Has the Recent Insanity Got You Reconsidering Where You Live?

If you're considering moving away from the big city due to all the insanity surrounding the pandemic...

You’re not alone.

COVlD-19 and the heavy-handed response of governments has caused a major shift in the status quo, as people have decided that big city living wasn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Families have moved to smaller cities and towns in droves in pursuit of a more sustainable lifestyle.

There are at least 180,000 families living off the grid in the United States, with that number increasing every year. This option is growing stronger in appeal as society becomes more restrictive.

Off-grid living means that you don’t rely on public utilities, such as water, gas, and electricity, and the home or community is self-sustainable. This is achieved through the use of renewables, like solar and wind, and relying on a natural water resource, such as a river or a lake.
This way of life has become more desirable as many of us seek a lifestyle that takes us back to a basic lifestyle; one that is more affordable, and is more akin to our ancestral roots of living off the land. Many off-grid pursuants also seek a lifestyle that removes consumerist behaviors, is healthier, and is more connected to our earth.

Like many, you may have dreamt about uprooting your family and moving across the country to live a more meaningful and sustainable life. Perhaps you’ve looked into the costs of buying a block of land with a renewable tiny home, some chickens, and a vegetable garden, only to realize the financial investment to get started was out of reach. Fortunately, there are now entire communities being built for people just like you that cost a fraction of what it would cost if you did it alone.

Riverbed Ranch is a new off-grid community being constructed by the Utah OSR Land Cooperative, and is designed to accommodate 250 families, where they are able to produce all of their own organic food, have access to chemical-free drinking water from their own water well, and use renewable energy sources.

Currently, the co-op has built several barns, is constructing 10 homes, owns 1,245 acres of farmland, a 2,854 acre-feet of water well, and has around a dozen gardens thriving on the land.
Riverbed Ranch’s goal is to create the world’s very first agricity, with plans to build four more sustainable communities along the Rocky Mountains. This agricity will model agricultural harmony and sustainability, while giving opportunities and solutions to some of the biggest challenges humanity faces.

Taken from Riverbed Ranch’s website:
"Our mission is to establish a safe, healthy, family-oriented culture of self-reliance through community Farm-steading. We are helping those who want to learn and to become self-reliant by stepping away from a lifestyle of dependencies into a safe, healthy culture with like-minded neighbors. Our intent is to build a foundation of knowledge, skill, and wisdom, coupled with integrity, love, and appreciation for all of God’s creations."

Farm-steading is a little different to Homesteading. Both are the same in that you live and provide for your family from resources produced on the property. The difference is that Farm-steaders run their homestead like a business. Riverbed Ranch is Utah’s very first and only Farm-stead community.

Going off-grid has endless perks, from:

• Saving money
• Eating clean and unprocessed foods
• Adopting a slow-living lifestyle
• Learning new life skills
• Connecting with like-minded individuals

As mentioned earlier, the financial investment to set up your own sustainable property is out-of-reach for many of us. But for an off-grid community like Riverbed Ranch, it will only set you back $35,000. For $35K you’ll get your own 2-2.5 acre block of land, at least 2.5 acre-feet of water rights, and you’ll become a voting member of the community.

Off-grid living utilizes renewables, so you’ll be saving thousands of dollars every year just on utilities alone. This lifestyle also removes temptations of hyper-consumerist behaviors that society has influenced upon us, spending less money on “stuff” you don’t need. You’ll become a producer, rather than a consumer.

The health benefits of going off-grid are quite possibly the biggest reason why all of us should seriously consider this lifestyle change. 35-37% of adults in the US are obese. This is mostly due to sedentary lifestyles and the Western diet of processed, high-sugar, high-calorie diets. In an off-grid lifestyle, you won’t find McDonalds. You’ll grow and harvest your own food from the land. Food is clean, wholesome, better for you, and you’ll live a longer, healthier, and more active lifestyle by default.

Living off-grid gives you life skills—life skills you can actually use to survive, much like our ancestors did -- like farming your own food, and using renewable resources to survive.
Another valuable reason to join an off-grid community is you’ll be building a life amongst like-minded humans. Off-grid seekers are generally more conscious, more mindful, and more open-minded than most. But sustainable living can be a lonely expedition when you’re living amongst the general population in a neighborhood of people who are not aligned to your core values. Joining a sustainable community means you’ll become a planet-compatible human.

Riverbed Ranch’s end goal is to help families remain debt-free, while building:

• Energy Efficient Homes
• Barns
• Greenhouses
• Gardens & Orchards
• Water Supplies
• Alternative Energy Sources
• Sanitation Systems

They invite new and existing residents to contribute to their self-sustaining community by creating home-based businesses. Businesses that can be sustained within the community without external need will thrive and reinforce a stronger future for the community.

If you’re curious about, or you’re ready to take the plunge into a world of sustainable living, get in touch with the Utah OSR Land Co-op at Riverbed Ranch. Your new and improved future awaits you!