![]() ![]() ![]() Off-grid has many different interpretations. Would does an off-grid lifestyle mean to you? Conclusion: ![]() Although renting may be considered dead money, it has given me the chance to learn and to ensure that solo life in the midst of the remote Campo was indeed what I sought after all.īy managing the solar and water systems that were already installed I have learned so much more about what I would install in my own off-grid property in the future. When I made the decision to try living off-grid, I committed to a 1-year rental property with most things already in place. Solar batteries and water solutions are not cheap to install. Off-grid systems tend to have large upfront costs that take many years to become an economic solution. As attractive as that sounds it’s a very expensive way to find out if off-grid life may or may not suit. Of course, the direct route is to buy a plot of land and install all the sustainable supply needs whilst building a low-impact, sustainable dwelling to live in. So I am far from self-sustaining at this point in my off-grid living but right now being responsible and conscious is working well for me. Winter mornings are spent happily strolling up the campo lanes collecting small twigs and branches from the floor. The only available logs here are hardwood or cork that have had to be cleared from the surrounding area.Ĭork logs smoke a lot on an indoor fire and the hardwood is impossible to catch alight without smaller pieces first. Laying out in the autumn sunshine to dry ready for winter when I will use them as fuel in the wood-burning stove.Īs I collect the olives this year I will be trimming the trees as I go too and saving the cuttings for the fire. Having an ongoing supply of nuts is fabulous, but the husks and shells are also valuable. The processing is intense for the resulting quantity but having my very own homemade, organic extra virgin Olive oil on my salads is too appealing not to try.įrom the two Almond trees, I have already harvested several large buckets of almonds to eat or bake with. However this year I am learning how to make my own Olive oil, research so far suggests from 12 trees I may end up with a couple of bottles. I quickly learned how to brine them and am still enjoying my preserved olives. When I arrived last year the olive trees still had copious amounts of olives and visiting friends were roped into harvest. Every peach stone, cherry pip or kernel that I have from produce I buy is returned to the earth around the Campo house in the hope that some may germinate. Surrounding my little Campo home are 12 established Olive trees, 2 Almonds and a baby Persimmon tree. Regularly I will saddle the ponies and ride home from the yard as the dawn breaks and watch them happily mow the lawns whilst I work all day before charging back up the hill. As I sit working in the mornings on the terrace, the sheep bleating and the birds singing are my radio station equivalent. In future, video uploads will have to wait until I visit Seville.Īny lack in connection speed or upload ability is far outweighed by my office setting. Last weekend uploading my latest 30-minute video to YouTube took a whopping 43 hours. My wifi is only radio signal - effectively a mobile phone acting as a router. Nine months on and I still have to drive to the hotel in the nearest town to join a conference call on video. Luckily my colleagues understood that my lack of a good connection meant I would be joining with audio only. My work requires a lot of video conferencing calls so this was something of an issue. When I arrived here last December the phone signal available was at an intermittent 2g connection. The online work life that I have does mean a requirement for an outside connection. ![]()
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