are paid for their efforts.


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## PermaAMP (Jun 13, 2013)

Explorer said:


> Agree. Totally scripted, probably by some writers that have never set foot on a real Homestead. No doubt the actors are paid for their efforts.


As per what I also said in the other thread. It is not scripted but the clips are edited to present something different than originally meant. They are real homesteaders or at least they are trying to be.


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

FarmboyBill said:


> What I didn't get was that they had a tractor there, and yet they were pulling on that tree without it.


Regarding the tree - and did you notice where they put the strap on the tree - about eye level. Now, if you are trying to get a tree to go a certain way - you are going to put the "pull strap" up further into the tree for more leverage.

The "suspense" of cutting the tree with the people saying "I AM pulling!" I'm sure was just for it - suspense.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

yup, your right.


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## DatacomGuy (Jan 19, 2016)

I enjoyed it.. But felt it was a bit over-acted. Very melodramatic and the reactions were over the top. Other than that, enjoyed the educational side and will continue to watch.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

That's the way I feel. Something to talk about on here anyways.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

The people from the second show are furious. They posted pictures showing their fences, their pig shelters, and the house in town that has a modern bathroom. 

The bit about them pooping in the woods for the last year was made up.


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## WoodsDweller (Jun 15, 2016)

Lol. Typical discovery channel mess.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

And that leaves us, the viewers wondering on whether to comment on something weve seen as it may be just BS.


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## WoodsDweller (Jun 15, 2016)

FarmboyBill said:


> And that leaves us, the viewers wondering on whether to comment on something weve seen as it may be just BS.



Don't let it personally effect you bill. It's just tv.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Yeah, but I like to discuss what ive seen with people whove seen it also. IF I cant trust what im seeing, it kinda seems like steeping out on a limb to discus it.


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## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

I haven't seen the show yet. Are they naked?

geo


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

nope. Good luck with that lol


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

geo in mi said:


> I haven't seen the show yet. Are they naked?
> 
> geo


No darn it. But Naked and Afraid XL starts in a few weeks. That ought to be a hoot. LOL


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

yeah I seen previews of that. Then theres dating necked. Don't show anything.


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

WoodsDweller said:


> Don't let it personally effect you bill. It's just tv.


A saying from a few years ago... "Believe only half of what you see and a quarter of what you hear." 

That's probably very generous for anything related to TV. Reality TV... isn't. It's all created for purposes of entertainment (which generates advertising revenue) and any similarity to actual reality is purely coincidental.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Might change your last word to, Accidental lol


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

FarmboyBill said:


> Might change your last word to, Accidental lol


That, too. :facepalm:


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## Blueridgeviews (May 3, 2015)

I'm pretty disappointed in it.
Discovery is too invested in conflict and melodrama and shock value.
But aren't they the same channel that does the show on the Kilchers' Hometeads in Alaska?
Now that's a really good homesteading show.


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## WoodsDweller (Jun 15, 2016)

Blueridgeviews said:


> I'm pretty disappointed in it.
> Discovery is too invested in conflict and melodrama and shock value.
> But aren't they the same channel that does the show on the Kilchers' Hometeads in Alaska?
> Now that's a really good homesteading show.



I read somewhere the kilchers shop at Walmart and actually live in town in nice houses. Can't remember where I saw that. Not even sure it's accurate.


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## Blueridgeviews (May 3, 2015)

WY White Wolf posted this link at the other thread on the woman's response to the first 
Episode. Sounds like a lot of dishonest editing went on in both shows. But good to know those beginning homesteaders aren't as dangerously ignorant as portrayed.
http://www.offgridelements.com/2016/06/after-effects-so-you-have-probably-all.html?spref=fb

And he also posted a good Facebook video on the second couples blog response to their episode. Lots of creative editing and omitting!
https://www.facebook.com/RevolutionaryRootsFarm/videos


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

WoodsDweller said:


> I read somewhere the kilchers shop at Walmart and actually live in town in nice houses. Can't remember where I saw that. Not even sure it's accurate.


From what I've researched the Kilchers do live on there homesteads. But it's not as remote as they put on. I found there place on Google earth and they have more houses within 5 miles of them then my cabin in Montana has.

Access to the head of bay is also a lot better then they put on. A road runs within a mile of the main homestead to the head of the bay. The head of the bay also has a electric power plant that supplies power for the area and it has easy access.

Kilchers also have lots of money. They are all multimillionaires. Easy to homestead when you have that kind of money.

WWW


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

And then there is this:
Jewel Kilcher is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress, author and poet. She has received four Grammy Award nominations and, as of 2008,* has sold over 27 million albums worldwide.*
The family is NOT poor by any stretch of the imagination.


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

Alaska the last frontier is a good show just not very accurate for wilderness depiction. They will always starve if they don't shoot the animal... Why don't they stop at the restaurant across the street. http://homesteadrestaurant.net/menus/summer.html
I mean before deaths firm grip sets in? Or if things get really hard they could stop buy the local Chinese Buffet!
http://www.yelp.com/biz/happy-face-restaurant-homer

They live just 20 miles from Homer which for Alaska is a large city.. They are hardly as remote as many folks on these forums. 20 min from a hospital... 2 hours from all the shopping. Sounds darn near suburban to me.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Boy, the people the Raineys try to help sure are ungrateful. Id be gone so quick if after driving or flying all that way to them they treated me the way they treated them.
It was likely They who got the back hoe there to try to dig out the celler. Id say that that celler wouldn't hold all that much food unless it was crammed.
Also. Does anybody think that that tin they put on the house wouldn't buckle and melt in a fire? I worked at a glass factory for 20yrs. sometimes wed have to tear down the molten glass holding tanks and rebuild them. once, someone thought that they could throw in tin panels and we could walk on them. They threw them in, and before the crews were divided up, the tin buckled, twisted and was ruined. I imagine, with all that fir around, a fire would be at least that hot.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

From what the folks on the LAST week's show have said, everything is totally made up.


For example, LAST week they said the pigs had free range over all of the 40acres and they were being killed off: however they posted pictures of their place and there a fences everywhere and shelters for the pigs to farrow in and such. The people from the show also claimed they had no outhouse? What they did NOT say was that they had modern plumbing in their rented home. They had 2 homes not one: the cabin with no outhouse and the modern cabin. 


Lastly, they would ask a question on camera and then put in a different answer if the answer they got was not dramatic enough.


Bill, I have a serious question for you: *IF* the show had been real and you were the person giving the help what would you have told them to do? How would you have changed things to make their homestead better?


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## coolrunnin (Aug 28, 2010)

Remember they cleared all the fuel back 50ft. So I don't think the house could get hot enough to to soften the tin, much less start the house on fire.

Keep in mind this is a "reality" show not an informational show, they have to stir up drama to get viewers, one way to do so is resistance to the "help" offered.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

cr I only came in on the last 1/2 so I didn't see it all.

Terri, Id have to watch it all over again. I had the chance to last weekend, and didn't want to.


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## besidethecreek (Jul 10, 2016)

Good morning! I want to thank all of you for keeping an open mind when you watch. And I love that people who know what this lifestyle (for lack of a better term) is all about can see thru the BS of "reality TV." 
Hubby and I were on the first episode. No, we are not clueless wantabees. We have actually been doing very well. They didn't mention that we owned a butcher shop, raised goats, dairy, meat and show, for 10 years, grew and raised all our own food from animals to garden, and work full time jobs. If you have any questions, I would be happy to answer. 
Nice to find a forum again. Was a member of several before we moved to MT 5 years ago. Time constraints and life in general has put me out of touch with most of them. Internet is only by cell now and we are so busy doing stuff that the only time I am online is when it is raining or dark out. 
So again thanks.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

In hindsight I must apologize for my thoughts. IF, I had been you, and had seen what was all going on, I likely would have gotten rude, abrupt, angry myself.
BUT, If you have a butcher shop, raise all those animals, have full time jobs, WHAT DID YOU NEED THEM FOR??


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## CountryMom22 (Nov 27, 2014)

I think that anyone with half a brain can tell that these "reality shows" are very far from reality! I keep that in mind while watching the show, but I do enjoy it, while assuming that it has been edited to make things appear as hopeless and dramatic as possible.

I'm glad to hear first hand that you guys are much more "savy" then you were portrayed to be. 

Good luck with your homestead. It sure is surrounded by God's beauty!


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

besidethecreek said:


> Good morning! I want to thank all of you for keeping an open mind when you watch. And I love that people who know what this lifestyle (for lack of a better term) is all about can see thru the BS of "reality TV."
> Hubby and I were on the first episode. No, we are not clueless wantabees. We have actually been doing very well. They didn't mention that we owned a butcher shop, raised goats, dairy, meat and show, for 10 years, grew and raised all our own food from animals to garden, and work full time jobs. If you have any questions, I would be happy to answer.
> Nice to find a forum again. Was a member of several before we moved to MT 5 years ago. Time constraints and life in general has put me out of touch with most of them. Internet is only by cell now and we are so busy doing stuff that the only time I am online is when it is raining or dark out.
> So again thanks.


Glad for the additional insights. Thanks for sharing.

