Could you imagine living off-grid, without any dependence on external sources? – You may not even be able to imagine it, but this man has been living like this for 50 years now, deep in the Redwood forest.
Charles Bello has been living the dream of eco-friendly people for half of his life and he’s now looking for 2 solar-ambitious and self-generating couples to join him in the woods.
The Story of Charles Bello, a Man Who Has Lived Off-Grid for 50 Years
Bello is a widower and father of 2 boys. Back in 1968, together with his wife Vanna Rae, they bought 240 acres of forest in Redwood for $45,000.
They gave out all of their life savings and got some financial help from their family. In only 5 days, they built a panelized A-frame and moved into their new off-grid home.
However, with their home being located 30 minutes down a dirt road, they had to create their own infrastructure- a road and a bridge. They’ve survived in their home for decades without phones and a fridge.
They canned and preserved food and home-schooled their children Mike and Mark.
They made money by selling Christmas trees. Bello was an intern for Richard Neutra back in the 50s and also worked for Henry Hill, an architect, as well as for the landscape architect Robert Royston.
He had the qualifications necessary to build bigger dreams far away from civilization.
In 1982, he managed to build a 3 bedroom house; however, he wasn’t entirely satisfied with it. He later perfected his home.
In 1997, together with his wife, they founded the Redwood Forest Institution.
Bello Is Looking for 2 Couples to Join Him
After losing his wife in 2010, his children went away and got jobs and weren’t interested in this lifestyle.
Although he was happy for them because they found their calling, Bello who’s 87, is searching for 2 middle-aged couples to be land stewards of the property which he developed throughout the years and is now estimated between $4 and 6 million.
The candidates who pass won’t just own the land and equipment, but also get housing. They will then become candidates for members of the Board of Directors of the Redwood Forest Institute.
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