How I got off the grid. You can too!

reply to post by Hutchie


This information is better known when your younger, because you then have the upper hand, and you can live your life and take the steps that YOU want to take, with the proper knowledge of what will make you happy.

I wish I knew this 10 yrs ago, I know that I would have taken the steps that I took now, a long time ago.

So good luck, and research this as much as possible before taking any drastic steps, because the more you know the better results you will have in the end.

Good Luck to you.

Peace to you...

reply to post by NoRegretsEver


I don't how this story has progressed through the pages, but originally, I believe it. I'm now suspicious. It is just a bit too pat. That is just my hunch that developed after the freeman issue came along.

In parts of Oregon, I understand, you may get away with some efforts of being a freeman, for example, some idiots make their own liscense plates.

Regardless of what she has said about signing various documents to get in that state of existence, it is ludicrous to think you can escape the system by signing a few papers.

In short, there is no prevailing legal precedent for saying, "I'm a freeman--see this here paper I signed? I'm, therefore, removed from paying taxes and following your laws, go away and leave me alone."

She will get plenty of opportunities to tell that to the judge as the various governmental agencies take their turn to teach her otherwise.

If that is a true story, the woman is very industrious, motivated and determined, but she is also very foolish, and I can't quite equate the two so I doubt the story as a whole.

reply to post by Aliensun


I would advise you to read the thread, before you call it or me foolish, seeing as you didn't even read any of the information that I had taken allot of time to post, and all of the great people that did take the time, and give their input did.

As this is a forum for discussion, if you would like to discuss this, then please read the thread, as you were not the only person who had their thoughts on the subject, but they did read it, and we did discuss it.

As this thread wasn't to persuade anyone, but to inform those interested on how I was able to comprehend the current system, and begin to remove myself from the system, as you would have already known this if you would have read the thread that you so clearly claim to disagree with.

How do you sign as a freeman? I mean without the corporate name like instead of signing jones you signed smith??? I don't get it???? you can give me an example using smith jones or brown whatever?


[edit on 27-7-2010 by ldyserenity]

reply to post by NoRegretsEver


Awesome story. Thanks for sharing. You are incredibly brave and resourceful. Yours community is lucky to have you.

Originally posted by ldyserenity
How do you sign as a freeman? I mean without the corporate name like instead of signing jones you signed smith??? I don't get it???? you can give me an example using smith jones or brown whatever?


[edit on 27-7-2010 by ldyserenity]

I believe it's more like, instead of agreeing to be SMITH you insist you're Smith, and say very clearly that you are not SMITH, and that all the stuff involving SMITH does not involve you.

[edit on 29-7-2010 by oniongrass]

Excellent post OP ... very inspirational.

I am looking into leaving NYC with my family to the midwest also, Colorado or Nevada. I am looking into getting some properties and a few horses from the Bureau of Land management.

I may even take a shot at the 325 acres of land you can supposedly get from the BLM, if you sign an affidavit to develop the land within 4 years. Of course the land needs to be developed, but you only need a $125. application to get started. I am just in research stage at this point and am still checking the viability of such an adventure.

If I was able to get enough land in the right location, my dream would be to create developmental workshops for building energy efficient adobe or geodomes homes like dr Nader Khalili of Cal-Earth.

The homes would need to be 100% off the grid with onsite fishery, algae form and bamboo patches for building materials. A silly dream.... but hey after ready your story maybe it is possible. Especially do to the fact you are from my home town.

I am a web developer by trade so I am building a interactive website that will concentrate on doing such projects. Hey maybe when I am done you can moderate a relocation section .

reply to post by NebulousSlave


First of all, NEVER say silly dream! Your dream WILL become reality, if you work hard and have a path that you choose to take, nothing and no one can stand in your way.

I knew I had a path, and even though I NEVER thought this is where I would be, I am happy, and fulfilled by the things that I was missing.

I would love to hear more about your idea. There are so many possibilities that are available, you just have to choose which one is right for you.


So keep in touch, and I'm glad that you enjoyed my thread, there is so much valuable information here. If I can do it, and I'm a single mother, then anyone can.