But I would have the same question as FarmboyBill... what did you need them for? I'm curious how it came about that you were on episode 1?

(I have only been able to see one episode, #2, so I missed you and your situation and may not have as much perspective as those who've seen them all so far.)


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

My first was the people who lived on the sideof a hill and they dug into a bank and made her a in cave greenhouse, and the other was the loose pigs.


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## besidethecreek (Jul 10, 2016)

FarmboyBill said:


> In hindsight I must apologize for my thoughts. IF, I had been you, and had seen what was all going on, I likely would have gotten rude, abrupt, angry myself.
> BUT, If you have a butcher shop, raise all those animals, have full time jobs, WHAT DID YOU NEED THEM FOR??


Well it was not presented as such at first. We have lost everything several times in the past 15 years. Not in a great place financially. They wanted to put in a well, upgrade our solar and help clean up some of the mess. So we traded a little privacy for things we needed. Or so we thought. You use the resources you can. 
Then when they were coming here it became totally different. They didn't want to hear anything about what our plans were for the property. They didn't care that we had things laid out purposefully for the long term or even why we wanted it that way. There was no intelegent conversation to be had, we would try to talk and just be told we were stupid and would fail. Except Matt. Had a lot of good conversations with him. We could talk things through. He is genuine. 
I see people say that if the Rainys came to their place they would give them free reign. Really? I doubt it expecially when you realize they didn't know what they were talking about. The greenhouse is 30 degrees off of south. They never checked. Lots of other things but that was the most glaring one. 
Angry, yeah they would stand there and tell us we didn't know what we were doing and that we would fail the first winter, (we had already done a winter but...) then go shoot a scene with me angry. Dirty trick. But you didn't see the worst of it. I called them on their lies and refused to lie on film. They said they were building us a barn then got here and proceeded to close in a poorly built porch with rotten wood. Yeah i was ------. Kind lost it at that moment. Not my finest hour. LOL they cut that. 
Also cut my tirade at Marty because they wanted to bring the goats here with no food, no dishes, and large equipment running around. I kept telling them Noone was going to treat animals that way on my property. That one I was proud of. LOL


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## besidethecreek (Jul 10, 2016)

Bellyman said:


> Glad for the additional insights. Thanks for sharing.
> 
> But I would have the same question as FarmboyBill... what did you need them for? I'm curious how it came about that you were on episode 1?


We didn't NEED them. It was presented way different when we applied. They even filmed us talking about our former lives and what we have done here in the 4 short months. Then showed none of it. 
I am not sure but after editing they told me that they thought ours was best for the first one. I think it is just that I was the easiest to show as a b****. LOL
And yes we do laugh about it. I never said a thing online about the BS until after the second show and I saw how badly they were represented. Made me mad.


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## oneraddad (Jul 20, 2010)

You sound ungrateful for what they did for you.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Well dad, I got my own ideas of how I want to run this place. IF someone were to come here, say to build a barn for me, and they told me my ideas were nutz without hearing them in full AND/OR not fully explaining why they came to that conclusion, and were going to do things there way, mayby not building the barn where I want, or the size I wanted, or the way I want it to be built, Id likely tell them to take their barn and go take a hike.
Like somebody said, IF ever someone else brings in a lead in (Theres a new show coming up on homesteaders, and they need participants to let them come to their place to help make it a success. Their really real, and say they know all about the homesteading movement) Bla bla bla, we ought to direct them to this post.


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## oneraddad (Jul 20, 2010)

Bill, you have no barn. So any barn is better than none, especially if it's free. Plus, chances are Bill you'll never have a barn unless someone gives you one.


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## besidethecreek (Jul 10, 2016)

oneraddad said:


> You sound ungrateful for what they did for you.


Shall I explain what they did for me?
They lied repeatedly. 
They daily tried to crush our plans and dreams
They treated my whole family like ----, accused our son of stealing tools when the crew misplaced them. After taking his replacement door for his truck without asking and putting it on the greenhouse. 
They paid an absorbante amount of money to the "friendly neighbor" with the excavator, then delayed payment until he threatened a lein on our property and I threatened to deal with them in court.
Then edited it to make us look incompetent, lazy and borderline crazy. 
We now have a greenhouse that is 30 degrees off from the direction it should be. 100 ft straight up the side of a mountain from our house. Can only use the front 4 feet, the back is a cave, cold, dark and damp.
We have a water tank that uncovered in the first rain. Only down 1 foot. We didn't have to pay the 1000 for the tank. So for that I am grateful. We do have to rent an excavator before winter to dig it in the right spot so it dosnt freeze. May end up being a wash. 
Goat barn. I wouldn't call it a barn or even a shed. It isn't even tall enough for me to stand up in. They didn't know you need a separate milking area. They never had goats, or cows or pig. Yes they told us that. 
Made it look like we didn't hunt. We didn't hunt much this year cause we moved in the middle of hunting season. And having things set up before snow was more important. 
I don't like people who represent themselves as something they are not. We were told they were experts at living off grid. If you consider a hunting cabin for a few weeks out of the year living off grid. 

So finding greatfulness in the midst was awful hard. 
The most disapointing part was that this was supposed to show what it was really like. Share ideas with others doing the same. They don't address any of it. They could have shown people how to properly build an earth sheltered greenhouse, what you really need for goats and how hard it is but also how rewarding it is to live like this. 
This could have been a great show...


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## besidethecreek (Jul 10, 2016)

FarmboyBill said:


> Like somebody said, IF ever someone else brings in a lead in (Theres a new show coming up on homesteaders, and they need participants to let them come to their place to help make it a success. Their really real, and say they know all about the homesteading movement) Bla bla bla, we ought to direct them to this post.


Please do!!


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

oneraddad said:


> Bill, you have no barn. So any barn is better than none, especially if it's free. Plus, chances are Bill you'll never have a barn unless someone gives you one.


Why not?

Our barn is a Tuf-shed. Cost us $50 a month in payments. It has long since been paid off which is good, as this year a bad storm took out the old tool shed.

DH would like to buy a kit and put up a new tool shed: we shall see.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

besidethecreek said:


> We now have a greenhouse that is 30 degrees off from the direction it should be. 100 ft straight up the side of a mountain from our house. Can only use the front 4 feet, the back is a cave, cold, dark and damp.


It is still a pretty good greenhouse.

In my climate (Kansas) I have found a greenhouse to be better suited to HOLDING plants that growing them. When I put plastic across the growing beds as well I was able to harvest until January. Even though the plants did not get larger during the winter they did stay healthy until either the frost got them or I ate them.

Beets did the best: I harvested the greens for months and then when they got frosted I harvested the bulbs


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## oneraddad (Jul 20, 2010)

Terri said:


> Why not?
> 
> Our barn is a Tuf-shed. Cost us $50 a month in payments. It has long since been paid off which is good, as this year a bad storm took out the old tool shed.
> 
> DH would like to buy a kit and put up a new tool shed: we shall see.



You're not Bill


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## oneraddad (Jul 20, 2010)

besidethecreek said:


> Shall I explain what they did for me?
> They lied repeatedly.
> They daily tried to crush our plans and dreams
> They treated my whole family like ----, accused our son of stealing tools when the crew misplaced them. After taking his replacement door for his truck without asking and putting it on the greenhouse.
> ...



You still have plenty of time to do it your way and you can always add skylights to the greenhouse and add on to the goat structure/pen, nothing is stopping you.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

oneraddad said:


> You're not Bill


Thank heavens! I would hate to have his ankles.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Thank heavens I would hate to have her boobs LOl


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## TWG1572 (Nov 10, 2015)

I think if you sign up for one of these shows, you've got to recognize that it's NOT a documentary. It's cut from the same model as Big Brother, Deadliest Catch, Axe Men, or 100 other reality shows. They are going to seek drama, and if they don't find any they are going to manufacture it. And they are going to portray the situation as they see fit to attract the maximum number of viewers. Regardless of the truth, accuracy, etc. It's no fun to be portrayed as you were, but that is the TV business and it's widely known this is how reality shows work. You gotta walk in to something like this with eyes wide open. 

I've watched three episodes. All three have lots of personality conflicts and drama created between what are portrayed as clueless/inept/stubborn homesteaders and the Raineys. It's actually becoming boring in it's plot line predictability.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

As to your last, that's what Im thinking. Im slightly bored of the show, but still watch it to see whats new. Likely ill get over that too. Seems like they would quickly lose a significant portion of their audience from this boredom.


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## besidethecreek (Jul 10, 2016)

Nothing is stopping us. We are putting up the barn we want and the house we want. Will put the greenhouse where we want it and decide what to do with the cave. May use it for a butchering shed....... Co worker just gave me that idea this morning.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

As I understood it, you wanted to put your garden on the other side of the hill from the driveway. That looked DANG steep. If I am right, was you going to terrace it, or what?


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## oneraddad (Jul 20, 2010)

Can't wait to see photo's.


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## besidethecreek (Jul 10, 2016)

FarmboyBill said:


> As I understood it, you wanted to put your garden on the other side of the hill from the driveway. That looked DANG steep. If I am right, was you going to terrace it, or what?


