Nick Italiano in Preparation

Homestead

One Woman’s Journey from Childhood Adversity to Off-Grid Independence

In This Article

Before Homesteading there is a Shift to Self-Reliance
How the Commitment to Living Off-Grid Led to Homesteading
How to Start Building a Sustainable Homestead
Homesteading Turns Preparedness to Empowerment
Call to Action: Are you Prepared to Live Off-Grid?
About the Author
Read More From Issue 68

If there’s one thing many Americans can agree on, it’s that our world has changed dramatically since the pandemic of 2020 took the world by storm. I’d been preparing for exactly this kind of scenario for a long time. When it finally happened, I was grateful I had the skills and resources to make it through.

When Hurricane Katrina made landfall, I remember watching the devastation on the news. Unfortunately, a lot of people didn’t take the hurricane warning seriously, and sadly, some people had nowhere to go. I couldn’t imagine the fear people experienced living through that storm. That’s when the thought of preparedness was planted in my brain.

But unbeknownst to me at the time, my journey to preparedness actually began in the early 1970s when my family established a homestead on 26 acres in Sam’s Valley, Oregon. This is where I learned my skills on surviving off the land. In addition to having a huge garden we raised chickens, rabbits, cows, horses, pigs, pheasant, and quail. Life was fun for me on the homestead. I was a tomboy who was climbing trees, catching frogs, snakes, and taking care of my horse.

Having a cat around not only provides entertainment and companionship, it also takes care of troublesome pests.

As the first African American student to attend all three community schools in the area, I stood out — visibly and culturally. That difference often made me a target, and I found myself in more than a few fights just to defend myself. We were a new family in a community where most folks had never seen a Black person in real life. I still remember the day a little girl reached out to touch my arm and told her mother, “Mommy, the color doesn’t come off.” It was the early 1970s, and although the law had changed, many hearts and minds had not. In places like ours, the idea of different races living side by side was still met with resistance.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 had outlawed segregation in schools, public places, and businesses. It also banned discriminatory hiring practices. But laws don’t always change lived realities overnight. When my parents tried to purchase land, they were denied — solely because the neighbors didn’t want people of color living nearby. Still, my father found a way forward. He rented land from a family friend named Mr. Fuller who lived in California. That decision changed everything. Living on the land, surrounded by open space instead of city streets, gave us a layer of protection and privacy that helped us weather the storms of ignorance and hate.

We were the only Black family in the region, and my parents didn’t sugarcoat it. They taught us what racism looked like and how to carry ourselves with dignity in spite of it. They kept us busy, too — signed us up for sports, summer camps, and community programs that would have us. One of those was 4-H. It was there we learned practical skills: how to cook, sew, raise livestock, and show animals. Looking back, those experiences didn’t just keep us occupied, they planted the seeds of self-reliance that continue to shape who I am today.

Being off the grid doesn’t mean you can’t be comfortable.

My passion for homesteading and preparedness traces back to my childhood and the lessons I learned from my father, a U.S. Marine. As the oldest, I was the first to receive his teachings — how to fight, how to handle firearms and knives for protection, and how to live independently through farming, hunting, and maintaining my own vehicle. He understood the reality we faced: that there were still places where signs of hatred, both literal and unspoken, hadn’t disappeared.

He wasn’t just raising a child; he was preparing me to survive in a world that might not welcome me. We lived 20 miles from the nearest city, and he worried I could be targeted on the way to school or anywhere else I needed to go. Quietly and with trust, he gave me a pistol to keep in my car when I turned 16 and earned my driver’s license. Just in case. He wasn’t being reckless. He was being a father and arming me with the tools and mindset to protect myself when the world wouldn’t.

Before Homesteading there is a Shift to Self-Reliance

When the COVID-19 shelter-in-place mandate hit in 2020, I knew it was time to activate my survival plan. I left my home in Portland — furniture and all — and relocated to our one-acre family compound in Boring, Oregon. This had long been our designated bug-out location (BOL), and it was ready. The main house was already full with family members, but I brought my survival gear, food, and essential supplies and set up in an old 18-foot travel trailer from the 1980s. It was wired into the house for power, allowing me to work remotely while staying on the property.

There were eight of us in total, and we made it work. We raised chickens and rabbits, maintained gardens, and cleaned up the land to make room for more people if needed. I stayed there for about four months — until a nearby wildland fire forced us to evacuate. Bugging out of my BOL had never crossed my mind. But with the compound in the danger zone, I returned to Portland. The city didn’t feel like home anymore, but I was still tied to it by a mortgage.

Raising animals provides numerous benefits, such as food and fertilizer.

