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• Anonymous

  obamaville IN MAINE

• Anonymous

    Don’t let The Governor see this, he may use this as his Poster Home for the GOP Lurc Repeal Plan.

• http://twitter.com/emilydshaw Emily Shaw

  Where have you been for the last 40 years? Hippie-style homesteading is IN MAINE. ALREADY.

• Anonymous

  for the past 15 he’s been glued to the fox news channel…..

• http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1640360862 Tom DeCoste

  Jesus please save us from these children who think for themselves, read, and work with their hands. 

• Anonymous

  It is good to see people that want to live life debt free.Easy to heat and low maintenance,well done!!I hope the best for you!

• Anonymous

  These folks seem to be thinking things through, moving slowly, and doing well. Good luck to them!

• Anonymous

  nicely done. we live in a society that makes us think we need big comfy cars and homes and then spend most of our lives trying to pay all our debts which mean less time enjoying the items we buy. this is why america’s economy is crashing..we don’t know how to be self-reliant..we are consumers of slave products. we need to live within our means and not complete with the jones.

• Anonymous

  nicely done. we live in a society that makes us think we need big comfy cars and homes and then spend most of our lives trying to pay all our debts which mean less time enjoying the items we buy. this is why america’s economy is crashing..we don’t know how to be self-reliant..we are consumers of slave products. we need to live within our means and not complete with the jones.

• Anonymous

  nicely done. we live in a society that makes us think we need big comfy cars and homes and then spend most of our lives trying to pay all our debts which mean less time enjoying the items we buy. this is why america’s economy is crashing..we don’t know how to be self-reliant..we are consumers of slave products. we need to live within our means and not complete with the jones.

• Anonymous

  nicely done. we live in a society that makes us think we need big comfy cars and homes and then spend most of our lives trying to pay all our debts which mean less time enjoying the items we buy. this is why america’s economy is crashing..we don’t know how to be self-reliant..we are consumers of slave products. we need to live within our means and not complete with the jones.

• Anonymous

  What a great new adventure for them… I wish them well!

• Anonymous

  What a great new adventure for them… I wish them well!

• Anonymous

  What a great new adventure for them… I wish them well!

• Anonymous

  Things look pretty easy during the warm weather.  Stay tuned.

• Anonymous

  idea could be used as inexpensive way to house homeless.

• Anonymous

  If you had read the article you would know that it stated that this was a way of life for a lot of people in Maine and that is why they chose to move here.

• Anonymous

  Few questions…..is Happy town farm their only income.  Did they have college loans to pay back?  Did they buy the land outright or was it loan?  If you want people to believe your self sufficient then do a complete story to share your success…..Noticed on their web sit that they’re  a non profit organization……so does this mean that their land and income is tax free?

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_SPNKTIGQSAJAMRZGICVZDT7WTI Harold Cook

  Good story. If they are really in the Ellsworth township, how did they manage this? There are new state mandated building codes and I doubt they comply.  

• Anonymous

  I wish them luck. My husband and I lived a similar lifestyle for 15 years, starting when we were in our early 20s. While we live a more conventional lifestyle now, it was the experience of a lifetime that I wouldn’t change for anything.

• Anonymous

  I wish them luck. My husband and I lived a similar lifestyle for 15 years, starting when we were in our early 20s. While we live a more conventional lifestyle now, it was the experience of a lifetime that I wouldn’t change for anything.

• Anonymous

  I wish them luck. My husband and I lived a similar lifestyle for 15 years, starting when we were in our early 20s. While we live a more conventional lifestyle now, it was the experience of a lifetime that I wouldn’t change for anything.

• Anonymous

  I wish them luck. My husband and I lived a similar lifestyle for 15 years, starting when we were in our early 20s. While we live a more conventional lifestyle now, it was the experience of a lifetime that I wouldn’t change for anything.

• Anonymous

  I wish them luck. My husband and I lived a similar lifestyle for 15 years, starting when we were in our early 20s. While we live a more conventional lifestyle now, it was the experience of a lifetime that I wouldn’t change for anything.

• Anonymous

  I wish them luck. My husband and I lived a similar lifestyle for 15 years, starting when we were in our early 20s. While we live a more conventional lifestyle now, it was the experience of a lifetime that I wouldn’t change for anything.

• Anonymous

  Welcome to Maine you 2!!! Good luck in your new adventure. I wish you well.

• Anonymous

  Unless I read the article wrong. they are squatting on the land. They paid nothing for it

• Anonymous

  I wish them the best, however, I hope they own the land or they will find themselves kicked off in the near future.

• http://startworkingonline.blogspot.com/ Rory Mullen

  I would be more then happy to do this!!!

• Dumbb All Over

  Pretty cool…I hope BDN prints more stories like this. I found it very interesting despite the typos.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_J6K3V46PWCCQGEH2TM2BDHQB74 GetYourSoxOn

  It said, “This spring they had them delivered to their former logging property on Winkumpaugh Road.” 

  That is a poorly written sentence.  Does it mean it is land they still own, but used to log or is it land that they used to own and log on but no longer own?

  They were refered to as “homesteaders”, not “squatters”.

  It could be Trevor’s family’s property, but you cannot tell by this article.

  Either way, it is a cool way to live.  If I wasn’t so spoiled by creature conforts, I would consider it myself!!

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_J6K3V46PWCCQGEH2TM2BDHQB74 GetYourSoxOn

  It said, “This spring they had them delivered to their former logging property on Winkumpaugh Road.” 

  That is a poorly written sentence.  Does it mean it is land they still own, but used to log or is it land that they used to own and log on but no longer own?

  They were refered to as “homesteaders”, not “squatters”.

  It could be Trevor’s family’s property, but you cannot tell by this article.

  Either way, it is a cool way to live.  If I wasn’t so spoiled by creature conforts, I would consider it myself!!

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_J6K3V46PWCCQGEH2TM2BDHQB74 GetYourSoxOn

  It said, “This spring they had them delivered to their former logging property on Winkumpaugh Road.” 

  That is a poorly written sentence.  Does it mean it is land they still own, but used to log or is it land that they used to own and log on but no longer own?

  They were refered to as “homesteaders”, not “squatters”.

  It could be Trevor’s family’s property, but you cannot tell by this article.

  Either way, it is a cool way to live.  If I wasn’t so spoiled by creature conforts, I would consider it myself!!

• Anonymous

  I know they are only in their 20′s, but if they have been practicing such frugal living for years, they may very well have been able to afford the land. 

  Whether they own the land or not is not the story line.  I think what they are doing is pretty cool!  And if they are warm, dry, fed, and happy, (especially happy), then that’s all that matters!

  Shows that people can do a lot with so little.  They are living frugally now so they can build later!  (Actually looks like fun…hard work, but fun.)

  I wish them the best!

• Anonymous

  I know they are only in their 20′s, but if they have been practicing such frugal living for years, they may very well have been able to afford the land. 

  Whether they own the land or not is not the story line.  I think what they are doing is pretty cool!  And if they are warm, dry, fed, and happy, (especially happy), then that’s all that matters!

  Shows that people can do a lot with so little.  They are living frugally now so they can build later!  (Actually looks like fun…hard work, but fun.)

  I wish them the best!

• Anonymous

  I know they are only in their 20′s, but if they have been practicing such frugal living for years, they may very well have been able to afford the land. 

  Whether they own the land or not is not the story line.  I think what they are doing is pretty cool!  And if they are warm, dry, fed, and happy, (especially happy), then that’s all that matters!

  Shows that people can do a lot with so little.  They are living frugally now so they can build later!  (Actually looks like fun…hard work, but fun.)

  I wish them the best!

• Anonymous

  HGTV anti thesis.

• Anonymous

  HGTV anti thesis.

• Anonymous

  “… t their former logging property on Winkumpaugh Road.” Sounds about right.

• https://me.yahoo.com/a/qD27wDV0m.h3NTahGt9XXmbiL5pzyvZC8k2TLVU2qmScdalecwc4cQ--#b0bd2 The_Greek_SailorBC

  Really nice report.  I wish this couple all the best…and doing things together like this sure helps with the relationship.  You are both on the right track with getting off the grid systems, the bureaucracy of it all and the ever-rising prices.

  I remember way, way back when I was a child, my grandfather (who originally came from Texas, but retired in Maine for some reason) had a home in a remote part of Eddington in the woods off the road.  He used several large wooden barrels to capture rain water in…had his electricity (three lights)  hooked up to his Studebaker battery at night…had no phone, no TV…no radio…used a deep hole in an outhouse to poo in which was set-aside from his home…and refused to put up a mailbox because he hated advertisements being delivered.  Although he had a beautiful home in Lufkin, Texas, after he retired as an attorney for that city, he decided to hermit himself…did quite a good job of it, too. 

  But this couple in the article are not hermits by any stretch…just practical and seems like real honest people at that! 

• Anonymous

  Don’t know about the codes but they must be safer than most of the mobile homes that I have seen over the years

• Anonymous

  Here in Aroostook county, I have notices more and more camp like buildings that have been placed on a few acres of land. I have one near me with a porch, electricity, plumbing ect. Tiny little cottages with outbuildings for storage or other uses. Love ‘em and think that they are perfect for people that have active lifestyles and don’t want to be saddled with a big house and lots of debt to get in the way of actually living. 
  What these people are doing is awesome.

• Anonymous

  I wish them both well.  Hopefully the self-important, snobby residents who think they’re hot stuff in the small town of Ellsworth will let them be.  Otherwise, be prepared to be looked down upon there.

• Anonymous

  Why would anyone bring that up?? They are not hurting anyone, I think it’s is a great way to live… Brewer has a company that builds container homes..

• Anonymous

  Your right,…. We live in town yet we live a simple lifestyle… Whats going to happen to the shoppers when Fed note become worthless… 

• Anonymous

  Someone please show this writer the spell check button “electricity-producing solar panels, but are waiting to have the containers mounted on frost-proof concrete posts but they install and connect them.” electricity producing no – concrete posts BEFORE they install and connect them… ” After the containers and set on the posts” after the containers ARE set on the posts. ” and few feet apart ” and A few feet apart.  And that’s just the obvious ones. Along with the paragraph long run on sentences.

• Anonymous

  After their self help blog doesn’t pan out  they will be on welfare with a pile of kids.

• Anonymous

  We see this every few years since the late sixties, nothing new under the sun.

• Anonymous

  Batman you are so funny, you may want to watch Fox. You may learn something, plus there women are good looking on that network.

• Anonymous

  Batman you are so funny, you may want to watch Fox. You may learn something, plus there women are good looking on that network.

• Anonymous

  Batman you are so funny, you may want to watch Fox. You may learn something, plus there women are good looking on that network.

• Anonymous

  Unless I read the article wrong. they are squatting on the land. They paid nothing for it

  ****************************************************

  You read the article wrong.  They purchased the land from Winkumpaugh Land Holdings in March.  They are not squatting.

• Anonymous

  Wow, why don’t you get a job as the BDN editor!?

• Anonymous

  they own the land.

• Anonymous

  Have fun this winter living in those containers

• Anonymous

  Yes, I would like to know who proofread this article.

• Anonymous

  Hippies!

• Anonymous

  This is Bill Trotter, the reporter who write the story. Sansosti and Seip told me they bought the property in March from forester David Warren.

• Anonymous

  This is Bill Trotter, the reporter who write the story. Sansosti and Seip told me they bought the property in March from forester David Warren.

• Downeasta

  I wish them well in their adventure.  But.  Putting sod on steel?  You will cause the roof to rot out more quickly.  Perhaps if the gave it a layer of concrete, and then sealed the concrete (to stop the water penetration).  Yet sod on steel is not a wise choice.

• http://twitter.com/TheGuardianMH The Guardian

  Modern day pioneers.

• http://twitter.com/TheGuardianMH The Guardian

  Modern day pioneers.

• http://twitter.com/TheGuardianMH The Guardian

  Modern day pioneers.

• Anonymous

  What a mean and ignorant thing to say.  Grind your ax someplace else.

• Jenny Bean

  Greetings! This is Jen & Trevor. We want to thank Bill & Kate for coming out to share our story. To answer some questions, we did buy the property outright in cash – no loans. It took a great deal of savings and smart investing for the past 5 years. The containers are insulated and very easy to heat in the winter time – being so small and well sealed up. As for the sod roof, the sod does not touch the steel directly. We had 5″ of sod on the roof in Pennsylvania and found that pond liner works great as a barrier. We’ve been working very closely with City Hall and they have been very helpful & supportive.

  As for the non-profit it is in its beginning stages. We plan to host sustainable homesteading and alternative architecture workshops with the help of our neighbors and friends. We’re also very excited to have linked up with The College of the Atlantic and have the help of students this Summer as we design and expand off the containers.