Nope, earth sheltered greenhouse. We need to dig it in. And it isn't that steep. About 25 -30 degrees. Behind it is very steep. It is the same level as the house and barn. Room to put a root cellar on one end and compost area on the other. A lot of the trees need to come down anyway (fire danger) but even so that area gets sun year round.


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## Blueridgeviews (May 3, 2015)

Besidethecreek,
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us.
How sad that Discovery people don't have more integrity.
They insult our intelligence, as most people who watch the show are interested
In homesteading not personality conflicts and egos.

It would have been great if they'd shown the real thing with you guys and your past experience with goats and what your actual plans were instead of trying to make you out like imbeciles.
I was confused with that greenhouse as like you said most of it is in the dark. 
Too bad they couldn't have placed it correctly and with more interior light because it was impressive how they built it.

Please keep us updated with your progress, and good luck to you both!


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## pmondo (Oct 6, 2007)

watching it now 3 years no water? crazy people


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

YUP agree. Why would ANYBODY put down 6Gs for 40 or 400 acres of that kind of land. The view?? Not in my mind. Step outa the house and nearly on a rattler? No way. They need to get some cats, or maybe a rat terrier to keep the rats down. If cats, keep them inside at night.
Speaking of inside, How do you suppose they got a bathroom, kitchen, 3 or 4 bedrooms in that building. it wasn't that big. Course, I guess if they stayed up till 10 00, they could some sleep in the trailers as they would be cooler by that time. Rainey ought to have piled dirt on top the bldg. to help keep it cool.
Crazy people is right. Plant 300 fruit trees while carrying water 16 miles round a day.
They might grow enough veggies for mom and dad in that dome, but I doubt it for all 4 of them. They had some goats. Would goats thrive on what was out there to eat?
I bet the Raineys never go to Nev again lol.
They were DANG lucky to find water at 130ft. I had to go 275ft to find it in Okla.
The way to cool that bldg. was pretty cool.
I got a kick outa dad saying that tractor was an antique. I magine MOST people on here would love to have one that new.



As to the people with the sled dogs, They saved their food and dog food from the bears. How were they supposed to do the same for the dogs.??


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## Blueridgeviews (May 3, 2015)

It's shocking they bought that Nevada desert land with no water and wretched soil thinking they could homestead there.
It sounds like the son bought it for the parents because it was a dream of there's.
What a nice family -- I really hope they make it.
It appears the Rainys or Discovery got the message and stopped all the dumb antagonism.


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## Alder (Aug 18, 2014)

FarmboyBill said:


> As to the people with the sled dogs, They saved their food and dog food from the bears. How were they supposed to do the same for the dogs.??


Hahaha!! Yup, that's exactly what I was thinking. Good grief, forget the freezers, the bears are going to grab a dog-on-a-rope first. Easy lunch and leave a bloody collar in the snow as a calling card.

Already, I see the typical scare tactics of freaking out that the humans are gonna get eaten by big cats, bears or killed by rattlers. That gets old and is used to death by all of these 'survival" shows, when it's usually the least of the problem. It must play well with city folks though.

Then...no water. What the heck? Don't buy a place where you can't get water - period. How many shows are they gonna do wrapped around that one. And free range. Right. The pig headed pig farmers were a hoot - just cuz of the 'tudes. I do give the girl credit for offing the coyote, and the dude for plugging the extra boar for meat. Now he needs to put about 50 more of those hogs out of their misery. They sure didn't look very healthy to me. Vultures don't hang around your place in those numbers unless they are getting fed...

Anyway, bush hippies can be pretty entertaining. I'll probably watch it for chuckles.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

as to your last. Same here.


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## besidethecreek (Jul 10, 2016)

As far as the pig farm. Check out revolutionaryrootsfarm.com.


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## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

Saw about six minutes(from one commercial break to another) about the people in the desert. Turned it off and watched the last segment of O. J. for more substance  That show gives homesteading a bad name....(and I've already read Steinbeck's "Cannery Row")

geo


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## PermaAMP (Jun 13, 2013)

FarmboyBill said:


> YUP agree. Why would ANYBODY put down 6Gs for 40 or 400 acres of that kind of land. The view?? Not in my mind. Step outa the house and nearly on a rattler? No way. They need to get some cats, or maybe a rat terrier to keep the rats down. If cats, keep them inside at night.
> Speaking of inside, How do you suppose they got a bathroom, kitchen, 3 or 4 bedrooms in that building. it wasn't that big. Course, I guess if they stayed up till 10 00, they could some sleep in the trailers as they would be cooler by that time. Rainey ought to have piled dirt on top the bldg. to help keep it cool.
> Crazy people is right. Plant 300 fruit trees while carrying water 16 miles round a day.
> They might grow enough veggies for mom and dad in that dome, but I doubt it for all 4 of them. They had some goats. Would goats thrive on what was out there to eat?
> ...





Blueridgeviews said:


> It's shocking they bought that Nevada desert land with no water and wretched soil thinking they could homestead there.
> It sounds like the son bought it for the parents because it was a dream of there's.
> What a nice family -- I really hope they make it.
> It appears the Rainys or Discovery got the message and stopped all the dumb antagonism.


There is more to the Kondor's story just like there is more to every one of the familys/couples shown on the show. As well as more to their situations than what is shown on the show. 

The land was bought for the challenge and yes for the view too but due to financial issues and lack of time things got a bit rough. I think they are beginning to get a bit of headway though. Thanks to the show helping them get water.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Marty is from the work harder not smarter group. He doesn't think things through to the easiest/best way to things. Take moving that conex. One could easily lift one end of it with a couple jacks to get the rollers under it. He also should have taken the attachment off the back and pulled it with the back of the trailer instead of destroying the loader. It looked like a box blade on the back so he could have leveled a spot anywhere to put it or at least cleared the path to move it.

He's also one that learns just enough to be dangerous. A simple evaporative cooler would work better at cooling that conex than his underground system. It probably would have cost less than they spent on fuel to dig the trench for that system. His system is too small to cool that conex and there is no way it will provide any heat in the winter.

He really looked like the fool to me when they found the rattlesnake. Talk about overblowing the situation. Even his son overblew that with thinking one needs a 12 gauge to kill a snake or in thinking that the snake is going to attack you. Enclosing under the trails just built a home for the rats and snakes. One would be better off leaving them open and sprinkling a little peppermint oil in the trailers and throwing som moth balls under them. 

Sorry but I think the Raney's are the ones making homesteaders look bad and there is no way I'd want them anywhere close to my place. They are dream killers that solve short term problems by killing long term goals and plans.

WWW


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Don't think it could have been said any better. I kinda wondered why he needed to hook to the loader in the first place. Either take off the blade in back and pull with the back which would have givin much more tracton, or run the chain over the blade, lift it to raise the conex and then pull. A shorter chain would have been helpful also.


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

wy_white_wolf said:


> Marty is from the work harder not smarter group. He doesn't think things through to the easiest/best way to things. Take moving that conex. One could easily lift one end of it with a couple jacks to get the rollers under it. He also should have taken the attachment off the back and pulled it with the back of the trailer instead of destroying the loader. It looked like a box blade on the back so he could have leveled a spot anywhere to put it or at least cleared the path to move it.
> 
> He's also one that learns just enough to be dangerous. A simple evaporative cooler would work better at cooling that conex than his underground system. It probably would have cost less than they spent on fuel to dig the trench for that system. His system is too small to cool that conex and there is no way it will provide any heat in the winter.
> 
> ...


I had some similar thoughts as well. Maybe moving that conex made for good entertainment but if they had handled a building of mine that roughly, I'd have been less than happy about it. Really, there was no need for all of the dramatics or the roughness. 

I think the best thing that happened on the show was finally getting a source of water. At least they have a chance at making something good happen. Without water, there's just not a lot a person can do.

I can't imagine trying to survive in that setting. It is good they're only 8 miles from town.


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## HappySevenFarm (Jan 21, 2013)

I think the most thought provoking statement on the whole show is when Misty says at the beginning...."A homestead needs to be nurtured every day. You get out what you put in." How many of us on here really need to sit and ponder on that? I know I do!


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## Blueridgeviews (May 3, 2015)

The plastic on that geodome greenhouse is not going to last a week with those winds.


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## besidethecreek (Jul 10, 2016)

wy_white_wolf said:


> Marty is from the work harder not smarter group. He doesn't think things through to the easiest/best way to things.
> 
> He's also one that learns just enough to be dangerous.
> 
> ...


You are correct! I haven't seen the last 2 showes. We don't have satellite TV so.... we are supposed to get copies of all the episodes after they air but we were supposed to get a well and goat barn so I'm not holding my breath.

I have seen clips of both and the one I saw of them moving the conex just had me shaking my head. If you weld an arm like that why wouldn't you plate it instead of butt weld? I told Hubby they could have used a truck to pull it a lot easier once it was on rollers. 

I did see the one where he told them he didn't want to hear about youtube. I about died laughing. They put a wood fired hot water heater in our place ( no they didnt show that) and kept going out to the truck to check the internet to see if they were doing it correctly. They weren't, and we had to correct them and then explain simple physics about why it wouldn't work. It would have blown up the way they wanted to do it. 

