Aroostook County, Maine, Permies?

Tim in Masardis here.  Just curious if there are any like-minded people in Aroostook county?  I know there is a group that gets together once a year down-state,  but I don't get south very often.

We've got some remote acreage and run it as our bushcraft and sustainability field school, and recently (2020) got a place on the paved road. I've been runnng an outdoor education school for 25 years. During the non-snow months we're usually running a longer course. We've been doing a humanure composting system for over 20 years, have solar power at camp, have been putting in perenials over the years and encouraging useful wild plants, and do a bunch of sustainability-themed projects. Useful wild plants are a big part of our curriculum, and we've got a lot of biodiversity for this part of Maine. We've also got a ton of apple trees nearby in the form of an abandoned and overgrown orchard. I save the seeds of these, as well as wild plums, and make a mean apple wine.

We don't keep animals because we're away on the river guiding canoe trips a bunch in the spring-summer-fall. Maybe someday that will change.

Anyway, if anyone is nearby let me know.

Hi T,
Good to see another Mainer, here on Permies. I am quite a bit farther south than you, but I do recall there were a couple people from northern Maine that were around when we were planning for the Maine Permies Meetup. Unfortunately I don't remember which was which. Let's hope some of them are watching this forum and respond.

[quote=T. Smith]Tim in Masardis here.  Just curious if there are any like-minded people in Aroostook county?  I know there is a group that gets together once a year down-state,  but I don't get south very often.

We've got some remote acreage and run it as our bushcraft and sustainability field school, and recently (2020) got a place on the paved road. I've been runnng an outdoor education school for 25 years. During the non-snow months we're usually running a longer course. We've been doing a humanure composting system for over 20 years, have solar power at camp, have been putting in perenials over the years and encouraging useful wild plants, and do a bunch of sustainability-themed projects. Useful wild plants are a big part of our curriculum, and we've got a lot of biodiversity for this part of Maine. We've also got a ton of apple trees nearby in the form of an abandoned and overgrown orchard. I save the seeds of these, as well as wild plums, and make a mean apple wine.

We don't keep animals because we're away on the river guiding canoe trips a bunch in the spring-summer-fall. Maybe someday that will change.

Anyway, if anyone is nearby let me know.

[/quote]  
Hey Tim, my wife and I are in southern aroostook trying out the offgrid homesteading life we just had our first child back in jan so we took this season slow. Hopefully we can check out your bushcraft school sometime

Hello Im very interested in learning to be more off grid and homesteading. I own 22 acres a mile off the grid almost. Self-reliant is my goal

Hi Richard, If you guys are ever up this way get in touch. I come south toward Patten a few times a year, also to Smyrna.  

Not sure if this happens elsewhere, but after they mechanically harvest the potatoes around here, you can walk around the fields and pick up all the ones the harvester missed (which is usually a lot). You can also buy 50 pounds for $10 from local farmers. We're potato-rich in the county right now.

Hello fellow Mainers.  I'm down in Penobscot County trying to carve out a homestead lifestyle on 37 acres.  

A bushcraft school sounds really useful!  I'm particularly interested in learning more about local wild edible or medicinal plants and fungi.