  For income we’re employed by Happytown Farm, work odd jobs and I have artwork on display for sale as well. We make enough to get by and live comfortably. It is hard work  and we felt that it was important to take ourselves out of our comfort zone on our own terms and live closer to the land.

  We appreciate all the support and feedback.    -Jen & Trevor

• PaulNotBunyan

  Most of the reporters do us a big favor by getting the “first draft” of a story online and updating it later. I mean the deadline for a final cut would be based on the time that they have to start printing the morning newspaper. Revisit stories in the late evening or wee morning hours and you’ll often see corrections and additions (including photos and videos). I’m sure some of them are using mobile internet access to get the early versions in from the field.

• Anonymous

  You go, you guys!  I admire your efforts!!!  Wish you the very best of luck…

• Anonymous

  It may be a an “adventure” for them, but it isn’t “self-sustaining”.  According to the blog they are relying on a lot of people and a lot of manufactured high technology used very inefficiently to live in impractical primitive conditions on the edge of the thriving city of  Ellsworth — all with a lot of very self-conscious promotionalism.  They may very well be sincere about what they call their “minimalist” beliefs, but it is screwy, contradictory and unworkable utopianism with a lot of PR.  There is nothing idealistic about this.  Only the ‘politically correct’ can move outside the city into a scenic area while denouncing “subdivisions” and not be accused of the “sprawl” that the rest of us are accused of for daring to try to live an area that viros want to “protect”, i.e., private property they want to lock up from the normal human use of its owners.

• Anonymous

  Rustic, happy, no bills, happy, comfy, happy, living off the land, happy……..seems to be a recurring theme…..congrats…because thats what we are going to be doing as well….same scenario.

• Anonymous

  before and after iq test results of the typical fox news viewer always skews higher to the before test…..

• Anonymous

  Ellsworth could be called a lot of things, but “snobby” sure isn’t one of them.

• Anonymous

  why did you change after 15 years –?

• http://twitter.com/z_gryphon Ben Hutchins

  Yeah, well, that’s conservomatic.  Elsewhere he was grumbling that a state trooper who survived a collision with a moose up north should be made to pay for the repairs to his cruiser himself.  Seriously.

• Anonymous

  If I added another layer of insulation on the outside of the container and then hung hardie plank on the over that with screws, would you be able to tell it wasn’t stick built from the road? I’m sure I could rig a pitched roof on it for the purists. It would help elevate my solar panels and solar thermal collector for radiant floor heat. 

  With vandalism and theft on the rise in rural areas, look for more land owners using shipping containers for seasonal camps. They lock up pretty tight when you shut the two big steel doors.

  I still don’t comprehend why we didn’t ship these to earthquake victims overseas? China doesn’t want them back, they can make a new container out of our scrap steel cheaper than we can ship an empty one back to them to refill. If you shake them in an aftershock, they don’t fall apart.  

  If you look around with Google, you can find some beautiful designs for Intermodal Steel Building Units (AKA=shipping containers). My favorite has a two car garage…

  If Marden’s and Wal-mart planned ahead, they could bring their stock north in used containers by rail and sell everything including the container at the store.

• Anonymous

  Why Maine from PA. though?  PA has lots of woods to do the same.  Maybe our land shouldnt be so cheap.  who knows but these hippy types keep coming and coming, though i like the idea myself, My mortgage is killing me!

• Anonymous

  You sound as if you want everybody to have a Mc Mansion. We should all want that ?

• Anonymous

  Cool deal You Two!!!!!!!   Don’t Blame you one bit… Enjoy It!!!!!

• Jenny Bean

  Hi Lady! HP Farms is our main source of income and we do odd jobs as well where we also found that bartering goes a long way. We did buy the land outright and as for student loans they’re at a minimum. We aren’t a non-profit yet but are working alongside neighbors & friends to eventually develop one and host sustainable homesteading workshops. And yes, we do pay taxes.   -Jen

• Jenny Bean

   spunky, we saved for the past 5 years and bought the land outright in cash.

• Jenny Bean

  Our Realtor, Charlie Kelly, told us about the land last Summer and we purchased it from Winkumpaugh Land Holdings this past March, and moved up in April….at the peak of mud season.  lol We didn’t care though we just couldn’t wait to get up here! :)

• Anonymous

  I Used to know Trevor Seip back on grade school, then he moved away before 5th grade. Glasd to see you’re doing well. Good luck, I also have been looking at getting “dis-connected”

• Anonymous

  He IS a Conservative what do you expect ? A benevolent soul?

• Jenny Bean

  Harold, we are indeed in the beautiful city of Ellsworth.  Last Summer when we first saw the property we went directly to City Hall to discuss our project. We were greeted by our code officer who explained everything to us and has been very excited to hear about our progress. Maine is a wonderful state where they encourage alternative architecture and encourage new ideas, and Ellsworth City Hall is exceptionally welcoming and is very quick to answer our questions.

• Jenny Bean

  Best of luck to you! :) It truly is rewarding.

• Anonymous

  Good for them, who needs the rat race?

  I did that for 40 + Years and now I am going back to a simple life style.

  The definition of Sophisticated is, lacking the Privlege of being simple.

• Anonymous

  Good luck folks. Winters can be hard up here so get prepared. Again good luck!

• Jenny Bean

  FarEast, we chose not to stay in Pennsylvania for various reasons, we looked in many places and Maine suited our needs the best.  PA is full of red tape and we couldn’t thrive there as we knew we could up here. Also, I wouldn’t say the land was CHEAP, but it was affordable for us without a mortgage. We saved for years to buy land and we are truly happy to be here. Maine is a wonderful state and we are so proud to be residents. Trevor is from Knox County originally and we do have some family and friends up here as well, which made the transition a lot easier for us.  :)

• Anonymous

  What are you talking about? There are all kinds of people doing the same thing involutarily by just plain being poor!

   

• Jenny Bean

  Hi there. We had no relationship with the previous owners of the property. Our Realtor told us about the land and we bought it this past March.

• Anonymous

  Tv, Bed, Heat, Refridgerator  What More do you need?

• Jenny Bean

  Thank you.  :)

• Jenny Bean

  Though I understand Maine winters are a force to be reckoned with we did survive two Winters in Pennsylvania staying in the containers – they’re quite cozy :).  We are expanding off of them and including a wood burning stove – a Maine must.  Since this land was formally owned by a logging company they left miles of trails of cut wood we can harvest. 

• Jenny Bean

  Though I understand Maine winters are a force to be reckoned with we did survive two Winters in Pennsylvania staying in the containers – they’re quite cozy :).  We are expanding off of them and including a wood burning stove – a Maine must.  Since this land was formally owned by a logging company they left miles of trails of cut wood we can harvest. 

• Jenny Bean

  Hey Easta’. Thanks for the support.  Also, we found that pond liner goes a long way. It worked for us in the past.

• Jenny Bean

  Hey Scott! We’ll have to get together sometime. Our contact info is on our website.
  -Trevor

• Anonymous

  Don’tcha love how us Mainer’s know everything, without ever having tried anything?  :-)  

• Anonymous

  Define politically correct in this context please.

• Anonymous

  Small homes are easier and cheaper to heat. Have fun with your bills this winter!

• Anonymous

   That is not even remotely what I wrote.

• Anonymous

  Living affordability and without debt leads to welfare. What a joke.

• Anonymous

   The poor do not disseminate PR about their primitivism while buying solar panels and bicycle-powered generators that barely run a single light bulb.

• Anonymous

  In this context, PC is environmentalist extolling of primitivism, whether or not hypocritical, as a supposed sign of superiority which must not be questioned.    Here we see it as cover for what the viros ordinarily denounce as “sprawl” when ordinary people want to move into a rural area, causing the dreaded “human footprint”.

• Anonymous

  It seems that professional news organizations have decided that it is more important to get new information online than to proofread properly. It happens all over the web. Unfortunately, the errors are often left online for weeks (if not permanently). 

• PaulNotBunyan

  I’ve noticed that more than once. Speaking of errors, I was just looking at photos of cargo container modifications. The photos were okay but I did see captions like “36 foot entry door” (a standard 36 inch exterior door) and one of the containers was “40 foot high”.

• Anonymous

  True Grit and that’s a fact. Good luck you two. Need a dog though.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_EJOGAIS4HSNBZLQLVNEOZFYVBY RonG

  I lived off the grid for 5 years in a small town near Bangor. When I called the building inspector about an addition to the cabin  (and asked about building codes) there was a long pause …….. “well ….. You got to live theah.”  He explained about both electrical an sanitary codes, but the bottom line was ……. “You got to live theah.”  Thank God there is still some sanity in America.

• Jazz11

  This is back to the future again. Sounds like the hippies in the 70′s here in Maine. Living in a container? Gee, I thought only 3rd world countries did that….. wait; we are becoming a 3rd world country!

• Anonymous

  Can anyone say troll???!!! Conservomatic is the perfect definition of a troll.

• Anonymous

  I say keep up the great work and keep trying to inform as many people as you can.

• Anonymous

  If you do a search you will see this is not new it’s been going on for well over a year now so this is nothing new .

• Anonymous

  Luck folks, wish I was young enought to do the same….We really dont need all the extra junk we pile around our selves to live good….Our first home was a WW11 quanset hut…..All the best !!

• Anonymous

  Excellent work.  Avoiding debt, hard work and self sufficency are old Maine and New England values that have been corrupted and steamrolled over in the past 75 years.  Media and capitalism grind away at our minds and makes us think that credit cards, debt and living beyond the Joneses is what being a good citizen is all about. Good to see young people today living the smart life. Good luck.

• Anonymous

  Why do they have to be “hippie types” ?  why cant they be human beings who need to escape the bull crap of life and start a new adventure and a new chapter in their life?  We are not the “hippie type”, BUT…..certainly cant wait to sell my home on Cape Cod and get to OUR LAND in Maine as well…..

  Life is so freakin hard today, that it makes you want to just walk away. 

• Anonymous

  hey, thanks !!! I cant wait…..so sick of the bull shite in Mass, and the bills, and everyone wants their money yesterday, and there are NO jobs here because all the immigrants get hired for 8 bucks an hour leaving well trained adults in the cold.  I know it is everywhere but living here in this state is the worst by far.  We to have land just waiting for us and there is no where else I would rather be than on our land right now.  Know anyone  in PA that wants to purchase a home on Cape Cod ?  lol

  When I am there on our land or in town or just for a drive, (up there) there is a certain “peace” that flows through my blood.  I feel that a million pounds have been lifted from my shoulders when we are there.   I DREAD coming back here, and when I see the sign “Welcome to Massachusetts”, I flip it off !  Hats off to you two and thumbs up !  Dont let anyone stop your dream, because it is YOUR dream. 

  Sarcasm comes from those who are jealous and envious !

• Anonymous

  Nothing is truely self sufficent, no animal, no bird no plant, no bacteria and no man. We are all connected and dependent on everyting else. This is not hypocracy but reality of the web of life. I’m sure they understand this.

• http://www.facebook.com/paul.markosian Paul Markosian

  Jen & Trevor, as a fellow Ellsworth resident I would like to say: welcome to the neighborhood! 

• Anonymous

  Seriously ???? why would you care ?  why should you care what others do with their lives, if for one reason !!  you wish it were you , but by the way you talk and throw text book words around, you could never let your guard down, but secretly you say, “gosh i wish i could do that” , but that would mean your “persona” would be dilapidated to your audience ! !!!! 

• Anonymous

  Totally agree, being “poor” as well as being “fed up”, sick of the “doing the right thing” attitude !  Live cheap, and be happy is where I am headed, because owning the “american dream”, is really a silent nightmare!

• Olde Hippie

  Hang on to your dreams!

• Anonymous

  I had a difficult time understanding what you were trying to say. You say they are screwy,contradictory, and unworkable, ideas. How many people are walking away from big homes that they can not afford. The electric bill cost what this families total expenses add up to. The folks that walk away have bills that add up to more money than a family can ever catch up with. 

• Anonymous

  Great Job!
  don’t mind the naysayers, there are always people who want to tell you why you can’t do something. We are just down the road at the foot of Bald MT. and wish you new neighbors well.
  Make sure you have an outside air supply kit for your woodstove, or an air exchanger if your buildings are very tight.

• Anonymous

  Truly back to the future . . . like back to the pioneer era when America blossomed on the ingenuity and self-sufficiency of its people.  These two represent the best of America, the best of the conservative and the progressive ideals that fueled our growth. 

• Anonymous

  Yes you are right people have a lot of stuff that they don’t need or will never use agen.