Yes they do not believe in long term goals and plans but they live off grid to hunt only so there is no long term plan involved, just get through hunting season and back to town. We were told daily that our plans were too big and we couldn't do it. They tried to get me to say at the end that we would just do stuff and not plan anymore. I laughed and said we were not that stupid. 

I would like to know if the well is a solar powered pump or how it is set up. Did they show that? If they did I may use some data to watch it.


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

To my knowledge, there was no mention of how they were going to actually get water out of that well. 

I thought I did see a few solar panels set up in one of the quick shots the camera took but I don't remember any mention of them. 

I like the concept of the show. But it's frustrating for someone seeking steak and finding little more than sizzle.


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## besidethecreek (Jul 10, 2016)

I saw a solar water heater on the roof of the zebecks outhouse too and no mention of it in the show. That is stuff people want to know.


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## besidethecreek (Jul 10, 2016)

I was wondering because they had to buy a water heater to hook up the heater on the woodstove. They could have asked, cause there was one in one of the trailers that would have worked for that. Anyway, they bought an electric one. We asked if they had to buy one why not buy a gas one so we could use it when we didn't need the woodstove. Their response was "well you have solar panels." They had no clue that our little set up as is will not run a toaster let alone a water heater. 
I hope they set them up with a way to get it out of the well.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Why do you have a solar setup that cant do anything for you?

I saw a solar panel on one of the trailers. Don't know how much it would do, but they don't lack for sun there.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

I would think that a homemade windmill would do it OK. Build a tank off the ground, and you have a bit of water pressure. With the wind they had, Id imagine a foot dia windmill would do just fine. JUST KIDDING lol


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## besidethecreek (Jul 10, 2016)

Our solar set up does fine for us. Runs lights, charges things and that is about all we need. I have a camp toaster and actually prefer it. We use a generator for power tools. Will need to add to the battery bank and a larger inverter then we will be fine for the new house and our washer etc. Money is a little tight so we prioritize, not an issue for us.


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

I hadn't thought of it but I do remember of them complaining that the wind was blowing nearly constantly, and hard. That does sound like a source of energy worth exploring.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

besidethecreek said:


> ...I would like to know if the well is a solar powered pump or how it is set up. Did they show that? If they did I may use some data to watch it.


 They didn't show how they handled getting water out of the well. If you need or want info on setting up solar on a well I can help with that. Our well is solar direct with a 350 gallon cistern for watering the orchard and giving us clean water. Something similar could be done with the cistern they setup for you.

WWW


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## besidethecreek (Jul 10, 2016)

That would be awesome!! We have witched for water and there is a lot of springs that pop through the surface in various areas but they dry up the 3rd week of june. Neighbors well is 100 ft but they don't have nearly the amount of springs that we do. 
One spring is right where the green house is. Explains the water running down the back wall. But it seems to be the strongest. 
Going to try to tap that spring but will still need to pump it to the tank.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Do your water lines run N&S? Mine did at my old place. I havnt witched any here yet.


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## besidethecreek (Jul 10, 2016)

FarmboyBill said:


> Do your water lines run N&S? Mine did at my old place. I havnt witched any here yet.


Yep like bands. Some have 12 feet between them and some have 30+. Some are narrow some are wide. The one with the quickest and strongest response is very wide, about 8 ft. It came thru the hill where they put the green house and to the west of it. It flowed out of the side of the bank down about 4 ft. and back into a hole. Thinking about a sand point just below that and see what happens.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

yup, around the same width here.


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## Blueridgeviews (May 3, 2015)

I was laid up for two days with bad back, and I found a new Nat Geo series that I binged on
that I found pretty good with some interesting homesteading projects called,
_Live Free Or Die._

Some of the participants appear to be tattooed wildings, but Thorn and another fellow are quite skilled and very self sufficient. Nat Geo isn't doing the ego conflicts and drama exaggerations that Discovery is.

It's the second season, and I couldn't find the first season on DVR.
Anyone else watching this?
http://channel.nationalgeographic.c...i1gKy1rUL8z3g3vdG71M_hoClanw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

The characters
http://channel.nationalgeographic.c.../meet-the-primitives/at/meet-colbert-2086223/


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

I liked it with the guy and gal homesteading on the side of a hill in season one. I havnt seen any commercials with them in it in season 2, so I havnt watched season 2.


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

besidethecreek said:


> That would be awesome!! We have witched for water and there is a lot of springs that pop through the surface in various areas but they dry up the 3rd week of june. Neighbors well is 100 ft but they don't have nearly the amount of springs that we do.
> One spring is right where the green house is. Explains the water running down the back wall. But it seems to be the strongest.
> Going to try to tap that spring but will still need to pump it to the tank.


Been on Solar powered well water for a few years. Check out wy_white_wolf and my postings on the energy forum.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Blueridgeviews said:


> I was laid up for two days with bad back, and I found a new Nat Geo series that I binged on
> that I found pretty good with some interesting homesteading projects called,
> _Live Free Or Die._
> 
> ...


 I watch it. I think the second season hasn't started yet and the shows they have on now are enhanced versions of the first season. My firewall is blocking the links so I can't verify if that true though.

WWW


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## Blueridgeviews (May 3, 2015)

wy_white_wolf said:


> I watch it. I think the second season hasn't started yet and the shows they have on now are enhanced versions of the first season. My firewall is blocking the links so I can't verify if that true though.
> 
> WWW


I have DISH and all the shows are on DEMAND and are second season -- lots on the couple homesteading and lots on the handcrafting and tool making by Thor and the blacksmith guy.

What I don't like is the blacksmith guy says he's trained horses all his adult life,
But is a total imbecile in the way he treats and "trains" his mules.
As a former horse trainer I just roll my eyes -- very dangerous for both the mules and his safety.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Do they still have the guy and gal living on a hill homesteading. raising bees, ect.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

FarmboyBill said:


> Do they still have the guy and gal living on a hill homesteading. raising bees, ect.


Yes they are still on and it looks like season 3 starts Monday July 25th

WWW


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

What channel? Same as Homestead Rescue?


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## Yellowsnow (May 11, 2016)

What proper Homestead has Discovery Channel? eep:


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

I call mine a homestead to be polite. Im a farmer and always will be. lol.


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## OhioHomestead (Mar 25, 2016)

Id like to see a show where they go state to state and show different homesteads like possibly just a tour and walkthrough a day in each of their lives. each season could be a different state or something. help a few out with some sponsor items here and there but nothing to serious.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

yep, that would be interesting. BUT how do you as the producer inject your people into their lives to fix things there doing wrong, IF there not doing anything wrong?


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## besidethecreek (Jul 10, 2016)

FarmboyBill said:


> yep, that would be interesting. BUT how do you as the producer inject your people into their lives to fix things there doing wrong, IF there not doing anything wrong?


Why would you need to be fixing anything? And who determines right or wrong? The point is we are all always learning. I go to other places to learn and people come to us to learn. Constructive conversations about future plans, learning others abilities, and showing what is possible. 

That was what was presented first with this show. "We want to show what you've done, what you've learned and how your background contributes to your success along with what you need to make the next step." Then it turned. 

I am a firm believer that no one person is an expert in this lifestyle. We all have our strengths and weekness. I can only speak to our experience but I can say that there were plenty of opportunity for constructive conversation. I.e. we raised goats for 10 years. We know what we need for a barn. We know that you need a place to store food and that you need a way to separate them when milking. I don't know of anyone that crawls into a goat pen and tries to keep one goat still to milk in the midst of the rest while keeping dirt and hooves out of your milk bucket. I was told that is how you do it by someone who has never done it. 

One thing I wanted us to learn was how to peel a log. Our home will be a post and beam log frame. Instead we were told we had too big of dreams. So guess what. YouTube it is. Watched a lot of videos on different techniques. Bought an ice chipper that has the correct curve and modified it a little and am peelng logs for the house. That's what we do. 

On the other hand have a neighbor that wants to learn how to can. So Sunday we are making Oregon grape jam. In 2 weeks we will go to farmers market and buy as many tomatoes as we can. Big weekend canning sauce and soup and ketchup. I've already taught them how to make scratch pasta. 

We all have strengths and weaknesses, what makes us great is learning from each other. Someone really should show that.


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## Blueridgeviews (May 3, 2015)

FarmboyBill said:


> What channel? Same as Homestead Rescue?


No, it's on Nat Geo.


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## Blueridgeviews (May 3, 2015)

OhioHomestead said:


> Id like to see a show where they go state to state and show different homesteads like possibly just a tour and walkthrough a day in each of their lives. each season could be a different state or something. help a few out with some sponsor items here and there but nothing to serious.


I agree -- I'd also like to see a homestead program where they focus each week on just one thing and do it thoroughly. Like visiting three or four poultry setups doing it differently, and next week do bees, then tractors, then various pasture maintenance programs, etc.

Problem is there's such a limited audience for homesteading.