By March 2021, after careful planning and research, I sold the home I’d lived in for 20 years. That same month, I secured a land lease on an 80-acre working farm in Beavercreek, Oregon. This became my training ground — the place where I prepared to live fully off the grid on my own property in Washington state. Knowing the winters up there would be unforgiving, I stayed in Beavercreek through the cold season, using the time to sharpen my systems and build confidence. Eventually, I gave my landlord notice. As much as I appreciated my time on the farm, it didn’t make sense to keep paying $800 a month in rent when I had land of my own, paid off and waiting.

How the Commitment to Living Off-Grid Led to Homesteading

By September 2021, the pressure to take the shots led me to walk away from two long-held positions: administrative specialist and incident commander for the state of Oregon’s Radiological Emergency Response Team. On my 57th birthday, I submitted my resignation. A month later, I officially retired.

On March 18, 2022, I packed up and left Beavercreek behind, setting out for my 66-acre property in eastern Washington. By the end of that month, I was staring at 19 inches of snow. Winter had come early. I quickly learned what it meant to survive on my own land, in a 24-foot travel trailer, with nothing but what I had brought with me. That’s also when I realized my trailer wasn’t insulated enough for the biting cold. I toughed it out, but I knew I needed a better solution.

Fresh eggs are provided daily from some hard-working chickens.

The next year, I brought in my 45-foot Helibase Communications Incident Command trailer — the same kind I had used during deployments. First thing I did was install a potbelly woodstove. That decision turned out to be a lifesaver. Temperatures plummeted, but that little stove kept me warm and comfortable through the worst of it.

My next problem was mobility. Winter travel wasn’t just difficult — it was nearly impossible. With three to six feet of snow on the ground, walking was out of the question. I learned that the hard way and swore I’d never do it again. Then, luck stepped in. A fellow landowner, preparing to move, offered to sell me his snowmobile. It took time and plenty of practice, but eventually I learned to navigate the two-and-a-half mile stretch from my cabin to the truck I had to park down the road.

Living off-grid isn’t just about building fires and chopping wood. It requires the mental endurance to stay calm, focused, and adaptive when comfort and convenience fall away. Winter was no enemy of mine. I respected it, planned for it, and made peace with its challenges. My wood stove became the heartbeat of my homestead. And one hard-earned lesson stands out above the rest: always have enough dry wood. Running out isn’t an option.

Sharon Ross shows how water and electricity is routed from external sources to the interior of her shelter

How to Start Building a Sustainable Homestead

Designing my homestead for off-grid living has required patience, planning, and a sharp eye on future threats. My power system is a blend of generators, solar panels, and wind energy, all carefully set up to keep things running regardless of what’s happening beyond my property lines. My water system is winterized, ensuring year-round access to clean water even when temperatures drop well below freezing.

Sustainability and self-reliance form the foundation of everything I do. Food storage is a top priority. I rely on a combination of freeze-dried meals, canned goods, dehydrated staples, and wild game. Living close to a small town that offers food box deliveries twice a month has also helped. I was able to begin building my pantry without draining funds needed elsewhere. I’ve learned not to turn away free food, as it’s one of the smartest ways to stretch resources when every dollar matters. Preparedness, after all, goes beyond food and shelter. It’s about thinking several moves ahead.

My decision to live off-grid is rooted in a very specific concern: the threat of a solar flare or coordinated attack on the power grid. I believe a nationwide blackout is not just possible, it’s likely. Our enemies know the grid is fragile. A high-altitude explosion could create an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) strong enough to disable it. What most people don’t realize is how few vulnerabilities it would take to bring the entire country to a standstill.

A partially in-ground greenhouse is in the works.

According to research from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), there are roughly 55,000 electrical substations in the United States. These substations are essential, and they connect power generation to distribution and delivery systems. Yet, a targeted attack on just nine of the most critical substations could cause a cascading failure that triggers a nationwide blackout lasting for months. It wouldn’t take a missile strike. It would only take precision and intent.

Solar flares and EMPs may come from different sources, but the result is the same: lights out. A solar flare is a natural burst of energy from the sun, while an EMP is man-made, typically caused by a nuclear detonation high above the atmosphere. Both have the potential to wipe out our electrical grid in an instant. If such an event happened today, life as we know it would grind to a halt. Power, communication, transportation — all gone. Experts say it could take up to two years, or longer, to restore the grid. Digital devices like phones, computers, and radios would be fried. Unless you’re lucky enough to own a pre-1978 model that predates microchip controls, modern vehicles, packed with sensitive electronics, would be rendered useless.

This is why I live off-grid. Not just for the simplicity, but also for survivability. Whether the grid goes down from a solar event or a hostile act, I intend to stay operational.

Not only does the stove provide heat, but it also heats up water to provide a little humidity when the air is dry

A failing grid isn’t the only threat I prepare for. Wildfires have become a growing danger in the Pacific Northwest, and I take that risk seriously. My homestead is surrounded by forest, so creating defensible space around my cabin is a non-negotiable task. I’ve cleared brush and debris, and my structures are built with a mix of wood and metal to reduce flammability. I’ve installed a fire hydrant on the property and secured access to a 4,000-gallon water truck as an added layer of protection.