• Anonymous

  sentence two in the article clearly states that they owne the land.how can you miss that?congrats to the both of you.it seems like there is very few if any young couples today that can actualy say they have a plan in life.too many aericans live beyond there means and cant suppport themselves.

• AionNV

  kooo kooo !

• Moose

  How much are the taxes on your condo.It looks really nice and you could heat it with a candle.Do you have a outhouse or a 5 gallon bucket. Do you have running water in the condo or you have to run to branch lake to get some. If you are not far from branch lake you can shower there and in the winter drill some ice hole in the lake and shower.I bet it want take long in the winter.

• Anonymous

  Sweetie, I admire your fortitude.  I think you will find that the winters here in Maine are a little different than Pennsylvania……….make that a lot.  I wish you the best of luck and know that you will manage-but I don’t want you to think this is a “piece of cake”.  Many from outside have come in thinking they were going to teach us how to survive the Maine woods, I live in The County, that IS the Maine woods.  We have been living here for generations and find that the springs, summers and falls are the only things that make the Winters bearable.  Best wishes and share how you make out, but don’t come here thinking you can teach us how it is done.  Many of us live it everyday…………Have fun and Welcome to Maine!

• Anonymous

  Hell, if I had someone as HOT as her I’d live like that as well. Anyways congrats and I wish ya the best.

• Anonymous

  great, just great.  More massholes to teach us “how it’s done”…..

• Anonymous

  great, just great.  More massholes to teach us “how it’s done”…..

• http://www.facebook.com/people/Jacob-Null/1034478366 Jacob Null

  Sounds great as long as these two able bodies collect no wellfare or assistance.  COA class of 1993.

• Anonymous

  have they ever lived in Maine in mid Jan., they might change their minds in 6 months…just saying…get busy cutting what firewood is left

• http://www.facebook.com/Sysmommy Ashley Elizabeth

  I want in.

• Anonymous

  HEAT!!!!!

• Anonymous

  is it to late to put in a crop??

• Anonymous

  is it to late to put in a crop??

• Anonymous

  I said Heat!

  Forgot Food!!!!

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_66ZAIIT2G52RMJ2WGCIFREBVZ4 Joe

  Bill, first things first…good story. I wish them well! Second, you have a couple of pops when you wrote your comment?

• Downeasta

  Done it, havent you?  Oh wait you just thought I had no clue. 

  Some of us have had experience, please dont complain when we do know what we are talking about.

  The pool liner is a interesting concept, yet if it gets any ultraviolet it will break down.  The concrete will help with the thermal barrier.  It acts as a thermal battery.  If you mix some Aluminum powder into the concrete it will expand and become more porous yet a better insulator.

• Jenny Bean

   We do indeed have a dog! A beagle we rescued from the highway in Pennsylvania four or five years ago, we named him Miles. We are sorry we did not get him into the photo, but he is always by our side alerting us to nearby coyotes! :)

• Anonymous

  I wish you luck. You both seem like very hard working and intelligent people. You will make it. Keep the faith.

• Anonymous

  I take it you didn’t grow up there?  I couldn’t wait to head for college and move away.  Am quite well off today, yet have never forgotten my humble beginnings – nor how I was treated growing up.

• Anonymous

  I take it you didn’t grow up there?  I couldn’t wait to head for college and move away.  Am quite well off today, yet have never forgotten my humble beginnings – nor how I was treated growing up.

• Anonymous

  This is the way many people started life as a married couple, back in the day, myself included. After 7 or 8 years it gets old, and you want more room to move around in your home. [not a Mcmansion] just a few more square feet. When you have  children it gets harder too, because they grow and need space also.  I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything in the world, because it teaches you you don’t need to live lavishly to be happy and live within your means.

• Anonymous

  Love it — best of luck to the both of you. An example for manyyoung couples  to follow before getting consumed by credit cards and outlandish mortages.  A true adventure and one that will strenghthen your bond as a soon to be married couple.  I admire your ambition and wish you well. 

• Anonymous

  Yes. Well done!  Life will be great and wonderful… until you need help with medical, dental and other serious issues, etc old age, retirement, transportation, children; (you libs do plan to have children, don’t you?)  But that’s ok! Obamacare and socialist policies should take care of all these inconvenient issues for ‘ya!

• Anonymous

  UV certainly a concern.  We have a concrete thermal mass in our own home, and it really helps in the winter.  We try to shore it up on the outside, using either hay bales or bags of leaves from the fall raking.  Having the air pockets really helps (but I’m sure, Jenny, you guys already know all this…)

  Good luck!  I’ll root for ya’ to be successful.  I checked out your blog, but it looks a few months behind…eager to hear more!

• Anonymous

  Why don’t you go follow them on twitter? They may have figured out the mysteries of the universe by putting up a clothesline. Thanks for getting me flagged by the BDN gestapo.

• Anonymous

  It says right in the article that they have a compost toilet, shower and running water.

• Anonymous

  It says right in the article that they have a compost toilet, shower and running water.

• Moose

  Anyone can have running water according how far you have to run for it. I reid the story it just a strange way of living..Just having a little fun.But it is a cheap way to live.I ice strom we had was a great way to live.

• Anonymous

  That was between me and conservativereason. We disagreed on an issiue and he lost his head and resorted to name calling. It was childish but it is forgiven. What you are doing is not nice or funny.

• Anonymous

  Those state codes have been repealed just last week i believe. Ellsworth is another matter.

• Moose

  The reason we are feeling like  a 3rd world country is that we as tax payers are supporting all the other country’s. Its like someone getting earned income credits because they have kids. They pay in $750 a year to the feds and state get back $5000 per year between State and Feds per child.This is what is wrong with the system.

• Moose

  The reason we are feeling like  a 3rd world country is that we as tax payers are supporting all the other country’s. Its like someone getting earned income credits because they have kids. They pay in $750 a year to the feds and state get back $5000 per year between State and Feds per child.This is what is wrong with the system.

• Moose

  The reason we are feeling like  a 3rd world country is that we as tax payers are supporting all the other country’s. Its like someone getting earned income credits because they have kids. They pay in $750 a year to the feds and state get back $5000 per year between State and Feds per child.This is what is wrong with the system.

• Moose

  The reason we are feeling like  a 3rd world country is that we as tax payers are supporting all the other country’s. Its like someone getting earned income credits because they have kids. They pay in $750 a year to the feds and state get back $5000 per year between State and Feds per child.This is what is wrong with the system.

• Moose

  The reason we are feeling like  a 3rd world country is that we as tax payers are supporting all the other country’s. Its like someone getting earned income credits because they have kids. They pay in $750 a year to the feds and state get back $5000 per year between State and Feds per child.This is what is wrong with the system.

• Anonymous

  I would not be surprised if it was the medical marijuana Maine that brought them here. Like a moth to a flame. I suggest you reread the article. It  never says that these folks were debt free, it says the would like to live in a more affordable manner. So there you have it preconceived unfounded notions are going down the drain. It is nice to read something and make up your own scenarios but I suggest you do that with your Doctor Seuss books.

• http://www.facebook.com/people/Kathy-Stuart/100000378618564 Kathy Stuart

  Good on ya kids. As has been said here over and again, this is really nothing new in Maine. But you are adding the twist of shipping containers and keeping off the grid in modern way. My husband and I, a couple of creaky oldsters, are looking into doing something similar soon. We don’t need a lot of room, we hate being slaves to corporate America and, well, heck, we just miss Maine and as we are retired we would never be able to afford to buy a “home” there again. Small and self sufficient sounds good to us.
   
  If you have water, wood for heat, solar and wind for your power, a garden and can hunt and fish, you can survive just fine. We did it off and on for a number of years, (without the solar and wind power) it was hard work, especially in the Maine winter, but at the end of each day you have a real sense of accomplishment and an incredible sense of peace that comes from knowing that you don’t owe anyone anything, and what is yours is yours. Oh, until your property taxes go up exponentially every couple of years for a decade or so. So good luck with that.

• Anonymous

  Well done, living within your means and being environmentally conscious! Welcome to the neighborhood. And btw naysayers, it appears they’ve winterized those containers better than many ’70′s era trailer homes that thousands of Mainer’s live in.

• Anonymous

  Welcome to Maine.  My dream is to live in a Yurt!!  Some of those are just beautiful.  I wanted to let you folks know about MOFGA – they are a great resource as well.  Welcome and I will follow your blog.

• Anonymous

  I say go for it and good luck.

  Just a note: The Amish community in Oakfield and Smyrna could be a valuable source of info for you. They also build these neat small buildings that would serve nicely as a home or shelter.

• Anonymous

  I don’t care what they do with their personal lives.  The comments on this web page are in response to a PR campaign promoting “minimalism” as an alleged superior way of life in some kind of utopia.  It renounces civilization in terms such as the Nearings’ book, while in fact depending on manufactured high technology and on a lot of other people from the ‘outside world’ personally supporting them, all in an impractical and inefficient manner so they can live in a scenic area, and which would not be possible for most people or larger groups of people to do at all.

  If, as they appear to be,  they are fascinated with the technology and have the means to expend the enormous effort on the inefficiencies in how it is used to survive in a partial primitivism within a scenic area, then it is their own personal adventure for this phase of their lives, but it is not the idealistic social message it purports to be and is not something that you should assume that I or anyone else “wish” we could be doing.

  What we do “wish” is that the politically correct, oppressive viros would leave us alone to live a more normal but relatively independent life — without all the hype and hypocrisy of this “minimalist” PR campaign — in a relatively remote and scenic rural area without being denounced for “sprawl” and having to constantly fight them off from seizing control of our land for government preservationism.  What is allowed in suburban Ellsworth in southern Maine in the name of “homesteading in the woods” is not in the rural areas of northern and eastern Maine.

• Anonymous

   That we live in a physical world which we use to sustain our lives is not the meaning of the concept of “independence” of people who think and act for themselves, and has nothing to do with claims to “live off the grid”, claiming to be independent of society in a “minimalist” life while in fact depending heavily on dedicated outside help and manufactured technology.

• Anonymous

  If someone wants to and can afford to live in useless ostentation, that is their business and their problem.   But living within ones means for one’s own personal values instead of borrowing to “keep up with the Joneses” has nothing to do with an ideological devotion to “minimalist” utopian schemes to live in alleged primitivism while hypocritically relying on manufactured high technology in hopelessly inefficient and impractical ways.

• Anonymous

  Part time work shoveling manure on an organic farm does not mean self reliance. Best of luck to them and hope they can stay off of HEAP.

• Anonymous

  Sometimes it’s hard reading sarcasm over the internet!  LOL!   Yes–even with all the hardships–the icestorm surely brought families and neighbors together.

• Anonymous

  Life goes on, things change. Our children grew up, and I began to feel the need to do more outside the home. We still live in the same house (with many more creature comforts), heat with wood, and have a large garden, and live debt-free (excepting a small home improvement loan) but I now work full-time. But the years we lived simply, closer to nature and the cycles of the seasons, was the most rewarding time of my life.

• Anonymous

  Nonprofit, great way to keep the taxman away. Two thumbs way up.

• Anonymous

  Wow it’s a good thing you flatlander’s pointed out that we have a lot of natural resources. I give you 4 years here. tops.

• Anonymous

  More 21 century self important yuppie blogster BS.

  In two years they will hit up the folks for more money and build a real house.

  This generation of self important brain washed hipsters is so stale

  Sorry, i ain’t buying it.

• Anonymous

  http://articles.ocregister.com/2011-06-10/news/29648381_1_that-s-fiat-president-obama-obamaville

• Anonymous

  In New York State, it would take lenders 62 years at their current pace, the longest time frame in the nation, to repossess the 213,000 houses now in severe default or foreclosure, according to calculations by LPS Applied Analytics, a prominent real estate data firm.

• Anonymous

  the american dream with obama in

• Anonymous

  Once they have several children they should have no trouble getting into public assistance. Medical and food bill should be covered then. I thought I was alone on this one.

• Anonymous

  Glad to see I wasn’t the only one who saw this story through rose colored glass.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OZEYB3FDATAZICK5X272LEPBUQ Patricia Meadows

  No, not necessarily.  We moved here (Washington County, ME) from the Appalachians in northern PA.  Every winter in Pennsylvania, we experienced a few nights which were -26F.  We also experienced at least a week each winter when the daytime *high* temps did not reach 5F, and some days it didn’t even reach -5F. 

  Parts of PA are plenty cold.  Not as cold as Caribou….. but colder than an awful lot of Maine.  I’m familiar with Stroudsburg, PA, where the young couple is from:  I don’t think they will be surprised by Maine’s cold at all.

  This winter, however, we saw a lot more snow in Washington County than we ever experienced in Pennsylvania.   They may be surprised by the amount of snow!  But being young and (presumably) healthy, they’ll cope with snow OK.  We’re definitely not young, and not healthy, and we managed the snow.