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

Blueridgeviews said:


> I agree -- I'd also like to see a homestead program where they focus each week on just one thing and do it thoroughly. Like visiting three or four poultry setups doing it differently, and next week do bees, then tractors, then various pasture maintenance programs, etc.
> 
> Problem is there's such a limited audience for homesteading.


There are lots of ways it could happen that would actually be useful, informational and even educational.

What it would lack, though, is what just about every TV show today has, DRAMA. Even the news channels have to stir the pot almost continuously, building as much tension and suspense as possible and keeping you there as long as possible. Somehow, they seem to think that's all people will watch. Sensationalism sells.

I could see a show like we'd like to see happening on a network such as RFD TV, maybe. (I used to be able to get that on my free-to-air satellite setup. Miss some of the little things on there, like the little 2 or 3 minute segments with Baxter Black...)


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## PermaAMP (Jun 13, 2013)

Blueridgeviews said:


> I was laid up for two days with bad back, and I found a new Nat Geo series that I binged on
> that I found pretty good with some interesting homesteading projects called,
> _Live Free Or Die._
> 
> ...


When I had Satellite TV I enjoyed watching that show immensely. Thorn is my favorite (Not his real name. Nor is his daughters name briar)but I enjoyed Amelia and Tony too. I know where they are located and have heard of Thorn before(not show related). I guess he sometimes hosts rewilding classes. That's something I'd love to go to.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Well, I got to say tonights HR was really pretty good. I didn't know that Penn was 60% forest, and that THAT many deer/elk live there. They didn't portray the family as idiots. I got to agree with dad Raney. I raised my kids up just like he did his. My boy at around 10 was off bearer on the buzz saw, a scant foot from the blade, while DD and X handled the long ends. They grew up to their near teens with only electricity as to being on grid. AND sometimes not even that. They grew up around kerosene lamps on several occasions, COLD house, skimping on water, hauling water, doing chores, and helping out. X was lazy so DD had to do some of the cooking, and got to be rather good at it. They aren't as hard on their kids as I was them, and it shows, BUT theys still way better parents than many ive seen.
I never saw a bldg. like that that didn't have roof insulation. Wonder how they knew to bring a sawmill along. The kids stepped up and got offa their butts and did good overall. Good show. Wonder what they are going to do with the hog? They said at the end that they had only killed one deer since the Rs left, and so they were still buying a lot of their meat in town. maybe they back slid.


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## besidethecreek (Jul 10, 2016)

The PA facts are not correct and there is no elk in that area. Can't hunt when it isn't in season on your own land or not. The hunt was done on a deer farm. Going off grid or homesteading (yes they are differnt) dosnt mean you do what you please. You still need to follow the laws and risking losing your hunting privilege for poaching is no joke. I am amazed that the producers didn't address that. 

These folks have a youtube channel. Modern off gridders.


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## oneraddad (Jul 20, 2010)

Seems like everybody so far is a welfare case that have no money and only a dream.

How do they ever expect to get ahead without a job or a means to support their self ?


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## coolrunnin (Aug 28, 2010)

oneraddad said:


> Seems like everybody so far is a welfare case that have no money and only a dream.
> 
> How do they ever expect to get ahead without a job or a means to support their self ?


While I agree overall, you really don't have to have a job, but you do have to have a means of earning a living.

It seems that back story on most of these folks isn't necessarily what is portrayed on the show.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

I thought that (Deer Super hiway) looked like it had ben scooped out. It says at the start of the show that 10Gs homesteaders will go under each year. I guess there in a worse state than the ones the Raineys go to, OR there in the same shape, and the Raineys save those they go to, AT LEAST, for a time.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Deer highway looked like a snowmobile track to me. 

Marty threw that beam that they made over his shoulder. It only looked about 4 to 5 foot long. Then they have a full 8 foot post when installing it. The surface didn't even look the same.

Farmboybill - Producers make a few visits before the Raneys show up so they have already planned on everything they are going to do before they get there. It may not be scripted but it is fully planned out.

WWW


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

yeah, as to your last, That's what I ment to say. I never saw one of those sheds without insulation on the roof, AT LEAST. We lived in 2 of them, one 24 X 14, and 40 X 14 and they both had insulation on the roof/ceiling.


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## MakeLemonade (Jul 21, 2016)

This is one of those times I wish I had cable! I want to see this show so badly.


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## besidethecreek (Jul 10, 2016)

oneraddad said:


> Seems like everybody so far is a welfare case that have no money and only a dream.
> 
> How do they ever expect to get ahead without a job or a means to support their self ?


Not true at all, they do not show the job aspect. The only ones I am not sure of are the ones in the desert. All the rest at least one person works in town and 2 have successful businesses. I personally am a director of operations at a law office. Hardly a welfare case. LOL They blow everything way out of proportion. 
They just thought it would make for better TV if they edited it all out.


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## wraith (Jun 26, 2016)

I've seen soap operas with less scripted drama than this show.....


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## PermaAMP (Jun 13, 2013)

besidethecreek said:


> Not true at all, they do not show the job aspect. The only ones I am not sure of are the ones in the desert. All the rest at least one person works in town and 2 have successful businesses. I personally am a director of operations at a law office. Hardly a welfare case. LOL They blow everything way out of proportion.
> They just thought it would make for better TV if they edited it all out.


The desert brothers both have two jobs. Caleb is an Environmental Specialist and has associates degrees in Mathematics, Engineering and Chemistry and a professional degree in Chemistry. They also do side jobs as juggling entertainers together.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Well then, Ill ask the same question I asked before one. IF your all making good money, why would you need/want to be on the show so as to let them make those on it look to be ---Whatever word you choose to use??


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## besidethecreek (Jul 10, 2016)

FarmboyBill said:


> Well then, Ill ask the same question I asked before one. IF your all making good money, why would you need/want to be on the show so as to let them make those on it look to be ---Whatever word you choose to use??


Because this was not what was presented at all. Remember that this is the first season. It was initially presented as "we want to show various homesteads and how people live in various parts of the country off grid." In exchange we were to be given a well and a barn. 2 things we needed. 
After the second visit by the director it changed to we are bringing in "experts" that have lived off grid in Alaska for 40 years to show us how to do things. My statement at that point was "OK what are they going to show us? I am not going to act like some city slicker who just moved out here." We were assured that it would not happen . One thing we agreed on was that we would focus on gardening in a differnt climate. If they gardened for 40 years in Alaska that should be some pretty good advice. Right? 
Then 2 days before shooting it was, we can't do a well, we don't want to do the same thing at different places and we decided where we are doing a well. I am glad that they got a well, I really am, but they promised wells to 3 people then picked only one. 
Then it was we are not going to buy anything everything must be sourced from your stuff. Well they did buy some stuff bUT so much for the promised barn. 
Without going into too much personal detail I will tell you that we have been through a lot in the past few years. We have lost everything 2 times. Struggled to keep our head above water and never once accepted welfare. We don't have the extra money to dig a well this year and having a well would have given us a tremendous boost. 
Not everyone has the money to drop a well or put in a full solar power system immediately. You figure out ways around it. 
For example, we have our log barn almost up. Problem is that we are struggling getting the logs up now. (Being short sucks!!!) We could rent a back hoe but at 350 a day it is out of the question. A neighbor has a boom truck that needs a wheel bearing fixed, so we brought it down, are using it to set the logs for the barn and the house and are replacing the wheel bearing for him. It's a trade. 
Much like this was supposed to be, you film our life for 2 weeks and give us a well.
Might add that a well could cost as little as $1200 to $20,000 in our area. I can't just have someone come in to drill and not have the $20,000 if that's what it took.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Yes, Water is a dang valuable thing. I knew the limitations doing without it caused. I tried to grow grapes without it twice and failed. Had to haul most of the water used. 

I forget. Are you on rocky ground, or not? Ive looked on U Tubes for ideas for drilling wells, and there is many ideas there. The one im going to try here, is the one where you use 2 sources of water pressure that goes down a PVC pipe that, at the bottom end is cut in a jagged shape. You stand on a pickup bed, and with a board clamped across the pipe, you twist and push downward, The teeth at the bottom of the pipe loosen the dirt with the help of the water and the water flushes it out. I don't have rock here. The only place ive ever owned that didn't have rock on it somewhere. Ive noticed that, in watering my grapes, that the grass pulls harder when the ground is dry, and much easier after its been soaked, That tells me that there might be something to making the digging work. Anyways, it only costs around $100 or less to do it, so, its worth a try. Problem is, at this point, I don't know where I want to drill a well. Wont know till I get my outbuildings up. Namely the barn.


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## coolrunnin (Aug 28, 2010)

FarmboyBill said:


> Well, I got to say tonights HR was really pretty good. I didn't know that Penn was 60% forest, and that THAT many deer/elk live there. They didn't portray the family as idiots. I got to agree with dad Raney. I raised my kids up just like he did his. My boy at around 10 was off bearer on the buzz saw, a scant foot from the blade, while DD and X handled the long ends. They grew up to their near teens with only electricity as to being on grid. AND sometimes not even that. They grew up around kerosene lamps on several occasions, COLD house, skimping on water, hauling water, doing chores, and helping out. X was lazy so DD had to do some of the cooking, and got to be rather good at it. They aren't as hard on their kids as I was them, and it shows, BUT theys still way better parents than many ive seen.
> I never saw a bldg. like that that didn't have roof insulation. Wonder how they knew to bring a sawmill along. The kids stepped up and got offa their butts and did good overall. Good show. Wonder what they are going to do with the hog? They said at the end that they had only killed one deer since the Rs left, and so they were still buying a lot of their meat in town. maybe they back slid.


