Do you long for a more meaningful and empowered lifestyle? Do you long to escape the rat race and the madness of modern living. Then living off the land could be for you. It is a whole new approach to life that may seem impossible to some, yet is considered by a growing number of people to be many solutions rolled into one! My purpose here is to show you the benefits and to sell you the idea that it is a realistic possibility to totally redesign your life.

An increasing number of people dream of getting away from it all and living ‘the good life’ because they have had enough of the prescribed existence of the mainstream. The daily drudgery of commuting and sometimes long hours away from the children. Modern life is stressful because it is unnatural in so many ways. Living off the land is a healthy and empowering alternative with so many benefits. It need not be all hard work and drudgery, and it doesn’t mean rejecting technology and returning to the primitive lifestyle. It can be high-tech, entrepreneurial and innovative. But it does require rational thinking and planning to achieve.

A truly health promoting lifestyle

Sitting is the new smoking and an active lifestyle is the route to health. Living off the land is a great way to tick this box. I run a tiny little smallholding of 3 acres (less than a hectare) and yet I clock up well over 10,000 paces a day. Fresh air, movement and exercise are the antithesis of the couch potato lifestyle and living off the land ensures all three. You don’t have to own a large area. The smallholder or homesteader on just a few acres can be amazingly productive and by definition the outdoor lifestyle keeps you moving and supports health and longevity.

Here are just a few of the factors that support health that is part and parcel of land-based living.

Living off the land means you are necessarily engaged in an active lifestyle. Sitting is the new smoking and the sedentary life is being shown to compromise health by a growing number of studies. The numerous activities that are part of land management or running a smallholding support cardiovascular benefit and strength training. Combining a routine of high-intensity Interval training and callisthenics gives you an all-around physical health workout built into your lifestyle.

An outdoor lifestyle necessarily means greater exposure to the sunshine. You will inevitably receive more exposure to the UVB form of the suns Ultraviolet light that enables the body to make Vitamin D. This is one the major promoters of human health and according to the latitude of where you live winter supplementation is a very good idea in any circumstances. Living off the land means your Vitamin D levels will usually be higher than a city dwelling office worker.

Growing your own food: You can ensure an abundant supply of fresh organic food with access to land. Total independence is not the goal, but a degree of self-reliance is both rewarding and a significant insurance against economic situations restricting supply. In today’s climate of impending economic disaster, this is a huge benefit over and above the abundance of homegrown organic fruit and vegetables. Add in rearing animals for meat, eggs and possibly dairy, and wholesome food becomes your standard. This is a massive boon for your health.

Potential access to fresh and pure ground water. A clean water supply is a crucial component of healthy living and depending on where you are located can be available beneath your feet. Sinking a well or digging a borehole can be expensive but is a longterm investment that pays...