  Pat

• Anonymous

  why are you such a mean person? 

• Anonymous

  “than you could dream”-mistakes like that happen all the time. Don’t feel bad Devin. I won’t call you names.

• Anonymous

  Wasn’t trying to be mean just realistic. Sorry if it came off that way to you adamspj. 

• Olde Hippie

  What in the world has President Obama got to to with this story?

• Anonymous

  Them and the Governah, both, aye ?

• Olde Hippie

  And if they run into personal tragedy 15 years from now, you would condemn them for applying for assistance? Nice.

• Olde Hippie

  It’s tough feeling left out, eh?

• Anonymous

  Aren’t you open for business ?

  And to think that some conservatives blame 0thers for Maine’s inability to to attract more business developement, too .  

• Olde Hippie

  Again with Obama. What’s the connection? I don’t get it.

• Anonymous

  More and more people like these hippies moving up here… Where are all the real Mainers, who like living without these “people from away” suspose to go?? Take your damn tuna can back to Phily and park it in an ally… No one wants to look at your oversized dumpster up here..

• Anonymous

  Yeah, Tom , who do these people think they are,
  … coming to Hancock Country and not planning to leave by Labor Day ?

  It just ain’t real conservative Christian American family values, to homestead, is it ?
  You’ll never build a decent country, that way.

  But face it, Tax Grumps, if you hang up an “open for business” sign, you get what you get.

  So is there is there other NEW business, Downeast, to discuss, YET , Governah  ?

• Anonymous

  You sound like you could be one of those nice people who sell what they raise, besides children, at the farmer’s markets.

• Anonymous

  Please the former hippie freaks, all the free hold, land owning, members of the community who built up their preoperties from nothing, prefer to be called locivore food, art and culture entrepeurs, or Congresswoman, in this new open for business political climate.

  Any NEW business to discuss, YET ?

• Anonymous

  He was a young community organizer, once, too, may-be  ?

  ; )

• Anonymous

  Based on that experience, could you go so far as to say, working hard for yourself, first, given you and they hope to end up at the same place, anyway,  might be a fine plan ? 

• Anonymous

  If one of them was last winter, there is a good chance it was a harder winter then around Ellsworth.

  The weather is changing everywhere.

  Dare I say that that the welcoming tone you are getting here could only be a better, richer, funnier introduction to the old Mainiacs common Downeast culture,
  were you a same sex couple.

  Keep the faith.
  Make your own fututre.
   

• Anonymous

  You do realize that there are umpteen thousand fisherman/people named Bean in downeast Maine, right? You will fit in just fine. However, you might want to read Beans of Egypt so you don’t fall into that category, lol…

• Anonymous

  rude

• Anonymous

  I think these young people are setting a fine example for what all the young people of the Millinocket area are facing, too.

  You have outlined the propsects that the corporatist culture of big business in America has given to Millinocket’s young people, real well.

  Making your own home… or whining about everything untill oxi makes as much sense as anything else ….  which are is your real old time American values, Conny  ?  

• Anonymous

  I wish there was a once a day multiplier for the like button; maybe multiply it by 10 or so.  I would’ve used it on this comment!  Maybe I’ll posi-troll you for a bit…;)  Gosh it was like you reached in and took the words right out of my mouth.

  But alas, they seem to be like those from New Jersey…the more you say you hate them, the more they think that you actually like them.  Boy, when I get it printed, have I got a book for you to read.  Definitely not considered a tourists guide to Maine.
  Did you know that neither Massachusetts nor Washington, D.C. sent one iota of protection or support up this way during the War of 1812?  Not that my family is one to hold a grudge,  mind you, lol.

  Like the moniker…one of the CCR songs I like.

• Anonymous

  “ how can you miss that ”

  It is the due to the partisan political corporatist reality filters and blinders, that some people wear, I think.

  It is as sad as any other other self distrustive behavior.
  Worse, may-be, as there is no 12 step program for that.   

• Anonymous

  Heck, I wish I was in twenties, again, too.
  Who ( except some twenty somethings) wouldn’t ?

  Could that be what Conservatics basic malfunction really is, too ?

• Anonymous

  So by doing your homework you were able to meet all the anti-developement environmental regulations that must be rolled back, because they are too much for any big corporation,
  with all their resources,  to meet ?

  How can that be the case if we believe what GOTea Party says.

• Anonymous

  Heck, I lived barefoot in a teepee for a summer in 1973. Don’t remember much but I know I had a good time doing it. Really dirty feet though, that much I do remember.

• Anonymous

  Remember above all to keep an upbeat thought in your head , even during the 7 or 8 months of winter.  Although, where you will be living is a bit milder.  Hopefully you won’t have to, but more than likely you’ll get to see the generosity of Mainers helping those in need during tough times.  The only thing that is in steady supply in Maine is the ability to make light of a difficult situation.  Firewood gets punky and disappear and so don’t jobs.

• Anonymous

  That’s the beauty of it!  You don’t have to!

• Anonymous

  That is the corporate plan, and always what happens when the all the wealth is funnel to the top  weakening the working middle class. ‘

  It is the old Republician ( as in South Americann Republics) plan.. and new North American plan, judged by the results of the our Republician tax and deregulation policies .

• Anonymous

  Not sure what you are attempting to convey disqusbites, but heck I’ll give you points for trying. Yes, Millinocket is a place of largely uneducated, alcohol/pill abusing, welfare recipients. If the young ones of that town want to live metal storage units that is fine with me. They (The People of Millinocket) already think their car window is a trash receptacle, so a storage unit for a house shouldn’t be much of a stretch. Now to the two kids in this story. This is just my own two cents so please don’t crucify me. They appear to be people who want to receive  the status of a non-profit so they won’t have to pay taxes. Also it looks as if they are interested in media attention to promote their blog and maybe get on TV in some form. Whether it be on the local news, CNN or a show on the Discovery network to promote their new style of life. There it is.

• Anonymous

  Not sure what you are attempting to convey disqusbites, but heck I’ll give you points for trying. Yes, Millinocket is a place of largely uneducated, alcohol/pill abusing, welfare recipients. If the young ones of that town want to live metal storage units that is fine with me. They (The People of Millinocket) already think their car window is a trash receptacle, so a storage unit for a house shouldn’t be much of a stretch. Now to the two kids in this story. This is just my own two cents so please don’t crucify me. They appear to be people who want to receive  the status of a non-profit so they won’t have to pay taxes. Also it looks as if they are interested in media attention to promote their blog and maybe get on TV in some form. Whether it be on the local news, CNN or a show on the Discovery network to promote their new style of life. There it is.

• Anonymous

  I read what you wrote about other people’s dreams, but … 
  I’m still wonder what you ment to say about THEIR pursuit of happiness,
  and why you would bother, anyway ?

• Anonymous

   Good for you guys.   I have to ask where you got the money to purchase the land. It’s a lot easier to be idealistic if you’ve never had to fend for yourselves. In other words, if mom and dad paid for the land, then, ehh, not really that impressive.  Just another example of The idealistic viewpoint kids take nowadays when the parents enable them. If you paid for the land with money you’ve EARNED then GREAT JOB!!

• Anonymous

   Good for you guys.   I have to ask where you got the money to purchase the land. It’s a lot easier to be idealistic if you’ve never had to fend for yourselves. In other words, if mom and dad paid for the land, then, ehh, not really that impressive.  Just another example of The idealistic viewpoint kids take nowadays when the parents enable them. If you paid for the land with money you’ve EARNED then GREAT JOB!!

• Anonymous

   I suspect that these kids aren’t really ,”supporting themselves”.  If they are then I wish them well, if they’re trustfund kids, or kids that mom and dad just won’t let fail then who cares.

• Anonymous

  Why don’t you people do a search (container homes ) on these homes to what they look like an you will change your mind .

• Anonymous

  They are on line, ewr, answering people questions here.
   
  That might address a thinking persons perspective relative to what their personal choices are and what they feel is the proper use of technology, and so their own carbon foot print .

  If any of what you say really is anything  than more extreme ‘extolling of primitivism”,
   of more a pure form, on your part, I’ve missed it, so far.
   
  Could you please explain to us how you are living out the more proper values that you are  extrolling here ?  

  The only thing these young people they have done wrong is being nice to that reporter,
  and not turning the dogs on her, before she introduced them to all of their neighbors
  … expecially, the ones that they would rather not know.  

• Anonymous

   Now see, the average individual thinks of Adam west as he appears on family guy. Not a particularly bright man. certainly capaple of painting all of one party as the same but offended if some id does the same to him..

• oldgrump

  It could be considered a form of “modular living”.  As you require more space, children, mother-in-law (gack), whatever, you purchase another container and fit it out.  The only limit would be the actual size of the room itself by the container size.  But then, you wouldn’t have one child whining that the other one had a bigger bed room.

• Anonymous

  I have to say that not all people from “away” are completely ignorant.  Most just think they have to teach us how to live.  $8.00 hour?  hey try to find an entry level postition in most areas for much more than that up here in N. Maine.  “They” (outsiders) sell their homes and cash in their 401k and walk away with a great deal of money and that is fine, they earned it where they were.  They come up here to Maine-north or south,  east or west and buy an exceptional home for less than they thought possible and then complain that no one pays anything to work.  That’s why you pay less for real estate-less overhead, but wait ’til they pull up to the gas tanks or call for a delivery of fuel oil.  Oh, and if you pick an area where the Canadian trade is steady, you will pay more for everything  else, as well.  So, hike up your “big girl/boy pants and get ready to live the “dream”.  Just don’t ask us to listen to you whine about the prices, the wages or opportunities-we live here, many of us pay our own way and “make do” with what we have.  Welcome to Maine.
  That’s all I have to say about that…….LOL

• Anonymous

  “40 foot high”.     

  Don’t you mean 40 foot wide ?
  A 36 inch high door is possible, but they gotta live theah, and use it, too. 

  But who’s perfect  ?    ; )

  BTW, speaking of which, where IS  the spell check button on Discus, anyhow ?

• Anonymous

   Who paid for the land? His work history wasn’t discussed and an art major in her twenties doesn’t make much.

• Anonymous

  Looking for a crash, Moose ?

• Anonymous

   How much did the land cost??

• Anonymous

  being free

• Anonymous

   How they pruchased the land has everything to do with it. If mom and dad paid for it then they haven’t done anything for themselves other then vacation in Maine in the SUMMERTIME. If they paid for it themselves, they have some credibility.

• Anonymous

  For a very long time , on these boards, I have been reading, mostly from conservatives, how people should be self-sufficient. These people apparently have done or at least are trying to do that. However I see some of the same names who have become associated with the tea party brand of republicans hurling negative insults and innuendos at these two people for doing exactly what they claim everyone should do. Talk about a  double standard. Good luck in your endeavor Jen and Trevor. Pay no attention to the nay-sayers. 

• Jenny Bean

  WOW just wow. Your arrogance is disgusting. There I said it.

• Anonymous

  How can one explain to that nice tourist lady that those old characters she thinks are being so quaint are making fun her to her face, Shadow, or how shocked she’d be if  she understood what they really have said, like you could  ?   

  But some people are like that everywhere.

• http://www.facebook.com/people/Claude-Malone/1282306206 Claude Malone

  stupid

• Anonymous

  Don’t worry, ithey won’t be doing it long enough for anything to rot

• Anonymous

  How in the world do you know what kind of people they are?

• Anonymous

  Your “physical world” in fact mimics the natural world to a tee. Of course no one is independent but buying solar panels and growing your own food, cutting your own fire wood, living simply allows one to slowly move away from from dependence on the banks, CMP and Shop and Save and big oil. Maybe it will take them 20 years but it is possible to get say 90% – whats wrong with that?  People do what they can,….. where some like yourself perhaps give up without trying because it can’t be perfect at 100%.

• Jenny Bean

  WHOA hold up. Not that it is anyone’s business but our own but for the record we have had nothing handed to us (CERTAINLY NOT TRUSTFUND KIDS!) and have worked multiple jobs throughout the years to obtain what we wanted and sacrificed more than most ever would.  Keep paying your mortgages & electric bills and we’ll continue NOT to. To each their own. Down talk our project til you’re blue in the face it means nothing to us.

• Anonymous

  Welcome to Maine!

• Anonymous

  Welcome to Maine!

• Anonymous

  Welcome to Maine!

• Anonymous

  Welcome to Maine!

