Up Tunket Road: The Education of a Modern Homesteader

by Philip Ackerman-Leist

Book Overview

Ever since Thoreau's Walden, the image of the American homesteader has been of someone getting away from civilization, of forging an independent life in the country. Yet if this were ever true, what... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1603580336
• ISBN13: 9781603580335
• Release Date: May 2010
• Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing Company
• Length: 285 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.9" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Thoughtful and Philosophical, Excellent Storytelling Memoir of a Modern Homesteader; Worthy of a Slo

My great-grandparents were real homesteaders in northern Maine a hundred years ago and I grew up visiting my grandmother on the same land in the same home she and my grandfather built by hand after the original home burned to the ground. I knew enough of the practical hardships trying to live off the land to not want to do it myself but still cannot help but wax romantic of some aspects, and on bad days I do fantasize of running away to live in the Brooks Range. I was interested in what Ackerman-Leist had to say about modern homesteading and the various forms that homesteading can take place, such as applying a certain mindset and doing certain things even when one lives on the grid in a city or in a suburb. That would be me: the self-taught home canner, organic gardener (when it was considered weird and stupid), wildcrafter and do-er of many other things that some of my friends and neighbors think is nutty. I don't fit in with the back-to-the-landers and I don't fit in with my chemical spraying for the perfect lawn neighbors either. It was apparent from the start of the book that I didn't want to rush through this. This is a memoir worthy of a slow read. Ackerman-Leist is an excellent storyteller. He manages to keep up a good pace, never letting the story get boring. Some chapters are have funny parts, and some are sad (I cried my way through chapter 9, about sending his oxen off to slaughter). Some chapters are more philosophical in nature, thoughtful musings and contemplations on modern living versus living off the land. Other chapters are more information focused, giving lots of details on solar power, for example. I found so much of the writing was profound that I began taking notes then later gave up on that and just started marking up the book's margins. There is a lot to ponder here and it would make for great discussion between people who are interested and care about such matters are green living, sustainable agriculture and sustainable living. Ackerman-Leist is a thinker (he may be accused of thinking or caring too much about some things). He is an excellent writer. What I wished for, but was absent, was more about parenting and education. Ackerman-Leist is a college professor which at first made me think that he thought the status quo for formal education was fine. I wondered what he'd think about modern school education or if he had alternative lifestyle notions about schooling the kids as well. He mentions just a tidbit, only to say that his children were homeschooled. As a homeschooling mother myself I longed for more details about that choice and how the family homeschools. Also lacking was much about his personal relationship with his wife Erin. The impression I got was she was more serious and rigid than he is (and he's pretty serious I think). She is very practical, a hard worker who liked doing laborious tasks (other than the mention of losing patience with moving the human waste). There must be more to Erin but it wa

A Delightful Read!

When reading other posted reviews of this book, I knew I couldn't write such an eloquent review, however, I believe that since I'm just an ordinary person with no interest in homesteading or making a life anything at all like the Ackerman-Leists have made, (but one who IS concerned about our ecological future) and since I thoroughly enjoyed the stories and the humor (actually laughed out loud at the outhouse stories and tried to put myself in that spot), perhaps other "ordinary" folks might like to read it, too! It is very well written and the illustrations make you want to visit Up Tunket Road to see their side of the mountain. More power to this young couple and I wish them success in their adventure. I think, however, I'll continue to live within my "comfort zone." I highly recommend the book as a good read - even for those who don't see homesteading in their future.

Thoughtful, fun, and insightful

Though Philip Ackerman-Leist's "Up Tunket Road" can most easily be categorized as a memoir, it is also a thoughtful examination of many of the issues both inspiring and surrounding modern homesteading. This is not a how-to book, nor a self-congratulation, but instead a more philosophical work -- though true to the subject, it manages to stay firmly grounded in reality. It's also cute -- he's got a sense of humor and a penchant for puns, and I found myself smiling frequently. Organized somewhat-but-not-quite chronologically, with broader chapters on ecology, food production, history, and more interspersed throughout the telling of Ackerman-Leist's own story, this book kept me delightfully engaged, and I was sorry when it ended. I am deeply sympathetic to the homesteading movement, but don't have much interest (well, at least not a compelling interest) in the rural version of homesteading, so I wasn't sure if I would be able to relate to Ackerman-Leist enough to really appreciate what he had to say. But he's well aware that many who hold his values don't hold his specific vision, and, although he himself is destined for mountain life, he is quick to point out that if everyone chose the side of a mountain, the choice would not be all that ecological after all. So it's the "why" of homesteading that Ackerman Leist is exploring here, rather than the "how", and the why is applicable whether you're living on a remote mountain or in the heart of an urban center. He's also well aware that, as he says several times, homesteading is a luxurious choice, even if it's not a choice of luxury -- that is, he is aware that although he and his wife took the plunge feeling relatively money-poor, certainly they were better off in many ways than huge swaths of the population. This became more of an issue for me as a reader toward the end of his story as they were working on building their new house. Presumably they'd been able to save quite a bit over the previous years of very rustic living, but every time he described a solution to a problem -- energy, refrigeration, toilets -- I found myself thinking, "How much did that *cost*???" It may not take a ton of money to move to a cabin in the woods, but it certainly takes a ton of money to have a high amenity (or even normal) house in the woods completely off the grid. Still, this is not so much a problem with the book as with my own jealousy. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the philosophy or practice of homesteading, but especially the philosophy and the psychology behind it. As I and others have already mentioned, it's not a how-to, but this really only broadens its appeal, as it's an interesting way of looking at the world, even if you can't or don't want to live on the side of a Vermont mountain.