I have thought about this post alot.

How do you think your kids are stronger because you couldn't provide basic necessities like heat and water?
I agree chores are important but what's being hard on them going to do but possibly drive wedges in your relationships?

You have stated many times your son won't come help you with various projects, so how did that being hard and denying work out for you?


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

cr. Onliest thing I know is that I didn't knowlingly force this type of life on my kids as opposed to any other I could have givin them. They/we did what we all had to do. My boy, if he isn't getting paid for it hates manual labor. IF he IS getting paid for it, hes a workaholic like I was. He is more of a family man than I was. His boy hasn't a clue as to the type of life his dad had at his age. Same way with my DD. Same way with me, when I think about it, Boy will weld up anything I ask of him with no problems. I havnt got my welder hooked up here as yet, and so, he is the only way of getting things welded. Not that I have many things that need welding.
They both grew up to be exceptional kids. Both work hard. Both have a drive to succeed. Both I know love me and each other. Could I have gotten that in them by raising them another way? I don't know. Couldn't have done it if I had known there was a better way.
What I havnt told, is that we spent a lot of time playing together. I taught them to play T ball. There were only the 4 of us, so me and X was on a team and they were on a team. The kids hit the T more times than they hit the ball in the beginning, so that, IF they hit the T and the ball rolled in front of it, it was good. If one got to 2nd, and one got to first, then the one on second came in and rebatted, and we called a ghost on 2nd. The bases were, 1st, the hammermill, 2nd a tree. 3rd the grain bin and home a piece of wood. IF a ball came in towards third, and one of us picked it up and threw it at the grain bin BEFORE the one on first reached 2nd, then the ghost was out. That was just an example that applied to all 3 bases. Wed have to run in on home and touch the plate. No catcher. They could do the above, plus hit us with the ball if needful.
I had a log, around 2ft dia and around 10ft long. I made swords outa PVC pipe for the 3 of us. Wed play Robin and Little John on the log.
Once when I was in the army last, I took them on (manuvers) with home made weapons. We waited till around 9 00 at night and headed out, 1 mile each way, square, 2 miles on pavement. Wed have to run and hide if we call a car coming, assuming it was a enemy patrol of some kind. Wed play hide and seek. Later, when they were older, wed all have swords out of PVC. IF I was it, and saw one of them, and they would get to home just at the same time, or before I would, I could try to stop them by sword fighting. IF I got them in the fight, I won. IF I could get to the tree that was the it/home spot, and called them out, I won. IF they got me in the fight, I lost, or if they were able to work around me towards the tree and make a break for it, they won. Remember, all they had to do was say free, while I had to say 1,2,3 out for Amy/Billy/Cheryl. 
When we came home from church on Sundays, We did NOTHING, but set around, or play games. A lot of time, If I couldn't do anything for lack of money, wed play games through the week after I got home. I wasn't a slave driver. They just lived a life that I imagine almost none of the kids in their school had to live.


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## TNbear23 (May 31, 2014)

This show is not the first one Marty Raney has been on. He was a participant on Ultimate Survival Alaska 2013. I knew he look familiar 
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/ultimate-survival-alaska/articles/marty-raney/

Contrary to what some have said, According to this bio, he has the homesteading/off grid background.
http://martyraney.com/?page_id=7.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Whatever. Ive been in bad winters, WITH THE R I G H T clothes on, and had my moustache, AND eyebrows covered with frost.


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## coolrunnin (Aug 28, 2010)

It's good that you played with your children Bill.

I don't know how to respond to "unless I'm getting paid I ain't working", I once drove 2600 miles round trip because the folks needed help with several projects, no pay and it actually cost me money.


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## besidethecreek (Jul 10, 2016)

FarmboyBill said:


> Yes, Water is a dang valuable thing. I knew the limitations doing without it caused. I tried to grow grapes without it twice and failed. Had to haul most of the water used.
> 
> I forget. Are you on rocky ground, or not? Ive looked on U Tubes for ideas for drilling wells, and there is many ideas there.


Our ground is not that rocky but a lot of shale. I've seen that method. Would probably cost us as much to haul the water in to drill that way as to pay someone to droll it. LOL

We are going to get a sand point and drive it right below a spring that pops through after a rain. There is an aspen tree that is growing there on a shale bank with nothing else around it. It never wilts. Water cannot be that deep in that area. Will try it and see what happens. If we get any kind of a flow we can run it into the tank, after we move it, and put a float valve on it. Tank will be 10 ft below the spring and 20 ft above the house. Should be able to gravity flow to both houses and the barn from there with no problem. Might even get it to the greenhouse, the new one.


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## besidethecreek (Jul 10, 2016)

TNbear23 said:


> This show is not the first one Marty Raney has been on. He was a participant on Ultimate Survival Alaska 2013. I knew he look familiar
> http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/ultimate-survival-alaska/articles/marty-raney/
> 
> Contrary to what some have said, According to this bio, he has the homesteading/off grid background.
> http://martyraney.com/?page_id=7.


Homesteading /off grid background yes, but by no means an expert. I can only say what I've heard with my own ears, things like "we've only ever grown salads", "we've never canned anything", "we've never had milk animals", "we never process our own wild game except fish", "you have 2 solar panels why can't an electric hot water heater work", and my favorite "oh south is that way?"


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## PermaAMP (Jun 13, 2013)

FarmboyBill said:


> Well then, Ill ask the same question I asked before one. IF your all making good money, why would you need/want to be on the show so as to let them make those on it look to be ---Whatever word you choose to use??


Just because you have a job that makes 'good money' doesn't nessisarily mean you have 'good money'. Previous debts and circumstance can greatly reduce the amount of useable income for homestead improvements. 

However the main reason is as besidethecreak said. The show was not originally proposed as anything other than a documentary. Somehow it evolved into something else entirely afterwards.


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## HappySevenFarm (Jan 21, 2013)

Even with all the negatives I still enjoy watching. It makes me think about things around my place as well as what I'd do if I were at their homesteads. I think an interesting addition would be for Marty to suggest a few simple improvements that would help them. Then when they do the follow up see if they acted on those suggestions. Like the people in Montana after they put in the 1000 gallon cistern. Suggest to them to put gutters on the house and run them into rain barrels to water the plants and animals to conserve the good water for themselves.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

When I didn't have water I thought to buy 2 of those plastic cube tanks, fill each with another, rent a couple pumps and drill it that way. As you say, I think also that you have a spring, but, youll want to drill a reserve hole below the run of the spring as a reserve. Specially if its a weak spring. Water from a weak spring at the surface will be a weak source of water. The fact that it dosnt support a group of aspens verifys that. Aspens grow like locust, and love water. If they don't get the water, they don't grow.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

I didn't say he wouldn't work for nothing, I said he trys to avoid it.


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## MakeLemonade (Jul 21, 2016)

HappySevenFarm said:


> Even with all the negatives I still enjoy watching. It makes me think about things around my place as well as what I'd do if I were at their homesteads. I think an interesting addition would be for Marty to suggest a few simple improvements that would help them. Then when they do the follow up see if they acted on those suggestions. Like the people in Montana after they put in the 1000 gallon cistern. Suggest to them to put gutters on the house and run them into rain barrels to water the plants and animals to conserve the good water for themselves.


Got to see the show whole.visiting my parents today and this would be a fantastic way to improve the show.

Rain water is a valuable resource!

I did really enjoy what I watched but I got very upset with the people at some points. The lady in the frozen North being worried about how they could make the landscaping match if they put in an underground cellar infuriated me! I know its there for drama but omg I ranted lol


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## besidethecreek (Jul 10, 2016)

FarmboyBill said:


> When I didn't have water I thought to buy 2 of those plastic cube tanks, fill each with another, rent a couple pumps and drill it that way. As you say, I think also that you have a spring, but, youll want to drill a reserve hole below the run of the spring as a reserve. Specially if its a weak spring. Water from a weak spring at the surface will be a weak source of water. The fact that it dosnt support a group of aspens verifys that. Aspens grow like locust, and love water. If they don't get the water, they don't grow.


Oh it does support the aspen. It never wilts no matter how dry it gets. The point will go between the spot where it comes out of the rock and the aspen. Think that will work?


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## besidethecreek (Jul 10, 2016)

HappySevenFarm said:


> Even with all the negatives I still enjoy watching. It makes me think about things around my place as well as what I'd do if I were at their homesteads. I think an interesting addition would be for Marty to suggest a few simple improvements that would help them. Then when they do the follow up see if they acted on those suggestions. Like the people in Montana after they put in the 1000 gallon cistern. Suggest to them to put gutters on the house and run them into rain barrels to water the plants and animals to conserve the good water for themselves.


