homesteading with kids....... legality

We have friends who were on WIC (Women Infants Children... they give out surplus food, milk, etc to people below a certain income level... irony.. they're farmers and they're getting WIC). When you're on WIC the office fields a social worker to inspect your home. Among other issues the inspector found that their furnace was blowing carbon monoxide back into the house and that their woodstove (really their primary source of heat) was in such bad shape it was an explosion waiting to happen. Oh, and the chimney was condemned as well.

They condemned both (all) and then helped the family get a new furnace for the basement. Runs on oil, so they're looking for a wood stove this year, but sometimes the government does do good things.

You can not save money by not having running water,septic/sewer, power if they are available. If you buying a house, make sure they have them, and then conserve them greatly.

If your building a house that has none, I would put in 12v flourscent ceiling lights with switches. Simple, easy, effective. Much safer than any other alternative. Gas stoves are cheap, use a 20-100 lb tank outside ! Use wood heat, be carefull, its good to keep them out of your main living area to avoid burns and bumping into. Outside units look to be the best option, you could just build a shed for it, and pipe hot AIR in. You dont need hot running water, except for showers, take baths. You may be able to hand drill a well according to your location, if not use a cistern and catch rain water (not for drinking). If not use a large tank but it will be a pain to refill 2-3x week. Toilet ? I would use what i could get away with (perhaps legally). Composing (read bucket), lagoon, vault, incinerating, home made septic, real septic. Missouri law at least used to be you could run it wherever, so long as you have 5+ acres and the runoff didnt leave the property. We called them 'lagoon'. Typically a hundred feet of pipe running to a ditch that was let to grow up ! That is not a true lagoon. I would put in a flushing toilet for show, pipe it to a barrel 'vault', you 'could' then take the barrel to be dumped. I would try for a 1.6 gallon or less / flush toilet !
(a one pint /flush toilet ?)
http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/r...d-traveler.htm

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Happiness is directly proportional to the ratio that trees out number humans.

LIVE IN THE COUNTRY! LOL I bet you already figgered that out! My question is why would you want to live without these things? I bet its a mater of cost and beingheld to the billpaying reguime.
Heres how we Did it in Alaska.
If you are goingto build plan ahead and put your woodstove UNDER the house with acess from outside, insulate arond the foundation to help keep heat in. but what your tryingto do is heat a lot of ground under the house and with no connection directly into the house Thus no woood smoke smell.
Lights are available as either Gas or 12 volt the 12 volt style would make anyone that comes to inspect more comfortable. but the gas adds heat and light in winter Thus 2 for one money.
Most other apliances can be run periodically from a battery pack and transformer. radio Tv blenders etc dont use a lot of elictricity and are available in 12 voltand are available at truckstops
A Fridge is a biggie It shows a social worker that you are worrying about health issues. get a gas or a 12 volt one. Maybe even a couple I exspecially like my small one witha see thru door ($19.00 at the truckstop).
We used to run a small generaty every once in a while and sorta plan for it Ie when its time to do the laundry charge your batteries and use your microwave at the same time
GET THE RUNNING WATER!!! its not that big a deal and it makes a lot of difference to be able to wash at a sink or take a shower! put a couple of 55 gallon plastic droums high in the house at different locations(remeber they weigh nearly 500 pounds full!) us thew pump to fill them when you are running the generater do the GAS hotwater heater if you want and installal 12 volt pump. and maybe a hand pump if ya want.
For heat in addition to the wood you might want to concider a gas heater witha built in or magnetic thermastat
In other words live well but still off the grid.

In our county 6 children where taken away from their parents because they where living in a tent. So until they found "proper" housing, the county was going to hold them. Most counties probably are not that strict. Chld laws are county by county, we are looking at land in KY (actually was there today) and some of the rural counties its obvious they are more laxed, outhouses, no electricity, etc. in many of the places we saw, and with lots of children!

"because they where living in a tent"

Six children plus two parents in a tent ? That doesnt sound like a very safe or sanitary place. No electricity is one thing. Carried water is also. But a tent just wont cut it for a family of at least 8 ! I can imagine the reaction in the tent during a feirce thunderstorm .....

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Happiness is directly proportional to the ratio that trees out number humans.

I actually have a good friend who lived through an Alaskan winter in a parachute! Yes with kids and wife! I see to remeber in some of bud and connie Hemericks books about living in the north that they went YEARs living in a tent

I have friends who raised 12 children on their 90 acre homestead. They cook in a hearth, use kerosene lamps, grow all their own food, homeschooled the children (the father did it too), have an outhouse, get their water from a spring, were all home births, walked the 7 miles to town to go to church every Sunday (never owned a motor vehicle), and their children all grew up to be exceptional adults.

They taught their children to make their own livings and not have outside jobs. Though a couple of the boys are becoming priests.

As far as I know, they have never had a problem. They aren't considered poor or anything, as they are not. They are upstanding citizens of our community and have many friends.