My piece at Front Porch Republic: "There's No More Room"

Toward an anarcho-pastoralism

“4th of July Fire(fly)works,” copyright Will Caverly

I was really happy to have my piece about homesteading, freedom at the edge of civilization, land use, generators, guns, and one of my favorite philosophers, Ibn Khaldun, featured at Front Porch Republic. Check it out there:

https://www.frontporchrepublic.com/2023/05/theres-no-more-room-toward-an-anarcho-pastoralism/

It’s a reflection on ten years homesteading, and all the things needed to feel free. Check out the comments, I was impressed with the thoughtful feedback, check that out at the bottom of the post. Great conversation!

If you want to know what it’s about, here’s a pull quote from the piece:

When we moved out here, someone told us we needed to buy three things: a chainsaw, a generator, and a gun.

We’d come from just over the city line in the Delaware County suburbs of Philadelphia, so we didn’t own any of them.

As it turned out, this was sound advice. The chainsaw kept you warm, the generator kept the lights on, and the gun was a tool to discourage varmints on four (and two) legs.

Also:

What I’ve just attempted to describe are the joys of the edge. Freedom, I believe, has a limited half-life when it’s in the heart of civilization. Anarcho-pastoralism means that there’s the most freedom near the edges, but freedom-lovers are ever in a struggle to move outward.

Check it out, and support Front Porch Republic’s other work!