It is good entertainment. But just not accurate. 

It would be good to have some of those conversations on camera but I would never suggest that they give "homework" to follow up on. Rain water collection is great in some areas but we get less than 12 inches of rain a year. And the only roof that will be above ground is the barn and it isn't enough to amount to anything. We will put a gutter on it into a barrel for some water collection but in addition there are the water right laws. It would have been a great discussion to have if we could actually have a discussion. They have a plan on what they are doing and treat anyone like children if you dare to ask a question or try to have an intelegent conversation, like why it is important to face the greenhouse south. 

I will tell you our plan. There is a grey water drain field below where the house will be. We are putting a 300 gal tank beside it with a faucet below it to water the garden and an overflow into the drain field. Every drop gets used 2x in the summer with a plan for the winter. 

Thoughts?


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

besidethecreek said:


> ............
> I will tell you our plan. There is a grey water drain field below where the house will be. We are putting a 300 gal tank beside it with a faucet below it to water the garden and an overflow into the drain field. Every drop gets used 2x in the summer with a plan for the winter.
> 
> Thoughts?


Never heard of a grey water drain field...new to me. 
But you plan to intercept grey water, fill tank, and use it to water? 
The overflow will then go into grey water drain field?
I would assume one would have to be careful of what they put into their grey water if they are going to water plants. Toothpaste, dish soap, hand soap, mouthwash, etc, would all have to be organic, lest you poison whatever your watering. Unless the tank was recycled constantly, I could see interesting things growing in it. Be like a petri dish of pathogens...lol
I would be inclined to bleach the water, let it evaporate before use. 
Still, grey water has a lot of grease, oils and whatnot. 
Personally, I would look at other water catchment ideas...


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## OhioHomestead (Mar 25, 2016)

whether or not it portrayed "accurate" is going to differ from the people on the show and the people making the show. Im sure the people who were on the show that are complaining are primarily trying to save face after being made to look dumb. but they should be grateful someone came out and helped them when they clearly needed it. 

Every single show ive watched the homestead came out better off than it was previously. For anyone that has been on this show to claim other wise has a screw loose.
Secondly if you build a homestead without water your doing yourself a disservice dont buy land that doesnt have a water source or atleast have enough money to drill a ---- well.
you can make up words on a page but actions and words on film are proof enough for me that most of the people on the show are not as smart as they think they are. My favorite comment was "we watched youtube" to learn how to homestead lol The landscaping part where the prissy girl was being a pain was pretty good also. The free range pig guy was so annoying, just wouldnt listen to reason and at the end "we put up a fence" lol. 

I like the show because it makes me feel good about my homestead and you do get to see some cool projects here and there along the way.


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## HappySevenFarm (Jan 21, 2013)

besidethecreek said:


> .........Rain water collection is great in some areas but we get less than 12 inches of rain a year. And the only roof that will be above ground is the barn and it isn't enough to amount to anything. We will put a gutter on it into a barrel for some water collection but in addition there are the water right laws.
> 
> 
> 
> Thoughts?



There are water right laws governing the catchment of water off your roof?


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

HappySevenFarm said:


> There are water right laws governing the catchment of water off your roof?


 No state law in Montana limiting Rain catchment or approving them. Several counties have put regulations on them as to how they are to be built and what they can be used for.

WWW


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

I was just saying if the spring only supports one aspen, then its a weak spring as aspens grow like crazy once started IF they got a good water source. Youll find them growing heavier along creek and river banks than further back away from them as they flourish most around abundant water sources.
If you got only one aspen growing, Either its not an aspen, or you have a weak spring.


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

besidethecreek said:


> It is good entertainment. But just not accurate.


Discovery Channel is not PBS, It IS for Entertainment and that is what they do Entertain us.


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## Blueridgeviews (May 3, 2015)

Besdiethecreek,

Discovery makes it look like the first time they are ever at each homestead is when Marty and his kids drive up and say hello.

I am curious -- do they actually come a few days earlier so they know in advance what projects they will be doing, or do they really just see each place for the first time like the show shows?


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

From what ive gathered, the producers see the place before the clan does. The producers make the deal with the people owning the land, and then don't keep the deal assumiably. When the clan comes, maybe they see something they can add to the adgenda or not. Im ASSUMING that the producers OR the owners knew of the cracked 4X4/6X6 holding up one corner of the house that Marty found when removing the canvas skirting.I would assume, especially in this day and age, that owners and producers would get a contract of what they would do, and how much money they would spend. AND if the producers tried to weasel out of the contract, well, that is what lawyers are for.
If you want a barn and a well, is it better to say I want a contract saying you will dig me a well, and build me a barn, and the producer say we don't do contracts and move on, OR You say you want a well and barn, the producers say, OK, and then when the time comes say, were not going to dig a well here, and the barn will be built to size by our definition of sizes?

Id think that the owners would want to say, we want a water well, that will produce water that is fit to drink by state standards, AND a barn that is 24 X 40ft, or whatever size. Side walls 8ft high, and ends full boarded up. The roof must be able to carry a 300lb weight back and forth from front to back of barn on a rail we provide that you install.


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## besidethecreek (Jul 10, 2016)

Blueridgeviews said:


> Besdiethecreek,
> 
> Discovery makes it look like the first time they are ever at each homestead is when Marty and his kids drive up and say hello.
> 
> I am curious -- do they actually come a few days earlier so they know in advance what projects they will be doing, or do they really just see each place for the first time like the show shows?


I am bound to not give out specifics of the show. I walk a very fine line here but frankly, I have been requesting the copies of the contracts since the first day of shooting and have yet to receive them so....

I will say the first time we MET the Raineys was on film. They had been there before but we had not MET them. It was already determined at that time what they were doing although they wouldn't tell us for the sake of "reveal." They needed to show how overjoyed we were for the things they were going to do. The only thing that was talked about was the well.

Thus because of that "reality" nature of the program detailed contracts are not in place and they are not used for any reality home improvement program. (Crashers etc..)


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## besidethecreek (Jul 10, 2016)

HappySevenFarm said:


> There are water right laws governing the catchment of water off your roof?


Not currently by definition. But they have been cracking down on rain water collection, and the way the laws are written it is just a matter of one case and a president is set.


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## HappySevenFarm (Jan 21, 2013)

besidethecreek said:


> Not currently by definition. But they have been cracking down on rain water collection, and the way the laws are written it is just a matter of one case and a president is set.



......and we can all sleep a little better knowing 'Big Brother' is watching out for us! Lol


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## besidethecreek (Jul 10, 2016)

HappySevenFarm said:


> ......and we can all sleep a little better knowing 'Big Brother' is watching out for us! Lol


Phone isn't so smart sometimes and changes words. Precedent is definitely not the same as President! Even if the President sets a Precedent. :spinsmiley:


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## HappySevenFarm (Jan 21, 2013)

besidethecreek said:


> Phone isn't so smart sometimes and changes words. Precedent is definitely not the same as President! Even if the President sets a Precedent. :spinsmiley:



My reply didn't have anything to do with that....it was about what I think to be a stupid law! Lol


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

besidethecreek said:


> Phone isn't so smart sometimes and changes words. Precedent is definitely not the same as President! Even if the President sets a Precedent. :spinsmiley:


Really appreciate hearing your first hand account of your experience. 
Helpful. 

Yeah, wells are a crap-shoot. Could get water at 10ft or a 1000ft. 
And when they charge by the foot, things get tense. 
When they drilled my well, I told them I couldn't afford anything past 250ft...lol

Not sure if I said that exactly, but they let me know the per foot cost, and I said what the neighbors depths were, and said I couldn't afford much beyond that. They gave me the gears, but at the end of day, I got a bargain. 8k.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

I had a driller come out. $10 a foot back in 90. He drilled till he hit 100ft and quit as I only had a grand. In putting up his tools and machinery he told me that he had hit salt water. Before he left, he told me he had hit good water at 30ft, but that it wasn't big enough run so he kept drilling till the grand was gone.

Hell, ANYTHING that I had got would have been better than what I had had before. NOTHING.


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## oldtruckbbq (Aug 8, 2016)

Blueridgeviews said:


> I was laid up for two days with bad back, and I found a new Nat Geo series that I binged on
> that I found pretty good with some interesting homesteading projects called,
> _Live Free Or Die._
> 
> ...


Its a pretty good show. Love Colbert, Tony and Amelia. I'm a little old to live like Thorn or the other hunter/gatherers they have showcased. I love Colbert's philosophy of life. Tony and Amelia are pretty inventive, but Tony is definitely a nerd and a goofball. If he didn't have Amelia around to inject some reason from time to time he would be in real trouble! I like that they all 3 look at their situation, look around them, and figure out a way to make things work. Even willing to try things they've never done before. 

Some shots of Tony and Amelia's place this season show the paved road you can see from their property and the houses down the hill on either side of them. Isolation is nice sometimes, but it goes to show that you don't have to be out in the boondocks to homestead, you just have to have your own piece of land, a dream, a plan, and determination.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Yeah, and if they can make a living on that hillside, on an acre, which likely 12/ of it they cant do anything with as its paths ect, that makes it all the more interesting. I wish they would showcase their place in its entirety more.