TEN Stars!!! Must read for any wannabe modern homesteader

This is a great book simply because its 2010 homesteading style. In fact the author whose wonderful, professional grade illustrations dot the book chapters, makes a point from the get go of dealing with Misconceptions about what homesteading is in modern society. Beginning with #1 finding a piece of land, where the author notes one better know what they really want before they set out to homestead. I will also note I know a good number of successful city homesteaders who put some wannabe rural homesteaders I personally know, to shame. #2 In a rural setting. Thus my comments about successful city homesteaders I know. Urban ones at that. #3 To live a life of self reliance. Excellent insight here from the author who is wise to remind bright eyed eager wannabe homesteaders that real homesteading involves a great deal of interdependence like that demonstrated by the Amish and other religious sects who show up to help with a barn raising, harvesting the crops, fence repair etc. Appreciated Chapter 14 Technological Cascade where the author writes about a border who had moved into their barn studio and installed a small solar set up that would allow him to run a clock radio, a light bulb, and the mixed feelings the author and his wife had when gazing out their cabin window and seeing the glow from the set up and how they questioned really hard the pros and cons of having solar themselves and how would they would avoid getting sucked back into the overload of modern life that they had set out to avoid years earlier. Its probably the most important chapter for any high tech person who is thinking of moving some place rural and setting up a homestead. The author also reminds the reader that riding miles to a library to use their computer during the week has its own carbon foot print. Thought about this locally where with more and more bike riders, we now are getting safe bike paths, which in itself is requiring heavy equipment and thus fuel to construct the bike paths. The authors like myself and my family were also fans of Thoreau and the Nearings. But as the author wisely notes, in the beginning of the book, 'The icons of the homesteading movement, unfortunately, have portrayed themselves (or have been portrayed by others) as virtually self-reliant individuals who retreated from society in order to live lives of utter independence. Our cultural images and casual interpretations don't tell the whole story ---of Thoreau;s trips to town for meals and supplies during his relatively short two-year stint portrayed on Walden, of the Nearings' dependence upon visitors and apprentices for labor, of the Mother Earth back-to-the-landers who would have failed or in some cases perished were it not for the native pragmatism of their farmer neighbors. We need to recognize that homesteading is as much about recognizing interdependence as it is about seeking isolation and independence . It is also about letting go of ego. The more serious we get about ecology

An entertaining journey into the world of homesteading

Up Tunket Road introduces a "not so simple" (as the author so aply puts it) journey into the joys and unexpected challenges of homesteading. Ackerman-Leist & his wife dream of the elegance of off grid living and decide to plunge head first into the unknown of the world of life without electricity, indoor plumbing, and the unbiquitous conveniences of the modern world. Little did this couple realize what they had taken on when they decide to purchase a cabin in dire need of repair in a remote region of Vermont. What can one expect with a property priced at $39,900?! Only if one dreams of leaving the suburban life behind could such an experience be considered. Luckily, Ackerman-Leist and his patient (and very practical) wife find humor in the dynamic world of homesteading along with hard earned lessons about how to listen, learn, and develop deep bonds with the local residents. The author's background in farming in the South Tirol region of the Alps, and North Carolina contributes considerably to the survival of he & his wife when the realities of such rustic living must be dealt with. Without a clear plan of action, they confront life in a semi-wild setting with spontaneity and an admirable humility so uncommon amongst human beings in the world today. While this isn't a "how-to" manual for homesteading, the book does give some idea of many of the common issues that a person would encounter leaving the trappings of regular income and creating one's own economy off-grid. The couple face the struggles of deciding whether to farm vs. homestead, how to tend their land (while developing a relationship with The Nature Conservancy), aquiring and breeding of dairy cows, repairing and building a suitable low impact residence, and the unending surprises that people living in nature encounter. Sustainable living presents a different type of complexity where actions must be based upon a "big picture" view of the end results of decision making. Luckily these residents of Tunket Road are finding their version of heaven through it all. Erin Ackerman-Leist beguiles the reader with her beautiful detailed drawings along the way.