Living Partially (Mostly) Off Grid

I had someone recently ask if we were actually off grid or if we just explore with it. Well the answer is sort of both. We are still connected to public water and power, however, we live mostly off grid throughout the year.

Making beef jerky on the wood stove in the fall with the dehydrating rack Mr. Rain built

Since we have an extensive solar power set up, summer is easiest for us to be pretty independent of the grid. We are not grid tied with our solar and we plan to keep it that way. We want what is ours to be ours. Period.

For a rather detailed explanation of our solar set up, here is a video Mr. Rain did on it:

In the summer I do all my canning on a propane burner outside and much of my cooking in our Solavore Solar Oven and on our Stovetec Rocket Stove. I also use a toaster oven and hot plates connected to our solar power. It all depends on what type of cooking I am doing and just how sunny it is outside. I also use these methods for heating water to wash my dishes with.
Solar Oven Link: http://www.solavore.com/#_a_heidi
Rocket Stove Link: http://amzn.to/2r8ZJQX

Though we currently take our hot showers using public power, we have successfully tried other methods for getting cleaned up with hot water involving heating the water on the wood stove or solar run hot plate so if ever the need truly arises, we can easily do so but for now, we opt for the convenience of using the public power and water.

Many of you may have already seen my post on my off grid laundry set up that I use on occasion (which I love doing - believe it or not), but mostly, I run the electric washing machine powered by the sun because the garden, chores, and sewing, crochet, and soap orders keep me super busy lately.

In the winter time in Rain Country where we see very little sun so our solar power is minimal, I do nearly all my cooking and baking on our wood stove, which is also used for drying our clothes, dehydrating meats and produce (as seen in the photo at the top), heating water for dishes, and heating the house.

making homemade tortillas on the wood stove

We also use a lot of things run by hand or foot power such as my Janome treadle machine. Yes, I do ALL my skirt and apron orders on this thing, plus everything else I sew such as quilts, curtains, alterations, and more. I know it looks like an electric but it was actually purchased new this way - not even converted as some think when they see me sewing on it. Here is the link to the one I have: http://amzn.to/2mSiZAK. I am now into my 5th year with that machine and it has been the best one I ever owned!

I also grind my own flour by hand with my hand crank Country Living grain mill (http://amzn.to/2mStK6m )

Plus I use many other things like a manual food processor and egg beater - which is rarely used for eggs but used for mashed potatoes, whipping cream, and other things most would use an electric mixer for.

Our freezers and fridge run off of solar most of the year, I have two electric dehydrators I run on solar from spring to early fall, and for Mr. Rain's iced tea - well, I do it the old fashioned way by setting a glass jar with tea bags out in the sun for several hours. There are many other things here and there we do that I know I am forgetting as they have just become a part of what we do here.

When it comes to water, we do have a decent rain water catchment system and like the power, we use both that and the city water. City water for washing, rain water for drinking, cooking, and watering the garden.

So that is how we live partially - I would say mostly - off grid as we work towards becoming completely off grid.

Hope you enjoyed this post and that it answered a few questions, but please do not hesitate to ask if you have any more questions! ~Heidi

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