• Jenny Bean

  Thanks for the support and yes the containers are extremely tight. Its not hard to heat up 320 sq. ft. , we used R-13 insulation, and boy it gets toasty in here! :)

• Jenny Bean

  Thanks for the support and yes the containers are extremely tight. Its not hard to heat up 320 sq. ft. , we used R-13 insulation, and boy it gets toasty in here! :)

• Jenny Bean

  Thanks for the support and yes the containers are extremely tight. Its not hard to heat up 320 sq. ft. , we used R-13 insulation, and boy it gets toasty in here! :)

• Jenny Bean

  Yes, Trevor is from Maine originally. We have friends and family from here as well. 

• Anonymous

  I remember attending COA when it was a new business and a big hope, the latest thing,  for  Hancock County’s development hopes.

  Renting the kind of places only a waitress would rent in season, all year round,
  was a big business boom for some people, then.

  I wonder what the COA  operation contributes in cash into the local economy, every year, now ?

  How odd is it that the Open for Business LePage supporters sorts are so very business friendly  to the things that Maine really does attrach , J. ?

  Then they claim liberals are to blame because some people don’t think Maine is business friendly.  

  So is there any other NEW business, Downeast, to discuss, YET ?

• Jenny Bean

  We bought the land with 5 years of savings & wise investments.  If we were 20 years older would people still think it was because of mom & dad? C’mon already drop the ‘trustfund kids’ thing, I wish it were that easy! People can turn around and say whatever it is that YOU own was simply given to you – how would you feel about that?

  We have received countless emails and wonderful responses on here. So we appreciate the positivity, we are putting our story out there and showing the world what works and has been working for us. It may not be for everybody but it can be an option for a lot of people. We aren’t the first or the last people to live in containers. The first
  container house was in the 1950′s in Puerto Rico, and its an idea that
  has spread throughout the globe ever since. It makes for a strong,
  secure affordable home. Actually there is a very large container home in Brooklin, Maine.

  Maybe their parents bought it for them too…?

• Jenny Bean

  jj – this is a nickname but glad it fits in. ;-)

• Jenny Bean

  Hi Pat, yes our last two winters were very icy in Pennsylvania and we had a few large snowfalls as well but the ice really packed everything in. Where our containers sat for those 2 Winters were 1/4mile from the road in a field. We had to walk that to get to my car parked on the roadside. It was pretty rough and we managed. Thankfully inside the containers themselves it was wonderfully comfortable even during those horrific ice storms.  We have 2 propane heaters that work super efficiently. Some nights we just left it on the pilot flame. It really cooked in there!

  We’re easing off the propane and we’re excited to build a wood stove this Summer – we have miles of downed trees left over from the previous owners (logging company).  We’re quite lucky to have such an abundance of firewood. Thanks again for the comment.

• Jenny Bean

  Are you assuming we are welfare recipients? Or condone mooching off the system? Quite the opposite we built our own home and are building a homestead to provide for ourselves. A healthier lifestyle promotes good health – and not one cavity. K, thanks.

  And yes, life IS great and wonderful! Yours isn’t?

  Take care & good luck.

• Jenny Bean

  CONSERVOMATIC, wow..For your knowledge we pay taxes. So take that elsewhere, k thanks. Do you pay taxes? Maybe we should accuse you of being a tax evader…?

  We are working alongside neighbors and friends who want to host sustainable homesteading workshops. And yes it will eventually be a non-profit. Whats wrong with that!?  We are sharing our container story as many other container enthusiasts have in the past, both in America and across the globe. BDN covered a container story just this past February. And we don’t make any money off our blog and yes we want to promote container homes and our project. Also last I checked there are multiple channels you pay for on your cable bill that are solely dedicated to homes & home design. Its an interesting topic, and makes for a great article. If you don’t like it why are you still trolling this comment thread?

  I hope you find some happiness in your life and don’t try to bring other people down to get your jollies. It’s really immature and just so you know – it doesn’t work.

  Good luck & good-bye.

• Jenny Bean

  We bought our land. Who bought yours?

  You have NO IDEA what money we have or investments we’ve made.  You have NO IDEA what work we have done or what we’ve accomplished in our past. And you will never know. And by the way WHAT DO YOU CARE?

• Jenny Bean

  We bought our land. Who bought yours?

  You have NO IDEA what money we have or investments we’ve made.  You have NO IDEA what work we have done or what we’ve accomplished in our past. And you will never know. And by the way WHAT DO YOU CARE?

• Jenny Bean

  ninety-nine cents. they were having a sale.

• Jenny Bean

  Where in the blog do we say we are relying on a lot of different people? Trevor & I with the help of his father built our home. Our house is super efficient and not at all primitive. And it is ideal for us.  We picked Ellsworth because we fell in love with this property and the welcoming community in Ellsworth.  It has been a wonderful experience and we continue to thrive each day. And yes, is is quite sustainable.

• Jenny Bean

  Where in the blog do we say we are relying on a lot of different people? Trevor & I with the help of his father built our home. Our house is super efficient and not at all primitive. And it is ideal for us.  We picked Ellsworth because we fell in love with this property and the welcoming community in Ellsworth.  It has been a wonderful experience and we continue to thrive each day. And yes, is is quite sustainable.

• Anonymous

  Jenny hun ignore the negative comments. It is one of the reasons I have fallen out of love with humanity. Every one is entitled to their opinion but having some courtesy has fallen by the wayside. No one is immune to falling on hardship and choosing a more simple lifestyle isn’t a guarantee. In fact, the people are who used to spending more and living beyond on their means will fall harder if it happens.
  PEOPLE seriously!! Give these guys a break. One is NOT defined by the home they live in, get over yourselves. You might want to be careful about how freely you knock someone down, karma has a funny way of coming around and biting you in the butt.

• PaulNotBunyan

  It was one of those nice 36 inch wide Stanley doors with windows. I think they would need some strong hinges if it was 36 feet wide. The 40 tall container was just a standard 40 foot long one.

  With disqus you use the spell checking that your web browser provides. I’m using firefox on ubuntu linux. I only use the IE/win7 combination when I have to so I have no idea how spell checking works on IE these days.

• Jenny Bean

  Thank you for the kind words booster. We are not at all demotivated by the nay-sayers, despite their efforts. Some even calling us tax evading squatters. lol You are absolutely right, many people don’t understand. Thanks again for the support and yes Dwight is a wonderful code officer. We spent a good hour in his office just chatting and have been in touch ever since last July. He came out to see us the day we arrived in Maine. :)

• Anonymous

   You need to grasp that if you crave attention, both negative and positive come along with it. You chose to monitor this board well,  i’m a skeptic. The fact that your so defensive leads me to believe that your not as altruistic as you would have others believe.

• Anonymous

   You need to grasp that if you crave attention, both negative and positive come along with it. You chose to monitor this board well,  i’m a skeptic. The fact that your so defensive leads me to believe that your not as altruistic as you would have others believe.

• Anonymous

  My apologies then, just seemed that way with some of your recent post about some articles ive been reading. I just see no reason why people are so negative against these people that are trying to survive themselves instead of leaching off the system. And if you really said that about the trooper paying for moose car collision that would be about the most ludicrous thing i have ever heard.

• Anonymous

  My apologies then, just seemed that way with some of your recent post about some articles ive been reading. I just see no reason why people are so negative against these people that are trying to survive themselves instead of leaching off the system. And if you really said that about the trooper paying for moose car collision that would be about the most ludicrous thing i have ever heard.

• Anonymous

  My apologies then, just seemed that way with some of your recent post about some articles ive been reading. I just see no reason why people are so negative against these people that are trying to survive themselves instead of leaching off the system. And if you really said that about the trooper paying for moose car collision that would be about the most ludicrous thing i have ever heard.

• Tyke

   It’s just the 5 minute hate.

• Anonymous

  From reading the likes of you, southern Kentuckians sound far more interesting, balanced, and welcoming–and that’s something I never thought I would say.  Congratulations for making the grade as the most sanctimonious and closed minded bitter nincompoops ever heard from.  Hilarious.  Indeed, why don’t the lot of you proud malevolent ‘Mainers pile on to a sinking ship…

• Tyke

   You need to grasp that not everything is your business.

• Anonymous

  Keep mounting the inquisition, McCarthyite.  Hilarious.  Will you be up sniffing their bottoms next?

• Anonymous

  Keep mounting the inquisition, McCarthyite.  Hilarious.  Will you be up sniffing their bottoms next?

• Anonymous

  Do return to taking the meds when you have the chance.

• http://twitter.com/z_gryphon Ben Hutchins

  Don’t take my word for it: http://bangordailynews.com/2011/06/17/news/aroostook-county-state-trooper-has-a-second-run-in-with-moose/#comment-228864504

• Anonymous

  http://michellemalkin.com/2011/06/17/bush-miss-me-yet-dennis-kucinich-yes/

• Anonymous

  I knew i was right about that guy!!!(being a troll) I will say one more time good luck to you guys. At least your keeping your minds free. Not all of us here in maine are like conservomatic so i say welcome to maine the way life should be!!!

• Anonymous

  Obama is impeachment proof.
  When all of Congress allowed an illegal usurper of the presidency to become the putative president every member of Congress involved themselves in the biggest scam/fraud in history.
  Obama’s impeachment, no matter the stated reason, would place all those members of Congress one step closer to, as a minimum, being charged with “misprision of treason” punishable by fines and jail time. Some members of Congress would face much more serious charges…and Obama knows who they are.
  There will NEVER be an impeachment of Obama. no matter what, because Congress will not allow it…to protect their own butts.
  Don’t believe me? Wait and see, the reasons for impeachment will continue to pile up…and nothing will happen….and, which party is in control of Congress will not change the “impeachment proof” status of Barry.

• Anonymous

  Well done good and faithful ones.  I think you’ll find the winters are far more civil and forgiving than the idiots!!

  Cheers~~

• Anonymous

  good answer.  hilarious that commonsense is such a snoop.

• Anonymous

  Gee….you are awful critical to these two young adults and yet you can not spell? 

• Tyke

  Just another  5 minute hate.

• Anonymous

  From one Beagle lover (Jack, aka Jackie….or just Jack—!  to another <3

• Anonymous

  Duh.

• Anonymous

  “but wait ’til they pull up to the gas tanks or call for a delivery of fuel oil”. …..Guess what ?????? In case YOU didnt realize …. because you are so busy trying to belittle everyone, I get gas for my car all the time, and although I heated my last home with Oil, I heat my home today with wood!   So …. I’m thinking your thinking that everyone is stupid except YOU!

• Anonymous

  “but wait ’til they pull up to the gas tanks or call for a delivery of fuel oil”. …..Guess what ?????? In case YOU didnt realize …. because you are so busy trying to belittle everyone, I get gas for my car all the time, and although I heated my last home with Oil, I heat my home today with wood!   So …. I’m thinking your thinking that everyone is stupid except YOU!

• Anonymous

  That’s bit of a rude question.
  But fine you’re free to be rude. 

  I’m  free too.   

  So who posted your bail ?

• Anonymous

  I actually have re read your post and I am thinking now from how you come off, that you are the unhappy “Mainer” and that you wish and want out.  Sounds like your stuck.

• Jenny Bean

  pulp, that comment was half represented.  We said that a friend asked us “What are you going to do with all that raw space?” and we responded “Much can be done, its full of natural resources.”

• Jenny Bean

  well said treehugger9.  :)

• Jenny Bean

  thanks tyke. :)

• Anonymous

  Go Jenny !

• Jenny Bean

  we built a real house. thanks.

• Jenny Bean

  we built a real house. thanks.

• Anonymous

  Yeah.
  That keeps you from walking out on house that’s uuderwater.
   
  I read something recently that just keeps making more and more sense to me the more I think about it;

  Morality is doing what you feel is the right thing to do. 
  Regilion is doing what others tell you you should do.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_J6K3V46PWCCQGEH2TM2BDHQB74 GetYourSoxOn

  Jenny,

  The first read of the article didn’t include the fact that you own the land.  That information is now included in the first paragraph.  I think the author revised that bit (or rather, included that bit) later in order to remove some of the ambiguity.

  These articles get revised as time goes on and I’ve noticed that sometimes the comments below have lead to a revision or correction.  That makes some comments (like part of mine, in this case) look out of context.

  Then again, I may have mis-read it the first time.  

  Good luck, I hope to read more as time goes on.

• Anonymous

  hhhmmmm why the name change there SusieQ?

• Anonymous

  Thanks Paul, but I’m a victim of IE,
  so if anyone know how to spell check here on IE, please do tell me …

• Anonymous

  You tell them Jenny, some commenters on here are just mean and nasty.  Keep up the great work 

• http://www.facebook.com/people/Erin-Barnes/635137004 Erin Barnes

  Love this! I’ve been looking at this idea for awhile now and it’s not the only one in Maine. Check this out! http://connect.in.com/shipping-container-homes/photos-12-container-house-maine-usa-adam-kalkin-1-3a6a8f1b9ad6f12c.html

• Gretchen Heldmann

  she’s wearing the same dress I wore to my wedding! cool story, I totally appreciate the concept.