Don't allow fear to hold you down. I honestly think that we are meant to be in and around nature. So good luck in all your endeavors, and any information that I can give, I will try my best to help out.

Peace to you...

reply to post by NoRegretsEver


Whats funny is that I was just thinking again, about putting my plan into motion, after not thinking about it for over 7 months. I have so much on my plate in terms of work and family. Then just this past week for some reason I started thinking about my plan again and started making some inquiries.

Now I have not had the chance to come to abovetopsecret, for sometime to do my usual catching up on current events. Then what is the first thing that happens when I come back here ... lol, I see your post. Now I am thinking positive about making some moves again.

I will need to put together all the info I have compiled and create a thread when I have the opportunity. There was someone on ATS, that had a great thread on Sustainable living awhile back. I think it was called the Great Awakening.

Keep up, the positive vibrations .. we can affect many, many people in a good way, by the positive energy we put out and the positive things we share. lol. .. I guess its alot like that song Upside Down by Jack Johnson.

Is there a way I can email you. ATS is so fast paced it is very difficult to follow threads.

Peace to you.

reply to post by NebulousSlave


By all means your welcome to U2U me or post a comment on my profile if you'd like.

Peace to you...

I thought that I would revive this thread, as I have seen some threads up recently that may want to look over the issues discussed in this thread. I really don't like to offer my thread on others posts. So I will bump this one, and if overlooked I will post if needed.

Thank you.

Peace, NRE.

I had to continue this thread as I did with the beginning of this one, I think its more or less a trilogy at this point. So for the continuation of this, here's the Do It Yourself Thread (SHTF Scenario). www.abovetopsecret.com...

Peace, NRE.

Due to the new influx of members, I wanted to contribute some of the threads that I thought had the most information, as well as other members adding their opinion concerning the thread.

Peace, NRE.

reply to post by Discotech

Nice story although I feel sorry for your kids being home schooled and missing out on a real education and the whole school "experience" unless of course you do intend to allow them a proper education at some point ?

Home schooling does not mean isolating the kids. At least not in my area. Many home schooling parents have "combined" classes at their churches and in other places. They also organize outings to museums art galleries and farms.

reply to post by NoRegretsEver


Information everyone should know.

If you are going "off the grid" be aware that The Powers That Be have just declared war on you.

The first part was Obamacare's hidden tax change this mandates that as of the year 2012 tax forms called 1099 must be filled out not just for contract workers but for any goods or services costing $600 or more in a tax year.

The second attack is even worse. It is the "Food Safety Law" just passed. This requires registration with the government and massive red tape for ALL farms. The Tesser Amendment "exemption" is just a different set of rules not an exemption.

Trojan Horse “Food Safety” Law
...Many informal makers of ethnically or culturally distinctive food items will go off-books or simply fall by the wayside, overwhelmed by the reporting and batch-tracking paperwork....

....Ignorance about the law’s broad reach (and how it will be construed by the courts) has thwarted opposition to the bill, which will likely pass Congress. For example, a newspaper claims the bill “doesn’t regulate home gardens.” The newspaper probably assumed that was true because the bill, like most federal laws, only purports to reach activities that affect “interstate commerce.” To an uninformed layperson or journalist, that “sounds as if it might not reach local and mom-and-pop operators at all.” (The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, has sought to forestall opposition to her bill by falsely claiming that that “the Constitution’s commerce clause prevents the federal government from regulating commerce that doesn’t cross state lines.”)

But lawyers familiar with our capricious legal system know better. The Supreme Court ruled in Wickard v. Filburn (1942) that even home gardens (in that case, a farmer’s growing wheat for his own consumption) are subject to federal laws that regulate interstate commerce. Economists and scholars have criticized this decision, but it continues to be cited and followed in Supreme Court rulings, such as those applying federal anti-drug laws to consumption of even home-grown medical marijuana. Indeed, many court decisions allow Congress to define as “interstate commerce” even non-commercial conduct that doesn’t cross state lines....

