Prepper mom-of-five reveals she saves $12,000 a year by living a completely self-sufficient, off-grid lifestyle where she grows crops and searches for food for her family — even during “BRUTAL” Michigan winters
- Sarah Thrush faced a big challenge when she moved to Escanaba, Michigan
- The 43-year-old and her family now run their homestead “like a company”.
- She goes shopping once a month and has enough groceries for more than two years
A prepper has revealed how her self-sufficient, off-grid lifestyle of growing her own food and stockpiling on supplies saves her $12,000 a year.
Sarah Thrush grew up raising cattle and growing crops, but faced the ultimate challenge of running a farm when she moved to Escanaba, Michigan in July 2021 — a remote place where winter lasts seven months.
She and her family now run their homestead “like a business” – raising chickens for eggs and meat, growing vegetables and herbs, and hunting and fishing.
The 43-year-old reveals that she only has to shop once a month and now has enough groceries in stock for two and a half years.
Sarah Thrush grew up raising cattle and growing crops, but took on the ultimate challenge of running a farm in July 2021 when she moved to Escanaba, Michigan
Sarah lives on 50 acres with husband Clayton, 48, who works as a foreman, and two of their five children – aged 17 and 19.
The food the family grows is preserved and stored in two pantries so that it would last for years in an emergency.
The mother-of-five only visits the grocery store once a month to buy essentials and says she saves her family $8,000 to $12,000 each year because she can mostly support herself.
Speaking of her lifestyle, Sarah said, “I run our homestead like a business.” I consider myself a home economist. We hunt and fish.
“I try to support our family without going to the supermarket.” “We live by the manta rays – we want to use what Mother Nature gives us.”
Sarah has always been a homeowner, but has had to adapt the way she grows her produce to adapt to Michigan’s changing climate after moving 300 miles from central state.
The family now endures long, harsh winters and often has snow from October to June.
Sarah said, “I’ve been fishing since I could walk.” But I had to relearn life on the farm in a different climate. “The winters are incredibly brutal.”
Sarah now wants to help others learn about life on the farm to stop people going hungry
The 43-year-old reveals that she only has to shop once a month and now has enough groceries in stock for two and a half years
She and her family run their homestead “like a business” – they raise chickens for eggs and meat, grow vegetables and herbs, and hunt and fish
She grows as much grain as she can and uses vegetables from other farmers in the area, such as potatoes and corn.
The enthusiastic prepper has also bought a herd of cows to be cared for by another farmer so her family can have fresh milk.
Sarah carefully plans how much of each vegetable she needs for her family, and swaps crops when there are surpluses.
She also donates whatever is left over to her food bank to give back to her community.
Sarah has two pantries and always uses the oldest cans first – she puts her freshest preserves at the back of the pantry.
Sarah has always been a homeowner but has had to adapt the way she grows her produce to the changing climate where the family now endures long, harsh winters and often snows from October to June
She said: “I’m trying to support our family without going to the supermarket. We live by the manta – we want to use what Mother Nature gives us.”
In an emergency, Sarah figures she has enough food to feed four people for 18 months and says if they were rationed it could be two and a half years
She said: “A pantry is what we call our ‘pantry’ for longer-term groceries. Usually these are canned and freeze-dried foods.
“A can has a shelf life of one to three years, and freeze-dried foods can last up to 25 years.” We rotate these foods into our daily pantry, so we eat fresh foods.”
Sarah believes she has enough food in an emergency to feed four people for 18 months and says if they were rationed it could be two and a half years.
Sarah wants to help others learn about life on the farm to stop people going hungry.
She said, “My goal is to feed the world.” “I believe that food is a basic human right.”