• PaulNotBunyan

  You can run firefox on windows. You can even run firefox and IE at the same time.

  http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

• PaulNotBunyan

  You can run firefox on windows. You can even run firefox and IE at the same time.

  http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

• Anonymous

  They’re so thrifty, she’s even wearing the tablecloth!

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_YL2PUFQKBNLFOTJ2N2UCOA4USM Kab B

  I aplaud her and Trevor bc I know my bf and I could never go to the extent they have. And we pay for it dearly when the bills come in, and we pay money in rent that goes no where but in someone elses pocket.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_YL2PUFQKBNLFOTJ2N2UCOA4USM Kab B

  Commonsenseaintsocommon…..maybe you should take advice from your own screen name. Maybe you are just jealous bc you could not see yourself giving up simple pleasures and living off your credit cards.
  I have known Jen and her siblings for over half my life. Her parents obviously instilled in their children good values and morals and must have a secret for raising some great kids.
  I aplaud her and Trevor bc I know my bf and I could never go to the extent they have. And we pay for it dearly when the bills come in, and we pay money in rent that goes no where but in someone elses pocket.

• Anonymous

  don’t be such an ass

• Anonymous

  don’t let a few backwards hicks like conservomatic ruin your impression of the rest of us

• Anonymous

  don’t let a few backwards hicks like conservomatic ruin your impression of the rest of us

• Anonymous

  some people are just jealous

• Anonymous

  some people are just jealous

• Anonymous

  why are some Mainer’s so arrogant?  Maine isn’t the only place that gets cold.

• Anonymous

  yeah,  Maine is the only place that gets cold! Mainer’s are so bad ass!

• Anonymous

  if mom and dad paid for it you would just be jealous. 

• Anonymous

  they are just jealous

• Anonymous

  they are just jealous

• Anonymous

  mind your own business,  just because you spend all your money on Allen’s Coffe brandy doesn’t mean other people don’t know how to save their money

• Anonymous

  mind your own business,  just because you spend all your money on Allen’s Coffe brandy doesn’t mean other people don’t know how to save their money

• Anonymous

  mind your own business,  just because you spend all your money on Allen’s Coffe brandy doesn’t mean other people don’t know how to save their money

• Anonymous

  mind your own business,  just because you spend all your money on Allen’s Coffe brandy doesn’t mean other people don’t know how to save their money

• Anonymous

  have you ever been in Pennsylvania for the winter?  Along the coast in Maine winters can be pretty mild compared to what they may have experienced.  Why do some Mainer’s have such a superiority complex when it comes to winter?

• Anonymous

  probably less than you have spent on Allen’s Coffee Brandy over your sorry lifetime

• Anonymous

  now see,  the average fox news viewer is misinformed…….i’ve never watched family guy….

• Anonymous

  ha ha ha,  “nouveau riche” in Ellsworth?  I guess you consider anyone that doesn’t live in a house with wheels or pay for their food with foodstamps “nouveau riche”.  Ellsworth is not an overly affluent town.

• Anonymous

  In a sense I get somewhat… wound up when I see things like this. These situations are published as a template that people can follow. I know very few people with the capability of saving up enough money to buy anything, especially with children, in the state of Maine. More and more people are going on welfare and dependant on state and federal dollars to get by. This template is something that is non-sustainable, you do not see Maine people doing this, it is people from other places where the money flows differently. That is, if it lasts.

  In another sense I like to see things like this because there is a focus on alternatives, people may start to understand the capabilities of alternative energy, and how it can be very inconvenient compared to oil. The future will be tough, and people will be living like this man and woman even in cities. People will need to understand the limitations of solar and wind power, and how life using these things is much different than just being on the grid and taking a shower or reading a book whenever you want. The footprint of your household versus your the population of your household should be another thing that people start taking seriously as well. Especially in Maine.

  The Bangor Daily News can best serve the public by running a follow up piece in a year on these two, with analysis of income of the household versus savings in cost due to energy based on alternative energy and footprint of the household.

  The best thing some one could do as far as energy is concerned is burn wood. By cutting/ordering wood locally from Maine, you keep money in the state of Maine for energy instead of going out of state or out of the country. If this couple has cash to spend a heat pump for the spring and fall months can be a great asset as well.

• Anonymous

  In a sense I get somewhat… wound up when I see things like this. These situations are published as a template that people can follow. I know very few people with the capability of saving up enough money to buy anything, especially with children, in the state of Maine. More and more people are going on welfare and dependant on state and federal dollars to get by. This template is something that is non-sustainable, you do not see Maine people doing this, it is people from other places where the money flows differently. That is, if it lasts.

  In another sense I like to see things like this because there is a focus on alternatives, people may start to understand the capabilities of alternative energy, and how it can be very inconvenient compared to oil. The future will be tough, and people will be living like this man and woman even in cities. People will need to understand the limitations of solar and wind power, and how life using these things is much different than just being on the grid and taking a shower or reading a book whenever you want. The footprint of your household versus your the population of your household should be another thing that people start taking seriously as well. Especially in Maine.

  The Bangor Daily News can best serve the public by running a follow up piece in a year on these two, with analysis of income of the household versus savings in cost due to energy based on alternative energy and footprint of the household.

  The best thing some one could do as far as energy is concerned is burn wood. By cutting/ordering wood locally from Maine, you keep money in the state of Maine for energy instead of going out of state or out of the country. If this couple has cash to spend a heat pump for the spring and fall months can be a great asset as well.

• Anonymous

  Jenny,

  You can’t worry about what people think in this state. There are people who are kind hearted and do not hate the so called “outsiders”. There is a lack of intelligence and alot of distrust for their fellow Mainers and forget about the rest of us from other states originally. It is as if you came from another country. Very weird. It is a “chilly” state.

  Good luck to both of you.

  I think it is cool when people do their own thing and not follow what others think you should do with YOUR life.

  I will be getting some hate mail from this.

• Anonymous

  I think she was trying to encourage them.

  I would assume that they are very nice people and not the opposite.

  Don’t be stupid.

• Anonymous

  I think she was trying to encourage them.

  I would assume that they are very nice people and not the opposite.

  Don’t be stupid.

• Anonymous

  The physical world does not mimick the natural world; it is the natural world.  The notion of “web of life” that you interjected is non-responsive and irrelevant to any justification for a way of life.  It is typically extolled as part of viro nature-worship.  The “Web of Life” has nothing to do with independence in human life.  People can in fact be independent in their thought and action.  But no one can claim to be “independent” of the economic and social system who relies heavily on expensive high technology, manufactured in that system — they can go “off the grid”, but not off the much larger “grid”.

  Nor is there any good reason to try.  Expertise in specialization and trade for what else you need is a benefit of modern society, not something to be avoided, no matter how “simple” you want your life to be.  There is nothing virtuous about a goal of reducing your life to back-breaking labor avoiding “oil” and grocery stores as a matter of principle while restricting trade to the equivalent of primitive barter.  That is not “idealistic”.  It might be an interesting adventure for a few years, but not a way of life.  And a claim to be living such a “simple” life independent of the economic system while relying on its technology in very inefficient and impractical ways in order to be “minimalist” is contradictory.

  If someone wants to live a life outside of a corporate rat race, and likes having his own power source and garden, there is nothing wrong with that as a personal choice if he has some productive purpose, can afford it now and for the future, and accepts the fact that he should and in fact does rely on modern industrial society.  Otherwise it’s simply backbreaking stagnation for no good purpose in one’s own life.  

  These people can make and are making the choice they want for their own personal lives, but should not expect not to be criticized for PR campaigns for a non-profit corporation and a social message claiming that a minimalist life with the imagery of the Nearings is superior.  It is not.  And it is not, contrary to their claims, “what the future is like”, nor should it be.  Nor can it be: if the industrial economy is abandoned, there won’t be solar panels, trucks, or most of the other things they rely on.  There would be a “minimalist” life all right — but the way it was thousands of years ago.
   

• Anonymous

  The sentences in this post are largely unintelligible.

  I don’t issue press releases about my personal goals and life.

  The issue here is not what they do personally but the their promotion of minimalism as some kind of ideal and the contradictions in what they are counting on.
   

• Anonymous

  The Beans of Eygpt Maine is a book about poor ignorant Maine born people that don’t know any better aka so called trailer trash.

  I purchased my copy on ebay.

• Anonymous

   You indicated that there are several family members involved.

  The description of a “house” based on two 160 sq ft shipping cartons, powered by solar panels barely able to support a 75 watt light bulb and a human powered generator that takes the equivalent of a 25 mile bicycle ride to run a light bulb for a few hours is primitive.  (Presumably your running water includes a city approved septic system.)

  Ellsworth is a nice town and it is easy to see why you fell in love with the property.  We love ours farther downeast, too.  It has taken many years gradually building the house (while fighting off pressure groups trying to take over our property for preservationism) and I can appreciate struggling to gradually build a house from small beginnings in a rural area away from the typical “subdivisions”, but your message of the permanently minimalist life style you describe as the wave of the future for society is not idealistic and is not possible.

• Anonymous

   This isn’t about their pursuit of happiness, which they have every right to.  The disagreement is over what they are publicly promoting as an alleged ideal they claim “this is what the future looks like”.

• Anonymous

  I bet these containers are much more efficient then most Mainer’s  homes by a long shot. Skulls are on the way out friend. By the way winter in Maine is small potatoes compared to wintering above 9000ft above sea level in Colorado. 

• Anonymous

  This generation is trying to deal with the mess that unsustainable consumerism has left us in. 

• AionNV

  Boring, trite, irrelevant.

• AionNV

  Your denial of the current housing crisis is a sad farce.

• Anonymous

  This gives me hope for Maine. I personally can never move back to Maine. I hope the negative natives are watching, and learn that the stress from their hate will only bring them more sickness in their bodies and their communities. Whether Jenny and Trevor’s plan works perfectly or not is of little consequence. What is important are their positivity, and their ideas on how to turn around this unsustainable consumer engorged country we ALL live in. People can learn nothing from the like minded. We can only learn from those with different views. These negative Mainers are not as independent as they think. They are slaves to their fear. Their sense of self is so entangled in this fear that they do not see “good” for good. They only see themselves, and envy those without want or need.    

  Peace to you all and buena suerte to Jenny and Trevor!

• Anonymous

  I have been getting a kick out of the people carrying on about how hard Maine winters are. Like anything “hard” has only the value you give it. Not to be negative, but living at nine thousand feet above sea level in Colorado makes Maine winter seem quite tame.  8)

• Anonymous

  I agree,I do that every morning before my real job,All I can say is hoorey more out of staters coming to Maine to live the good life.

• Anonymous

  Don’t get discouraged because you’ll find out that most of the people here in Maine will be much more supportive .  Some Conservatives don’t know how to deal with people unlike themselves and are just rotten by nature. 

• Anonymous

  With all the negative  comments  dose that go for the snow birds that go south in there travel trailers an there motor homes too  ??  Than there are people that live in there travel trailers an motor homes year round too .  My brother an his wife lives  in a motor home in AZ. year round an love  it . Do a search for container homes an see what you come up with an you will change you mind. I believe there’s one collage that’s made dorms out of them too . People these days buy stuff that they don’t need or its for a one time use  or they did not like what they bought so they just throw it in the corner.

• Moose

  I do not care if they use a blue trap from Marden’s…Also thanks for checking out the spelling  BDN  is that your job.  

• Anonymous

  Watch out for ticks

• Anonymous

  Good luck with the lifestyle. To each his own. It may be nice
  for some but not for others. Someone wants to do it, go for it.
  Me? I would much rather live very comfortably with little work
  involved. I worked too hard and long not enjoy what I earned.
  I wish them well.

• Anonymous

  Good luck you two.
   I would love to have you as my neighbors and I am a conservative !!!!

• Anonymous

  you’re right ewv ‘your physical’ world of global capitalism does not mimic the natural world which is why it’s doomed to fail and probably take the natural world down with it. Nature bats last and no systems, like your technology, can live without the resources provided by the natural world.

  Living within the rules of the natural world and not adding to the destruction of the planet is a goal in itself worthy of a real life. Your food, your air, your power are all provided in the end by the natural world – be it oil gas coal wind nuclear or solar, it’s just that some technologies like coal or oil are destructive and non renewable. Anyone who understands the way nature works know that nothing is wasted but recycled back into the whole process. Continued expansion and growth which capitalism promotes eventually collapses – witness the housing market of the past ten years.  Anyone with half a brain could see that coming and those who want to avoid piling up debt for instant gratification of a McHome and granite counter tops seem rather smart to me. 