I sure felt sorry about Colberts losing his home, tho I think it was a rigged up deal. He was talking about fire before that, and then he was smoking his deer, and was kinda careless I thought about the sticks he had on fire, pulling them out when the temp got to hot. Maybe one of those he thought had gone out had come back to life after he left. BUT, you would think that he could see the smoke long before he got to the house. Maybe even smelled it if the wind was right. O well. What will he do now?


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## oldtruckbbq (Aug 8, 2016)

FarmboyBill said:


> Yeah, and if they can make a living on that hillside, on an acre, which likely 12/ of it they cant do anything with as its paths ect, that makes it all the more interesting. I wish they would showcase their place in its entirety more.
> 
> I sure felt sorry about Colberts losing his home, tho I think it was a rigged up deal. He was talking about fire before that, and then he was smoking his deer, and was kinda careless I thought about the sticks he had on fire, pulling them out when the temp got to hot. Maybe one of those he thought had gone out had come back to life after he left. BUT, you would think that he could see the smoke long before he got to the house. Maybe even smelled it if the wind was right. O well. What will he do now?


The last episode showed him putting up rafters so he could get a roof on. Most of the side walls are enclosed. He scrounged some windows from a junkyard, so he is building a deluxe cabin this time that will keep out mosquitoes. He has a pretty nice setup.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Guess I missed a show darnit.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Watched it tonight. Saw Colbert hauling logs to his new house. the 2 juast bought 6 pigs for $140, now next week there taking them to mkt. Anybody know why? Id say he has a lot to learn about Farmers Mkts. When they sold alla there stuff, and they asked $200, and the lady said, how bout $150, They should said, lets split the difference. They would have made $25 more.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

I cant see them growing enough to keep those pigs happy.


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## Blueridgeviews (May 3, 2015)

oldtruckbbq said:


> Its a pretty good show. Love Colbert, Tony and Amelia. I'm a little old to live like Thorn or the other hunter/gatherers they have showcased. I love Colbert's philosophy of life. Tony and Amelia are pretty inventive, but Tony is definitely a nerd and a goofball. If he didn't have Amelia around to inject some reason from time to time he would be in real trouble! I like that they all 3 look at their situation, look around them, and figure out a way to make things work. Even willing to try things they've never done before.
> 
> Some shots of Tony and Amelia's place this season show the paved road you can see from their property and the houses down the hill on either side of them. Isolation is nice sometimes, but it goes to show that you don't have to be out in the boondocks to homestead, you just have to have your own piece of land, a dream, a plan, and determination.


Agree that Amelia knows her stuff. One of the other episodes talked about her growing up on a self-sufficient farm and she already knew how to butcher and do much of homesteading type projects. Her father still has the farm and 
Lives close by and helps them out and teaches Tony skills.
Tony seems a little creepy to me though....

I really admire the skills Matt and Thorn have and like to see their inventions.
I admire Colbert also -- just don't like where he lives in that swampy humid mosquito area.
Are alligators there?


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

I cant get over Tony and that hair and those Mason Jar glass bottom glasses. I wonder how clean his hair is.


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## fireliteca (Jun 7, 2004)

I am enjoying the new show and we also watch mountain men and sometimes forged In fire.it does show the desperation and ignorance of the people yes there really are people like this. Our 7 yr old grandson was fascinated by the show and Gramma was more than a little proud of his comments about it. I was surprised at how much he's picked up from being with us when we are doing things. He rattled off several of the mistakes in their land choices and did problem solving ahead of the show in the well this is choice we made so this is what we need to do to make it work mode&#128522;


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

I just got a PM from Homesteading Rescue asking if I was interested in participating in their show. Anyone else get one?


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

Cabin Fever said:


> I just got a PM from Homesteading Rescue asking if I was interested in participating in their show. Anyone else get one?


Yep, I did and two others I know.
How do you blanket pm an entire forum?


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## oldtruckbbq (Aug 8, 2016)

LisaInN.Idaho said:


> Yep, I did and two others I know.
> How do you blanket pm an entire forum?


With the click of a button by a poorly (if at all) paid intern.


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## Steve_S (Feb 25, 2015)

I got the PM as well... No Response Sent. My reality is TOO REAL for Reality TV.... Besides, they obviously don't pay close attention, as my profile says that I am Canadian, so that's an automatic Not Gonna Happen.

I watched a couple of episodes and while entertaining and showing some interesting ideas / solutions - the shlock factor was off putting. Clone of the Formula Programming that is consistent with all the Reality(?) shows which is kind of funny actually.


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

oldtruckbbq said:


> With the click of a button by a poorly (if at all) paid intern.


I can only send a pm to five people at a time. How would a brand new poster have the capability of pming presumably the entire membership list here?


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

I quit watching. Wife couldn't stand it. Seemed way too contrived and almost as though they were building emergencies to make themselves heros fixing. 

What I would find way more interesting is visiting working homesteads and seeing how people are doing things well. But I guess that wouldn't provide nearly the drama (which is one thing I just don't need anymore of. I have plenty of that in real life.)


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## CajunSunshine (Apr 24, 2007)

According to the Admin forum downstairs, we won't be hearing from Katy Cleve of Homestead Rescue anymore.


This is in reference to Ms. Cleve's spamming HomesteadingToday member's PM boxes:



Tiempo said:


> Person has been banned. HT doesn't allow that kind of solicitation.





.


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## Blueridgeviews (May 3, 2015)

Bellyman said:


> I quit watching. Wife couldn't stand it. Seemed way too contrived and almost as though they were building emergencies to make themselves heros fixing.
> 
> What I would find way more interesting is visiting working homesteads and seeing how people are doing things well. But I guess that wouldn't provide nearly the drama (which is one thing I just don't need anymore of. I have plenty of that in real life.)


This was exactly my experience. So disappointing.
BBC did this wonderful series on homesteading in the earlier days.
Very authentic, educational and beautifully done. I think there are twelve episodes and follows a historically recreated homestead for a whole year. Really worth watching. Would be a nice show to follow a modern successful homestead like this. Would make a good series. 
[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dRj1YYnsBGk[/ame]


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Bellyman said:


> I quit watching. Wife couldn't stand it. Seemed way too contrived and almost as though they were building emergencies to make themselves heros fixing.
> 
> What I would find way more interesting is visiting working homesteads and seeing how people are doing things well. But I guess that wouldn't provide nearly the drama (which is one thing I just don't need anymore of. I have plenty of that in real life.)


It's entertainment, meant for the bulk of couch potatoes looking for excuses to never do anything for themselves.

Are there some true disasters out there ? Sure. But the majority of folks trying to do more for themselves are hard working, sensible people.....which is kind of boring for reality TV.


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

TnAndy said:


> It's entertainment, meant for the bulk of couch potatoes looking for excuses to never do anything for themselves.
> 
> Are there some true disasters out there ? Sure. But the majority of folks trying to do more for themselves are hard working, sensible people.....which is kind of boring for reality TV.


I understand what you're saying. Guess I'm quite an oddball. 

Found a YouTube series with Jean-Martin Forteir (sp?) a week or so ago and it was basically just him giving a presentation about his little tiny farm in front of a screen (probably powerpoint) that lasted a few hours. I was glued to that thing! No drama, no acting, just a real guy doing real stuff with real pictures. And it has me wanting to try even more stuff.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

I just watched it, and it was good. Maybe the boys first foray was in the one where they moved onto a 1900 farm. They were pretty much dummies there. Ruth like Amelia was the only one who had any sense.


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## katlupe (Nov 15, 2004)

I received a message from a guy on Facebook who is a producer for an off the grid show on the History Channel. I filled out his questionnaire, but if he wants us to do it, I feel we need to turn it down. After talking it over, we'd rather have our privacy than everyone knowing our business. Especially in these times now, privacy should be valued. I regret having written my blogs and having been so public with much of my information.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Saw why Amelia and Dummy couldn't keep 7 pigs. Heck the pen they was in was around 20sq, MAYBE. Then they dump them onto a commune nearby. Do I think there going to drive over there every day to feed/water them? DOUBTFUL.


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## Blueridgeviews (May 3, 2015)

I figured that falling apart stall they dumped the pigs in at the end had to be just temporary.
The farmer lady they spoke with who runs the place seemed a lot more together than they are, and I suspect (hopefully) she will put those pigs in a proper pen.
Geesh....


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

AND likely shell or someone THERE wil be feeding and watering them most of the time. I thought tht shed/barn looked rather substantial. Guess id have to see it again.


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## coolrunnin (Aug 28, 2010)

They negotiated the care, it was going to cost them to porkers, the farm is a coop that specializes in this


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Ah, The farm takes care of the porkers for a couple of the porkers? Guess that works.


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## MOwoodsydad (May 30, 2005)

I watch this knid of show and take the good ideas, keep the bad ideas in mind to avoid, and think of how i could fix/improve similar situations.
For the people who wonder if anyone can truely be as clueless as some of the people are portrayed, yes they can be. I have been around some astonishingly clueless people.


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