Saturday, January 7, 2017

Tales: Homestead Rescue TV Show Review

Are you interested in homesteading? Do you want to live off-grid? I have a new favorite television series that is perfect for beginning homesteaders and off-grid dreamers. Homestead Rescue airs on the Discovery Channel but I discovered it on Amazon. Homestead Rescue is a reality TV show in which the Raney family visits people who are living on off-grid homesteads and who are struggling. While every homestead and homesteader is different and unique, there are lessons to be learned in each episode.

Beth and Mike Need Immediate Assistance to Survive


In the first episode of Homestead Rescue the Raney family rescues Beth and Mike. This empty nest couple sold their "regular" home  6 months prior and moved to a very remote homestead in the Wolf Creek Mountains of Montana. This gorgeous mountain area is as breathtakingly beautiful as it is frightening. Multiple empty dwellings are reminiscent of a ghost-town and are constant reminders of the failed attempts to homestead here by the prior owners.

With no water source, no food, and with predators large enough to be serious dangers to humans, Mike and Beth are at high risk from not being successful on this homestead. Their location so remote that one good snow storm and they will be at high risk of death.

Who are the Raneys?


Marty Raney has lived off-grid in Alaska.  He has worked in logging while living on a floating camp and has lived on a homestead in  a very remote area of Alaska. 

In this TV reality series, Marty and his adult children, Misty and Matt, are visiting struggling homestead families for 10 days at a time in order to help them with the steep learning curve of homesteading and be successful. Misty brings skills of farming and gardening. Matt brings skills of hunting, fishing, and understanding how to protect the homestead from predators.

The Take Away from this Episode


I found this couple to be endearing, even though Beth is a bit rigid and frustrating initially.  Homesteaders have their dreams of what they want their homestead to be. But Beth's dreams were so big that they weren't getting started. I understand that mentality.  My little piece of land is not as large or as remote as their homestead. But I have dreams. And sometimes those dreams hold me back from doing things that could be done immediately.

The lesson learned from Mike and Beth is to just get started. Do what you can to start being self-sufficient immediately. And make sure that your dreams are attainable and make sense for your property.

Beth butted heads with the Raney family in the beginning. And in the end, she did not get what she thought she wanted. But in the end, the look on her face and the pride in her voice said it all. She did not need that grandiose long term dream to be implemented in order to be successful and happy on her homestead.







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17 comments:

  1. This sounds like a great tv series. We could all probably learn a lot about living within our limits whether on or off the grid. I couldn't help but think while reading that we all have a tendency to miss what wonderful things we have right now, by longing for what takes time to build and might never even be realistic. I have thought several times how wise you are Dawn to be building up and adjusting a little at a time to your own retirement off the grid plans. Even with this tv series, you are learning things that will no doubt, come in handy to know later.

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    1. Thank you for the sweeet, sweet comments. My very slow transition is financial planning as opposed to trying to be slow and thoughtful, but it is working out very well this way. I am definitely learning alot during this "waiting" period.

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  2. I didn't know this TV series existed, but it makes sense to have one as it seems more & more people are desiring a simpler way of life in a homesteading way. Before you change your 'plugged-in' way-of-life for an off-grid type, you'd best know what to expect. You are doing all that in small increments, Dawn Rae. Very wise of you to do so to be successful in the end.

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    1. Thank you so much. I spent part of my childhood on a farm with livestock and I am concerned about what seems to be a "trend" of people suddenly moving to off-grid places. I get very worried that people aren't prepared. I don't feel prepared either, but I am trying my best to prepare.

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  3. Fascinating! Your take-away lesson from this show sounds like one that anyone with just about any type of dream could learn from. Sounds like a very worthwhile reality show to follow.

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    1. It does seems like a worthwhile show to follow. Alas, like all reality shows, there's a bit of drama and it cuts so quickly to the "finished" project. I'd love to see this folks do longer shows with much more details.

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  4. This show sounds amazing, we just got access to Amazon so I'm going to look for this one. I love real life stories like this. Thanks Dawn.

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    1. Oh please let me know if you watch it, and what you think. Typically, I don't follow too many reality shows. But this one seems to depict the wide variety of folks that are transitioning to off-grid and it seems much more realistic. I'd love to hear what you think.

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  5. I look forward to checking out this series. I am always interested in the personal journeys of those who choose to live off the grid. Thanks for the introduction.

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    1. You are very welcome. And please let me know what you think if you do watch it. It is definitely interesting that each person who goes off-grid (or close) do so for very different reasons.

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  6. Pinned to off the grid :) - will be on the lookout for this one!

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  7. I do watch this one and I love it, they are very smart and if you are like me and headed off the grid, its a goof show to watch and learn as much as you can.

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    1. I am headed either off-grid or as close to off-grid as I can get. Meanwhile, I go camping on my land as often as possible... so the show seems to be a very good one to help me plan ahead. Thank you for the comment and visit!

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  8. Looks like a show both my husband and I could enjoy together, I don't want to live off grid myself, but I'm trying to become a little more self sufficient with baby steps and coaxing my husband along for the ride!

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  9. I am not going off grid but I think it's good to know how to do so. I live in a country that is at least 30 years behind the USA and that is good enough on the off grid front!

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  10. I would never make it living off the grid. But I do think there are wonderful lessons here for everyone. I admire those who try to do this and make it work. I just scares the bejessus out of me!

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