Lori Robertson of FactCheck.org, who is not a lawyer (she has a B.A. in advertising), claims the bill doesn’t apply to “that tomato plant in your backyard.” As a lawyer, I am skeptical of this claim. (I co-represented the prevailing defendant in the last successful constitutional challenge to federal regulation under the interstate commerce clause, United States v. Morrison (2000) — one of only two cases since the 1930s where the Supreme Court limited, rather than rubberstamped, regulation in the name of “interstate commerce”). And it appears that that the proposed law CAN apply to that tomato plant in your backyard (or Michelle Obama’s garden), since Congress’s power under the Commerce Clause is almost unlimited in the eyes of the courts

The key is the Commerce Clause if it is not in the current law just passed you can bet your booties it will sneak in as a two liner in some bill a few years down the road. This is exactly what happened with the "Animal Welfare Act" the Commerce Clause was added a few years later allowing the government to regulate someone raising a couple of litter of puppies at home to sell to friends!

reply to post by NoRegretsEver

....With all of the extra I cook food and sell it to local factory workers, yup, I make good home cooked meals with the extra I get from helping others, to provide electric, phone, and internet here. I'm known around here for not just food, but helping....

That new food safety law will make all this highly regulated. Actually it is ALREADY regulated:
PA Church Ladies Raided by ‘Food Safety’ Cops

2. The requirements specifically cover on-farm processing. (p.18) A farm is
considered a facility if it does any processing of foods (such as making maple syrup,
sun-dried tomatoes, or jams) unless the food is consumed on the farm. (p.22)

3. FDA is directed to “provide sufficient flexibility to be practicable for all sizes and
types of facilities” including small businesses. (p.18) These are undefined terms and,
in practice, largely unenforceable.

4. FDA has discretion to choose to exempt or modify requirements for on-farm
processing “as the Secretary deems appropriate.” This discretionary authority of the
FDA only applies to small facilities and low-risk activities. (pp.23-24)

A. FDA is authorized to establish standards for how fruits and vegetables are grown and
harvested, including standards for “soil amendments, hygiene, packing, temperature
controls, animals in the growing area, and water.” (pp.30&32) This does not
authorize FDA to set standards for meat, eggs, or dairy, although farmers who have
both livestock and produce could face problems based on the requirements about
“animals in the growing area.”

Standards shall “take into consideration, consistent with ensuring enforceable public
health protection, conservation and environmental practice standards and policies
established by Federal natural resource conservation, wildlife conservation, and
environmental agencies.” (p.32) Having considered these policies, FDA is not legally
obligated to protect natural resources or wildlife.

B. FDA shall establish a product tracing system. (p.111)

E. Food that is produced and packaged on a farm, and for which the packaging
“maintains the integrity of the product and prevents subsequent contamination”, and
is labeled with the farm’s information, is exempt from traceback requirements.
(p.119) This is often referred to as “identity preserved” items.

F. Food that is sold from a farm directly to a consumer is exempt from the traceback
requirements. (p.122-123)

A. Small entity compliance policy guide. Throughout the bill, the agency is directed to
prepare a “Small Entity Compliance Policy Guide” after it adopts new rules, which
sets forth in “plain language” the requirements of the new regulations....

2. Foreign facilities are inspected, starting with just 600 per year and gradually
increasing to approximately 19,000 foreign facilities annually over a 6-year period.
Based on FDA’s estimate of 210,000 foreign facilities
(www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/RegistrationofFood
Facilities/ucm175995.htm), it will take 15 years for FDA inspect each foreign facility
just once under S. 510. Yet the bill calls for a domestic high-risk facility to have
been inspected at least four times in that same time period, and a low-risk facility
(such as a local baker or jam-maker) to have been inspected at least twice during that
same time period....

farmandranchfreedom.org...

love your story, very inspiring

Sounds like your living our dream, much respect for that, but how did you afford the property?

I thought the 2000 was just to rent it for the first month n a bit and it was 400,000 to buy??? How come you dont have a mortgage etc?

reply to post by clintdelicious


I think I can provide the answer you're seeking...


She made it clear she was getting off the grid. Did you even read the tread?

reply to post by NoRegretsEver


this story is something like the reverse of this one :

Civilization! - *Some Restrictions Apply"
www.youtube.com...

nice to see somebody ditching off the pigs that call themselves BOSS from the big cities /corporations!