Homesteader and former Army Ranger Joshua Morris has accomplished quite a feat by maintaining 360 acres of land in the Ozark Mountains to support his family.
In a tour with YouTuber Stefano Creatini, Morris described how he created his earth-sheltered home with skills he learned when he was training to be a geological engineer.
Realtor.com highlighted his double-waterproofing of the home as well as its metal front door and reinforced windows. The site also mentions that a "wood stove serves as the heart of the homestead, and a clever pipe system also heats the water at the same time."
This engineering has allowed Morris to create a safe structure for his family. "We did have a tornado right after we finished the house and moved in, and I think we actually just slept through the tornado," he said in Creatini's video.
Morris and his family are also well versed in maintaining their plants and animals. Morris' wife, Chiara, also showed Creatini around their raised-bed garden, which contained corn stalks, carrots, chard, and more just six weeks after the initial video.
As for their goats, Morris said that his daughters are their main caretakers. They even bought their own cars using money from selling the goats.
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Morris also showed various arrow or spearheads found on the land.
"Since we've lived here, we found different artifacts, some of these dating back to 10,000 years ago," he said.
While Morris did not say when the weaponry he showed was from, it's important to acknowledge that they may have belonged to any number of Indigenous tribes or their ancestors who used to flourish in this region.
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According to Native Land Digital and Ozarks Alive, the Osage people were very prevalent in the area before white settlers forced them to move. Many current members live in what is now Oklahoma today. Other tribes in the Ozark Mountains include the Quapaw and Kickapoo peoples.
The segment ends with Morris echoing part of a general Indigenous philosophy of tending to land. "All you have to do is … be a good steward and not abuse it," he remarked.
If you want to emulate Morris, some good news is that you don't have to go off the grid to replicate his lifestyle.
Growing food in your backyard or a community garden can be a great place to start. You can also look into upgrading your home in ways that will serve your family and the environment and also save you money.
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