Wildfires move fast and unpredictably. In the summer months, I monitor local fire conditions and stay in contact with neighboring landowners and the community fire department. Communication is key, and so is readiness. My evacuation plan is always in place. I keep a bug-out bag in my vehicle and my 24-foot travel trailer remains stocked and ready to roll at a moment’s notice. In emergencies, there’s no time to hesitate.

Located next to the woodstove, a cordless dehydrator utilizes the radiant heat to ensure nothing goes to waste.

Homesteading Turns Preparedness to Empowerment

Preparedness isn’t about turning fear into freedom. It’s not a panic response; it’s life insurance. True preparedness goes far beyond stockpiling supplies. It’s about building knowledge, fostering resilience, and creating a strong, connected community. In times of crisis, no one makes it alone. Sharing skills, resources, and support strengthens everyone’s chances.

That’s why I teach others how to prepare for emergencies and embrace self-reliance. My philosophy is rooted in empowerment. I focus especially on reaching marginalized and diverse communities, those groups that are often left out of the mainstream survival conversation. My goal is to make preparedness accessible. To demystify it. To show that anyone, no matter their background, can take practical steps to protect themselves and their families.

Ever the life-long student, Ross is constantly learning new tools and techniques to become self-sufficient.

From building emergency kits to drafting evacuation plans, from long-term food and water storage to developing mental resilience, I guide people toward reclaiming their independence — one skill at a time.

My off-grid life has taught me invaluable lessons about survival and self-reliance:

• Adaptability is Key: Flexibility and problem-solving are essential when facing harsh winters, wildfires, and other unpredictable challenges.
• Preparation is Empowerment: Having a plan and resources gives me a sense of control in uncertain situations.
• Sustainability Matters: Living in harmony with nature reduces reliance on external systems and fosters a deeper connection with the environment.
• Community Strengthens Resilience: Building a network of support ensures that I’m not facing challenges alone.

Modern technology like Starlink is a game changer for those who want to live in remote locations, while maintaining the capability to communicate.

Call to Action: Are you Prepared to Live Off-Grid?

Let’s be honest, we’re in a chaotic place right now. The economy has been unstable, the food supply is increasingly fragile, and long-term employment is becoming increasingly uncertain. That list could go on, but here’s the bottom line: The systems we depend on are showing cracks.

You may not choose to live the way I do, but ask yourself a few hard questions:

• What would you do if the power grid failed tomorrow?
• Do you have at least a month’s worth of food and water for your family?
• What if war broke out on U.S. soil? Would you survive?

Large solar panels are typically enough to generate the electricity needed to heat water and keep devices charge

Disasters don’t send invitations. They strike fast, without warning. When the lights go out, the shelves go bare, and help is days away, the only thing that matters is how prepared you are. I don’t live off the grid because it’s easy. I live this way because I believe it’s necessary. The time to prepare isn’t after the emergency. It’s now. The world is changing quickly, and every one of us needs to be ready for the possibility of a major disruption here at home. You have the power to take control — starting right where you are.

Focus on creating sustainable systems for food, water, and — if possible — animal husbandry. These aren’t just survival tactics; they’re confidence builders. When disaster strikes, you’ll be ready to thrive, not just endure. You have the power to take control, starting right where you are.

Making use of larger power banks is an easy and convenient way to keep necessary electronics running.

Even if you live in a city, you can begin building the skills needed to live off-grid. Simulate blackouts at home to test your readiness. These practice runs will expose the gaps in your plan before a real crisis does.

Start small. Plant a garden. Set up rain barrels around your home to capture runoff from your roof. Learn how to purify water safely. These simple steps lay the foundation for a resilient life, and one less dependent on fragile systems.

So, take control. Start today. Build an emergency and evacuation plan. Stock up on essential supplies. Learn the skills you need to protect yourself and your loved ones. Don’t wait for the next crisis to remind you of what you should’ve done.

Storing water is a necessity, and Ross uses an aquarium heater as an ingenious way of making sure the storage tank doesn’t freeze in the win

About the Author

Sharon Ross, also known as Afrovivalist, is a seasoned survivalist and emergency preparedness consultant with years of hands-on experience helping individuals, families, and communities build resilience in uncertain times. She offers personalized guidance on off-grid living, emergency planning, and stocking essential supplies — empowering others to take control before crisis strikes. Ross believes that preparing today brings peace of mind tomorrow, and that true freedom comes from self-reliance. To learn more, visit www.afrovivalist.com or reach out directly at afrovivalist@gmail.com. You can also follow her on Facebook at Afrovivalist and deCamp Outdoors, on Instagram @Afrovivalist, and on YouTube at Afrovivalist.