• Anonymous

  Well Jenn and Trevor ~ you certainly have stirred the pot.  It just goes to show everyone that if you think and make your words come to fruition ~ that anything is possible!  You have shown us all that.  The other thing you have done to to have the human show their true color.  GREEN!  A wonderful, happy, positive story about a young couple moving forward in their lives, has brought out all the envious, green, jealous, negative, callous, “I should have done that”, “I wish we could do that”, insecure adults, who probably hate their own lives, so they must make someone else feel low and bad, to actually make themselves look and feel better.  They all get up and go to their jobs that they hate, go home to their lives that they wish were different, and complain all day about it.  It is the young blood of today that will change the future.  Just think all you “wishers” that sit back and complain about your life, if no one EVER invented the “travel trailer” or the “pup tent” or the “cabin” to just stay in while you go hunting we would have nothing to “escape” our lives, and go somewhere peaceful for the weekend. 

  Proud of you as you both are intelligent and strong enough mentally and physically to change your life for the better. 

• Anonymous

  Interesting, I’m an extremely conservative, but this is actually pretty cool. I guess it’s no different than living in an RV, or a tent with electricity, plumbing, and cable. Nice pad you got down there.

• Anonymous

  This is awesome! You picked a great community as well and it’s accessible to Ellsworth, Bangor and Bucksport. Nice planning! Give me another 5 years in southern Maine and I might be interested in joining your village.

• Buzlno

  Family Guy isn’t aired on Fox News.   Different channel from a local Fox affiliate. 

• Anonymous

  “Don’t believe me? Wait and see, the reasons for impeachment will continue to pile up…and nothing will happen….and, which party is in control of Congress will not change the “impeachment proof” status of Bush and Cheney”.
  Fixed it for ya…….

• 525_44

  I remember people doing the same back in the 70′s. They came up here with lot’s of money and bought large [cheap!] parcels of land and built Geo Dome houses out of a lot of  different materials. I remember one built with plastic, that didn’t last long.
  One place I knew of had a sod roof which eventually became so heavy it fell down into the ‘living’ room.

  Most of those people eventually built stick built homes or moved on.
  Hopefully they can afford the taxes and don’t chop up the land into building lots.
  Clear it, plow it, plant it -good luck.

• Anonymous

  Congrats guys on getting started on your dream. People don’t understand doing things for yourself  is gradifying, if it takes 2 hours to make something that you could buy with an hours wage at a job you don’t like, its worth every minute…

• Anonymous

  You dolt. It isn’t BDN’s responsibility – it’s yours….

• Anonymous

  This is all quite clever indeed.  However, the headline in various parts of the World will be “Americans Living in Trash Containers”.  Believe it!

• Anonymous

  This is all quite clever indeed.  However, the headline in various parts of the World will be “Americans Living in Trash Containers”.  Believe it!

• Anonymous

  This is all quite clever indeed.  However, the headline in various parts of the World will be “Americans Living in Trash Containers”.  Believe it!

• Anonymous

  This is all quite clever indeed.  However, the headline in various parts of the World will be “Americans Living in Trash Containers”.  Believe it!

• Anonymous

  This is all quite clever indeed.  However, the headline in various parts of the World will be “Americans Living in Trash Containers”.  Believe it!

• Anonymous

  This is all quite clever indeed.  However, the headline in various parts of the World will be “Americans Living in Trash Containers”.  Believe it!

• Anonymous

  This is all quite clever indeed.  However, the headline in various parts of the World will be “Americans Living in Trash Containers”.  Believe it!

• Buzlno

  You won’t get hate from me.  I think that your comment is quite accurate, unfortunately.

• Harry H Snyder III

  I lived in the back of a trailer truck for a Montana winter after a drunk cowboy burned down my line shack.  A shipping container would be a step up from that….unless they used it for shipping live cows.

• Anonymous

  Ellsworth is Southern Maine?  Must have moved it!

• Anonymous

   I don’t drink, nor do I do drugs. I identified a long time ago that an expensive bottle of vodka or a cheap bottle both taste like something out of my medicine cabinet but some people are impressed by labels, pricetags and marketing. That a cheap bottle of beer and a more expensive bottle both taste horrible but again, labels, pricetags and marketing,and  let’s not forget superficial need to impress. Lemme guess, your coffee brandy must cost at least twice as much as Allens right?

• Anonymous

   I’ve asked a rude question? Why don’t you peruse some of your past comments. Your not particularly civil.  But as always with your ilk, if it’s you, it’s okay, as long as you agree with them, it’s fine.

• Anonymous

  Do a search on container home an see what you come up with

• Anonymous

  You have no idea what you are talking about.

• Anonymous

  My point is this. If they paid for everything themselves, i’m impressed. If not, then they are just another example of younger generations “finding themselves” at someone else’s expense. Unlike some other posters i’m fine with whatever tools they use, solar panels and the like. All that matters is where the financing came from.

• Anonymous

   I’ll re-iterate. If they have finaced this venture themselves, i’m impressed and wish them well. If they didn’t pay for this adventure,then why should anyone be impressed?

• Anonymous

  The picture showing the inside as very nice…..
  Very comphy!!!!
  Better than a lot of  houses in Maine……
  I bet it is better than the houses that a lot of these posters here have that spew such negative comments about these two..

• Bangorme

  This isn’t a new idea.  I saw a show where someone had bought a house and discovered it was built around a railroad car body.  I guess many years ago the railroad sold a bunch of excess railroad cars and people moved them onto lots and started to live in them.  Over time they added on until you couldn’t tell that the original structure was what it was.

  I’d live in one if I had to.  As long as they can do it without welfare of some sort they have my admiration.

• Anonymous

  LMAO…..capitalism is what allowed these folks to purchase a piece of PRIVATE property on which to live and sustain themselves there genius

• Anonymous

  This article really has me thinking.  In the recent weeks, there have been so many negative stories and comments flooding to and from the BDN; it’s wonderful to read something positive.  Some of the comments have been insulting and rude, but I guess it just goes to show that there is always someone looking to drag people down.  Jen and Trevor’s lifestyle and habits don’t have anything to do with anyone but themselves, so judging them based on this article is really pathetic.  Cheers to both of you for doing something positive and sharing your story with us.

• Anonymous

  I drink local beer. And Gin. No coffee brandy for me.

  If you think all beers taste horrible then you haven’t had the right ones.

• Harry H Snyder III

  I don’t see these people as being “dragged down” The majority (almost 2 to one) responded to the poll (as of 10 AM) that they would live in a container.  That sounds like support to me. 

  Personally I’d live anywhere where I could stay dry and warm through the winter.  I have (in the past) slept in places which make this box look like a palace.

• Anonymous

  Some folks just troll around the BDN forum and make rude statements the same way some folks commit vandalism.  

  Responding is like giving a puppy negative attention, they don’t care they just want attention of any type.Good luck to you

• Anonymous

  You are so hung up on the $$$$ train !!! ???? Why?  I think it is because you never had anyone to help you  through life whether it was money, parental support, family support, and when you post your “deep thoughts” you are really screaming to us that you never had it and still don’t and are very envious of someone who obviously HAD/HAS parental support/family and friend support.  Look past your own delusions about money, and realize there are smart talented YOUNG / old people out there.  and ps….its none of your business, or mine or anyone elses.  I had a wonderful set of parents, and family support and never ever asked them for a dime and everything we have now is from our back hurting and our blistered hands.  It does happen you know, not all families hand out cash to their family members.  It is obvious these two young adults are very intelligent and talented, with a great support system in hand.  GREEN is the color of money and envy !

• Anonymous

  By geeze, I’m hurt.
  He does not think I’m as civil as I should be because I go to his level.

  ROTFLOL.

• Anonymous

  By geeze, I’m hurt.
  He does not think I’m as civil as I should be because I go to his level.

  ROTFLOL.

• Anonymous

  Welcome to Maine! I wish you the very best. Enjoy your lives and Gods Blessings on you both.

• Anonymous

  Welcome to Maine! I wish you the very best. Enjoy your lives and Gods Blessings on you both.

• Anonymous

  Why does it matter? It really is none of your concern or your business how they paid for their land and home. Since I’m pretty sure about 99% of conventional homeowners use bank financing, with currently a large amount of those having to walk away because they can not afford the payments. It seems these two saved up everything they had for years to be able to pay for all of this outright. if you looked at their blog you’d see all the hard work they put into this. but really, how do their lives affect you in anyway that you need to be so negative towards them? This is a nice story about a nice couple, if you can’t say something positive to them… don’t say anything.

  To Jenny and Trevor: I think what you are doing is great and I look forward to following your blog and seeing any updates.

• Anonymous

  Why does it matter? It really is none of your concern or your business how they paid for their land and home. Since I’m pretty sure about 99% of conventional homeowners use bank financing, with currently a large amount of those having to walk away because they can not afford the payments. It seems these two saved up everything they had for years to be able to pay for all of this outright. if you looked at their blog you’d see all the hard work they put into this. but really, how do their lives affect you in anyway that you need to be so negative towards them? This is a nice story about a nice couple, if you can’t say something positive to them… don’t say anything.

  To Jenny and Trevor: I think what you are doing is great and I look forward to following your blog and seeing any updates.

• http://www.facebook.com/MaineArtists Don Robertson

  Let’s see…. 62 acres, two homes, property-tax bill in Orland should be about $4500

  That’s off-the-grid!  LoL

  How’d ya get all the permits? What permits?  Oh-boy….  Good luck.

  Ditch the brown pumps, Jenny.  This is Maine.

• http://www.facebook.com/candace.hart.DC Candace Hart D C

  Looking good Trevor and Jen!  Nay-sayers gotta say nay, but regardless of what venom people have to spurt out on a public comments section, I personally think you guys have things very well-planned out.  Keep up the good work!

• PabMainer

  Agree…and at least the outsides aren’t wrapped in tar paper or the famous “blue tarps” commonly seen around several states recently visited!

• Anonymous

   Your assumption of me couldn’t be further from the truth.  I received to much help from my parents and it crippled me for a good portion of my life. That is why I am VERY aware that if mom and dad paid for something it’s value is diminished. I will say it one more time:

   If these kids paid for the land, did these things on their own, I am truly impressed. If not, big deal.

   There has been study after study showing that parents are enabling kids later and later into life. Allowing these kids to,”Find themselves” Now, if done properly it can be a good thing however, too often these children don’t appreciate this and use the time to enjoy a lazy hedonistic lifestyle or atrtempt to live an idealistic life funded by others.. This is why I am questioning funding and motivation. AGAIN, if they truly did pay for this all by themselves then GREAT JOB. I’m simply asking for a little more insight.  They know what their true motivation is. I don’t, and neither do you.

• Anonymous

   Your assumption of me couldn’t be further from the truth.  I received to much help from my parents and it crippled me for a good portion of my life. That is why I am VERY aware that if mom and dad paid for something it’s value is diminished. I will say it one more time:

   If these kids paid for the land, did these things on their own, I am truly impressed. If not, big deal.

   There has been study after study showing that parents are enabling kids later and later into life. Allowing these kids to,”Find themselves” Now, if done properly it can be a good thing however, too often these children don’t appreciate this and use the time to enjoy a lazy hedonistic lifestyle or atrtempt to live an idealistic life funded by others.. This is why I am questioning funding and motivation. AGAIN, if they truly did pay for this all by themselves then GREAT JOB. I’m simply asking for a little more insight.  They know what their true motivation is. I don’t, and neither do you.

• Anonymous

   Ahh yes Gin,  another alchohol that regardless of brand tastes just like something I bought at the pharmacy to treat a cut. MMMM, yummy stuff.

• Anonymous

  Congratulations you two! but a little word of advice from a true native, we have survived and thrived in Northern Maine for generations because of our neighbors looking out for one another (surprisingly,most people from away DO NOT get that) what one farm grows or produces can be bartered with another farm, EX. you raise chickens for eggs your neighbor produces milk, do not be so afraid to go ”buying everything from someone else” look around, work with your neighbors and comunity and you’ll find and abundance of good will. I assume that the “people you’ll be teaching” will be from away as we true natives of this great state have already figured out how to live off the land  and off the grid and will share the wealth of knowledge that already exists as well as complimenting the knowledge you two bring with your youth and enthusiasm, again Good Luck with your endevors and remember to insulate those pipes and keep your firewood dry!

• Anonymous

  Now that the legislature has passed the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code these structures will be illegal.  Thank’s Republicans.  That’s just what we sent you to Augusta for. [/sarcasm]

• Anonymous

  People have been owning land and living on it long before capitalism was ever “invented” as an economic system. Private property is a legal concept written in the laws in this country based on the US constitution and state laws which makes no mention of capitalism anywhere in the text. The idea of private property goes back to English law, the Magna Carta, etc etc.

