• Home
  • About Off The Grid
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
  • How-To
  • Grid Threats
  • Survival
  • Gardening
  • Food
  • Worldview
  • Health
  • Privacy
  • Hunting
  • Defense
  • Financial
  • News
  • Misc
No Result
View All Result
  • How-To
  • Grid Threats
  • Survival
  • Gardening
  • Food
  • Worldview
  • Health
  • Privacy
  • Hunting
  • Defense
  • Financial
  • News
  • Misc
No Result
View All Result
Off The Grid News
Home Miscellaneous

The ‘Good Life’ Might be Better Without Animals for Food

by Off The Grid News
in Miscellaneous
Print Print
The ‘Good Life’ Might be Better Without Animals for Food
Share on FacebookShare on XShare on TruthEmail Article

When many people hear the phrase “living off the land,” they picture a couple (perhaps in their 30s) with a couple of kids playing happily on a swing made out of an old tire. There’s a cabin, naturally, maybe a few solar panels, and plots of land or gardens with lots of ripening vegetables – oh – and perhaps an apple tree in the background. This picture also usually has an animal or two running about. Maybe a goat or a cow, but certainly some chickens if nothing else. When the animals are thought of a bit more, then come movie-like scenes where the oldest child is told to go out and butcher one so they can learn how to do it for the future. The child is initially conflicted… but afterward accepts that the “circle of life” is all part of nature. But does this have to be the picture?

We’re not going to try to convince you to become vegetarian or vegan, but we will say that it’s a whole lot easier to live off the land without having to worry about animals. Some of you may have already found that the economics don’t pan out, with your chickens costing more to feed than it costs to buy eggs at the store, for example. And at that store, there are now more meat alternatives than ever before. These are incredibly high-tech substitutes – some printed with a 3D printer – that taste, smell, look, and even ‘cook’ like the real thing. Let’s put a pin in that, however, but the point is that even if you do decide to go meat-free, there are still ways of satiating meaty cravings and the faux options are multiplying and tastier than ever before.

Some of you may have heard of a book called The Good Life by Helen and Scott Nearing in which they relate stories from 60 years of living off the grid… but as vegetarians. And their diet certainly didn’t affect their longevity. Helen Nearing lived from 1904 to 1995, while Scott passed away at the age of 100! (1883 to 1983.) Scott was a trained economist and an ex-college professor who lost his position due to the radical anti-war beliefs he espoused during World War I. Helen was a trained musician whose family belong to a religion called Theosophy, which was essentially New Age before New Age was cool. Now, these two kind souls may be a bit too hippy for your tastes, they certainly were for their times, but in their book The Good Life, first published in 1954 and still in print today, they explain how they lived self-sufficiently for 60 years without a bite of meat. Even if you disagree with statements such as, “nature has provided man with an abundance of food for full nourishment instead of purifying corpses,” it’s still worth giving the Nearing’s book a look just to read their arguments related to animals and economics.

Put simply, raising animals for meat is costly and extremely time-consuming. Helen Nearing noted that “many animals eat more than they produce and are thus involuntary parasites,” and “that a large slice of the farmer’s time goes to the cutting and buying of hay,” and maintaining sheds and barns. If you’ve ever tried to raise animals you know at least a little bit of what she’s talking about. Even chickens require housing, veterinary care, some form of security in the form of a fence or house, and of course, plenty of food. Health care for you is another concern as you really can’t be a self-sustaining farmer and be sick all the time. Despite the purveyors of “Big Meat” trying to convince Americans about the nutritional value of eating meat at every meal “to stay healthy by getting enough protein,” if you look around, you’ll notice a lot of rather unhealthy people eating the so-called American diet.

High cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and cancer have all been linked to eating excessive amounts of meat. So even if you don’t give it up entirely, it’s fair to say the fewer animal products you consume the better. If you weigh less, it’ll be easier on your joints, and you’ll be able to stay mobile longer as you age… which is important for those living off the land as you can’t just call for a pizza. Also, you end up having more land to grow vegetables on. Those living in colder climes that have more space can put up a greenhouse and enjoy fresh vegetables all year round. In summary, you don’t have to become vegetarian or vegan to still understand and agree with the argument that raising animals for food is costly for small farmers, environmentally unsustainable when done on a mass scale such as in factory farming, and not necessarily the best place to get nutrition from. The Nearings experience is worth pondering, and if nothing else, perhaps it will inspire you to eat healthier as you continue your quest to live independently, and off the grid.

ShareTweetShareSend

Related Posts

Why Are The Feds Stockpiling Ammunition?

Should you keep ammo in a gun safe?

by Off The Grid News

When it comes to gun safety, one of the most important aspects is the safe storage of ammunition. There are...

Hair And Urine: The Absolute Best Way To Keep Animals Out Of Your Garden?

10 Reasons to Choose Natural Hair Products This Year

by Off The Grid News

From natural hair movement to living a sustainable life, more and more people are drawing towards natural hair products instead...

How To Purchase The Right Chef Knife That Is Highly Efficient?

How To Purchase The Right Chef Knife That Is Highly Efficient?

by Off The Grid News

Handmade chef knives are customised for the purpose, utility, and cutting or chopping a range of edible essentials. A professional...

Next Post
8 Foolproof Ways To Heat Your Home When The Power’s Out

8 Foolproof Ways To Heat Your Home When The Power’s Out

Please login to join discussion

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

He Believes In Conspiracies, So Police Confiscated All Of His Guns

He Believes In Conspiracies, So Police Confiscated All Of His Guns

neonicotinoids bees

BANNED: Bee-Killing Pesticides Prohibited For 2 Years In Europe

Can Non-Maple Trees Be Tapped For Syrup? Yes!

Can Non-Maple Trees Be Tapped For Syrup? Yes!

TRENDING STORIES

  • bubonic plague

    Is Another Bubonic Plague Pandemic On The Horizon?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Waco Fertilizer Plant Explosion & A Look Back On The “Waco Massacre”

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Make Yourself 3 Times More Likely To Survive A Heart Attack

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • AI Surveillance Of Shoppers: Walmart’s Newest Tool To Grab Your Data

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • ‘Apocalyptic’ Microchip Implants Are Here – And Being Inserted Into People’s Hands

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Subscribe to our Insider Newsletter

Huge discounts on off-the-grid gear and life saving supplements.






‘Off The Grid News’ is an independent, weekly email newsletter and website that is crammed full of practical information on living and surviving off the grid. Advice you’ll never hear from the mainstream media.

  • How-To
  • Grid Threats
  • Extreme Survival
  • Survival Gardening
  • Off-Grid Foods
  • Worldview
  • Natural Health
  • Survival Hunting
  • Privacy
  • Financial
  • Current Events
  • Self Defense
  • Home Defense
  • Pain-Free Living
  • Miscellaneous
  • Off Grid Videos

© Copyright 2025 Off The Grid News.  All Rights Reserved.

Privacy Policy   Terms & Conditions
No Result
View All Result
  • How-To
  • Grid Threats
  • Survival
  • Gardening
  • Food
  • Worldview
  • Health
  • Privacy
  • Hunting
  • Defense
  • Financial
  • News
  • Misc
  • Videos

© Copyright 2025 Off The Grid News.  All Rights Reserved.