Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 26 : Fall 2015 | Page 25

raise animals and plants, and have always
had some sort of small garden, Ed did say
adjusting to the short northern Maine
growing season was a bit of a challenge.
They lost a few fruits trees in the learning
process.
The Schupbachs have 22 chickens, a
huge vegetable garden, and will soon
have some pigs. When I asked Kate
if the chickens had names she said,
“Sure, Cacciatore, Nugget…; I told the
kids they could give them names, but
only food names.” Although food, the
Schupbachs believe animals should be
treated humanely. They would love to
let their chickens free range, but the bald
eagle living in the tree across the river
makes that a risky venture.
The family uses very little processed
food; Kate makes everything from
pancake mix and applesauce to pickles
and catsup. She also makes some of the
household cleaners. What they cannot
raise or make themselves they try to buy
locally.
The Schupbachs homeschool their
children because, “the kids did not really
know each other.” Before homeschooling
the kids got on the bus early each morning,
spent the day in separate classrooms and
after school headed to various activities.
They never saw each other. Now, the
siblings learn together in the classroom
Kate set up in their home. Ed noted they
are able to adjust the curriculum to each
child’s learning style. He stressed they
do not have any complaints about the
local school system; they just want to
offer their children more options in both
curriculum and instruction. The kids
have many social opportunities through
participation in the public school’s sports
and music classes, dance activities, and a
local homeschooling group.

either wind or solar power and more
animals in the future. The kids are
hoping for a horse.
Although they want to be self-sufficient,
Ed and Kate realize they will always
have to rely on others in some way. As
Kate put it, “to be a homesteader takes
a community.” Even though Ohio was
their target, the family is very happy in
Fort Fairfield and loves the community
of welcoming, hardworking, generous
citizens.
Like the Schupbachs, Dan and Pam
Conklin moved to Fort Fairfield after
Dan retired. Living in South Carolina, the
Conklins were suburban homesteaders
before moving to Maine, but they wanted
a place to spread out and really become
self-sufficient. Dan said they literally laid
a map of the United States on the table
and started searching for a place meeting
their criteria: low crime rates, good
schools, affordable land, four seasons,
like-minded people, and for Pam, “no
fire ants!” Maine fit their criteria and
after Pam accepted a nursing position at
TAMC, they eventually rented a house
on the Page Road and bought some
nearby land for their future home.
The Conklins also homeschool their
three children, Katie, Dylan and
Andrew because homeschooling fits
their lifestyle, and they can individualize
their children’s learning. Homeschooling
allows the kids to help with the various
chores in running the homestead and
with construction of their future home.

Chickens, rabbits, pigs, and a vegetable
garden are the chief means of food for
the Conklins. Fishing, hunting and a
beef cow round out the family’s food
sources. Both Pam and her daughter
took a hunter’s safety course so they
can hunt this fall. The Conklins process
In the early stages of creating a sustainable their own meats as hiri