  Some people inherit land, some barter for it, some give it away to others, other were given free land by the US government a 100 years ago. 

  You don’t understand what captalism is. 

• Anonymous

  I guess that this shows that capitalism is not completly evil, right?

• Anonymous

  When you consider an over anxious reporter who posted a story without regard to the consequences there of this past week. I think it’s way beyond time we hold these reporters accountable for their actions.  Especially when they likely cost Maine about 400 jobs.

• http://twitter.com/landryst landryst

  For the past 10,000 years the vast majority of people lived as peasants who did not own their property but were nonetheless bound to it.  Jennifer Sansosti and Trevor Seip have the freedom that has come to many with modernity to choose their own lifesyle.  At a superficial level this resembles the peasant lifeway, but with a major difference: unlike the peasant lifeways that predominated 300+ years ago, they are free to leave that lifeway when and if they choose.  As for their choice – it’s not the lifeway I would choose, but, hey, it’s a free country, and I applaud them for exercising their freedom to choose the lifestyle that they feel suits them and for serving as an example for all of us of the wide range of possible lifeways modern civilization supports.

• Kitchell

  I think this type of living suits this couple well, but its not for everyone. Some of these ideas are new and i applaud them for that, but some of them are old and outdated. I think if the larger population of ellsworth wanted to live in this manner they would have been doing it already.  I happen to like my home and neighborhood and shopping for groceries once a week and I don’t mind having a few utility bills. I’m happy and content living in a typical american neighborhood, and i wouldn’t push my lifestyle onto anyone else. Thats just me.

• Anonymous

  you must not have any functioning taste buds

  there is a huge difference between good and bad gin

• Anonymous

  I have begun to suspect that there people posting here that are not what they try to portray themselves as.  Some of the posters seem to be stereotypical to the point of ridiculousness.
   
  Could some here be trying to provoke others into being rude and nasty to each other?

• Anonymous

  Capitalism is the social system based on the rights and freedom of the individual, including the right of private property for everyone as a matter of principle.  Such a system of freedom necessarily requires that property by privately owned.  Without private property rights there are no rights possible.  Jenn and Travis are counting on that.

  America was the first country to be based systematically on individual rights, which led to unprecedented improvement in the standard of living.  Jenn and Travis are also counting on that for all the technology they are using and can return to it when they choose to abandon the impractical and inefficient uses they are experimenting with now.  Without it they would be locked into the true poverty that used to be the norm for everyone.

  The Constitution did not have to “mention capitalism”.  The term was not in common use then.  The Constitution was devised to protect the rights of the individual by limiting the power of government, in contrast to the left’s progressively accumulating government power at the expense of our rights.  Individual freedom under the Constitution made our prosperity possible.

  The government did not “give” land away 100 years ago; it allowed for the claiming of unowned land in an orderly manner.  That was stopped at the beginning of the Progressive era when the unowned land in a large portion of the country, primarily the west, was put under permanent, socialist control of the government.

  A system based on private property rights is in contrast to feudalism and the various forms of tribalism and collectivism, including viro eco-socialism.  If the viros succeed in replacing private property rights with their park and wilderness Greenline land use prohibitions, what Jenn and Travis are doing will not be possible.  Their experiment counts on their right to buy and own the land they wanted.

  And this brings up the hypocrisy of the left in drooling over “homesteading” for politically correct minimalist living on previously undeveloped woods while denouncing the rest of us for “sprawl”.

   

• Anonymous

  I agree, Typar and blue tarps seem to be the siding of choice…….
  And she is easy on the eyes too…:)

• Anonymous

  From the article: ““We make [our plan] up as we go along,” Sansosti said. “This is what the future looks like.”  Pointing out the inconsistencies and rejecting self-deprivation as idealistic and deprivation incongruously based on advanced technology as a possible future are not “venom”.

• Anonymous

   Look at a  map.  Bangor is not northern Maine either.

• Anonymous

   There is no indication whatsoever anywhere by critics that they are “envious, green, jealous, negative, callous, ‘I should have done that’, ‘I wish we could do that’, insecure adults, who probably hate their own lives, so they must make someone else feel low and bad, to actually make themselves look and feel better” or that “they all get up and go to their jobs that they hate, go home to their lives that they wish were different, and complain all day about it.”

  That is all a subjective projection in your imagination and ignores the content of what people are actually writing in rejecting “minimalist” self-imposed deprivation as some kind of ideal instead of the false alternative that it is.

  Yes they are intelligent and energetic in their own lives, but they are promoting a false and contradictory ideology in a PR campaign.

• Anonymous

   There is no indication whatsoever anywhere by critics that they are “envious, green, jealous, negative, callous, ‘I should have done that’, ‘I wish we could do that’, insecure adults, who probably hate their own lives, so they must make someone else feel low and bad, to actually make themselves look and feel better” or that “they all get up and go to their jobs that they hate, go home to their lives that they wish were different, and complain all day about it.”

  That is all a subjective projection in your imagination and ignores the content of what people are actually writing in rejecting “minimalist” self-imposed deprivation as some kind of ideal instead of the false alternative that it is.

  Yes they are intelligent and energetic in their own lives, but they are promoting a false and contradictory ideology in a PR campaign.

• Anonymous

   There is no indication whatsoever anywhere by critics that they are “envious, green, jealous, negative, callous, ‘I should have done that’, ‘I wish we could do that’, insecure adults, who probably hate their own lives, so they must make someone else feel low and bad, to actually make themselves look and feel better” or that “they all get up and go to their jobs that they hate, go home to their lives that they wish were different, and complain all day about it.”

  That is all a subjective projection in your imagination and ignores the content of what people are actually writing in rejecting “minimalist” self-imposed deprivation as some kind of ideal instead of the false alternative that it is.

  Yes they are intelligent and energetic in their own lives, but they are promoting a false and contradictory ideology in a PR campaign.

• Anonymous

   There is no indication whatsoever anywhere by critics that they are “envious, green, jealous, negative, callous, ‘I should have done that’, ‘I wish we could do that’, insecure adults, who probably hate their own lives, so they must make someone else feel low and bad, to actually make themselves look and feel better” or that “they all get up and go to their jobs that they hate, go home to their lives that they wish were different, and complain all day about it.”

  That is all a subjective projection in your imagination and ignores the content of what people are actually writing in rejecting “minimalist” self-imposed deprivation as some kind of ideal instead of the false alternative that it is.

  Yes they are intelligent and energetic in their own lives, but they are promoting a false and contradictory ideology in a PR campaign.

• Anonymous

  Wow what a bunch of cry babies! All of you! Holy cow I read this stupid little small town story and was shocked to see all of you crying and whinning like a bunch of hungry babies!  I just moved here and I can see why your state is so poor and broken!  Only thing that ever gets done in Maine is the unemployment and welfare applications.   Ya’ll need to get a life.  Who cares if some young couple wants to live in a dumpster.  Holy cow I can’t wait to move back home where ther is more important crap to worry about!  Woooooooooooow!

  To the Kids in the article-  way to go.  If you like living like a heathen then do it!  More power to ya!  Not my first choice on living, but if its good for you who cares what I think… or any of the little whine asses on here.  Lifes about whatever makes ya happy– congratualtions for following your dreams!  Not sure why this is news though, sorry.

• Anonymous

  It may be a good innovative way to answer the need for inexpensive housing, but I also do not think it would be allowed by the government.

  Local government won’t be willing to allow zoning variances, state and local governments will have a problem with building codes and the federal government will find some stupid reason to object. All three levels of government will be harassed by advocates that would see this as living in a dumpster or some such crap and probably be able to find a rent-a-mob to protest.
   
  It would not be practical for most homeless/poor people because it could not be done in most towns and no cities would allow it. Most of the homeless and poor do live in populated areas.
   
  I could see a group of people getting together and setting up a community in such housing or maybe a church could do it. It would be a great way for farms to provide temporary housing for migrant workers.

• Anonymous

  This “Treehugger” has again ignored what I wrote, misrepresented it, and evaded responding to it in another of his viro anti-capitalist diatribes.

  Human beings use and modify our environment in order to live.  Unlike lower life forms who adopt to their environment or die, we require modification of the environment in order to live.

  The freedom of capitalism has allowed unprecedented improvement in standard of living unheard of for the previous hundreds of thousands of years of primitivism. 

  Human innovation does not “eventually collapse” and there is nothing wrong with using coal and oil, the development of which were great inventions and are still by far the most effective.  They are not “destroying the earth”.  Viros tend to approve of only technologies that are impractical. 

  Economic freedom did not wreck the housing market; government policies from the likes of Barney Frank and Christopher Dodd did that by creating a “market” for loans the recipients could not repay.

  Capitalism and America are only declining because they are being destroyed by the viro Anti-Industrial Revolution and their statism.

  The “treehugger’s sneering remarks about ‘granite counter tops”, which he apparently doesn’t like, do not change that and do not address it.

• Anonymous

  That was unnecessary

• Anonymous

  That was unnecessary

• Anonymous

  That was unnecessary

• Anonymous

  That was unnecessary

• Anonymous

  That was unnecessary

• Anonymous

   Yes, wish them well in their personal lives if they make the right choices, but not in their campaign to promote “minimalist” deprivation as an alleged social ideal for our future.

• Anonymous

   Carelessly buying “stuff” you don’t need or care about versus plunging into deprivation as a way of life is a false alternative.

• Anonymous

  There is not an entire generation living in tiny shipping containers and most people realize that there is nothing wrong with being a consumer.  Don’t consume more than you produce.  Self-imposed deprivation in a minimalist life style is a false alternative.

• Anonymous

  Jenny,
   
  Ignore the naysayers, but there have been many trust fund children that have come to Maine to live the lifestyle that you hope to have but only some of them follow through.
   
  There are many trust funders that have moved to town especially coastal towns that have soured the local people because they ended up being “better” than the commoners. So there are reasons for people to be skeptical but they need to not voice the negative thoughts.
   
  I wish I had the courage to do something like this 30 years ago. Good luck.

• Anonymous

  Come on this type of crap needs to stop, if you want this country to survive the comming disaster.

• Anonymous

  Those who reject the campaign for deprivation are not “slaves to fear”, full of “hate” and “sickness”.  These are wild, malevolent projections on your part.

  It does in fact matter whether ideas work or not.  The wasteful use of high technology in impractical and inefficient ways in the name of “minimalism” does not work and cannot work.  Most people could not possibly do what they are doing, nor they should they want to.  Primitive minimalism is not an ideal to pursue in the name of the “good”.  It is a radically false alternative to consuming more than you produce.

• Anonymous

  Fox news seems to be right many times, the first place I heard of today’s scandal, operation Fast and Furious, was on Fox. The first major news out let that talked about our coming financial meltdown was Fox. I cannot think of any lies that they have perpertated if you can document any lies I would love to hear them so I can investigate them.

• Anonymous

  I said real mid-winter HEAT!!!!!!

• Anonymous

  No one cares if some couple “wants to live in  a dumpster”.  The issue is that they are promoting this in a PR campaign along with an intended non-profit corporation as some kind of moral ideal which everyone should endorse.   From the article: “’We make [our plan] up as we go along,’ Sansosti said. ‘This is what the future looks like.’”  If all they were doing was living their own lives minding their own business it wouldn’t matter.  Instead we see a widespread mentality that serves to rationalize what you observed as a state that is “poor and broken”, which has followed decades of progressively accumulated viro controls driving the economy into the ground in the name of “nature”.

• Anonymous

  Yes, it has been tried in the past, and many have failed, but there is no reason to assume that they will. Some have succeeded.

• Anonymous

  Agreed.  This kind of crap is ruining this state.  Eventually, no one will even want to come visit here! 

• Anonymous

  I hope they were smart enough to site their home off the road where it could not be seen.
   
  Which rail? Our rail service is pretty much gone.

• Anonymous

  They seem to be doing it with their own money. If it is done for monetary gain as you imply, so what. Aren’t they free to live as they want, if they aren’t hurting any one else?

• Anonymous

  This may be their “American dream” let them pursue it. They don’t seem to be bothering anyone.

• http://twitter.com/jeffdavisme Jeff Davis

  Well, its not for me. But I’ve done stranger things in my youth than live in a connex trailer. I say good for them.

• Anonymous

  Is your problem with this venture that a reporter has talked to them?

  I understand the frustration with the PC, enviromentalists, etc but their lifestyle will serve them well, if the economy keeps going down the toilet.

• Anonymous

  You say a dumpster do a search for container homes an tell me they are dumpsters an one collage even build dorms out of them .

• Anonymous

  like i said do a search for container home an see what you come up with ??