During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jenn Reid’s daughters struggled to adapt to the isolation brought by online classes as they were locked at home and unable to attend school. They missed out on the interactions with their peers that were stripped away by the lockdown measures in 2020.
The mother of three said that the various restrictions and their severe impact on her daughters’ mental and emotional well-being quickly led their family to switch to homeschooling. This decision also prompted them to acquire a piece of land in northern Alberta, Canada, as a natural barrier against the constant erosion of freedom.
“If 2020 taught me anything, it’s to never think that certain things are impossible.” 36-year-old Reid said in an interview with Epoch Times, referring to the loss of freedom experienced by people around the world during the pandemic. “I think many people didn’t realize this until… I don’t want to say ‘it’s too late,’ but it feels like it’s heading that way,” she added.
Having grown up in a rural area in Newfoundland and Labrador, Reid and her husband Winston were deeply influenced by small-town values, making them feel that the lockdown measures were too extreme. “Everyone knew each other,” she said, “When we moved to the city, that’s the thing we missed most.”
Several decades ago, the Reid family relocated to the west, hoping for better opportunities in Alberta. Winston found a job as an electrician in MacMurryburg, and they bought a house in the small city of Beaumont in southern Edmonton.
They raised three daughters: 15-year-old Ava, 13-year-old Allie, and 11-year-old Paisley.
Then, the COVID-19 pandemic erupted.
“Our daughters simply couldn’t adapt to online learning, it was very painful,” Reid said. “About two weeks into online classes, we decided it wasn’t suitable for our family, so we immediately began homeschooling.”
She mentioned that the transition was “very smooth,” perhaps because other homeschooling mothers in her church had long encouraged her. “Jenn, you should homeschool,” they said, “You’re born for this, you have the heart for it.”
And it turned out she was indeed suited for it. Reid emphasized that no one wanted the best education for her daughters more than she did. She adopted the Charlotte Mason method of teaching, focusing on cultivating principles rather than rote memorization, emphasizing “hands-on learning” rather than just theoretical knowledge. They not only read about ancient civilizations like the Maya but also ventured on many educational adventures through homeschooling, including visiting Maya ruins in Mexico.
Shortly after starting homeschooling, the Reid family began discussing their dream of owning their own piece of land to further secure their freedom and protect themselves from government control. They envisioned a self-sufficient life off the grid as a long-term goal but first needed land. They desired wooded land like in Newfoundland and Labrador rather than the vast prairies of Alberta, which would better withstand the harsh winter.
After over a year of searching, in 2023, their dream came true through a stroke of luck.
“As a single-income family, we really had to keep our budget in mind,” Reid said. “There weren’t many completely renovatable houses within our price range.”
One evening, after spending a whole day viewing houses with their realtor, Reid searched online for properties further south than their original search area and came across a new listing. They planned to visit it in person, only to find out it had been sold.
“Our realtor called early the next morning to say the original deal had fallen through,” Reid said. “So, I thought, this land was meant for us after all.”
Although their offer was accepted, the house was practically a “fixer-upper,” and they proceeded to tear down and rebuild every room. “It’s not your cookie-cutter kind of house, which is important to us,” she said. “In the city, every house looks pretty much the same.”
Today, they grow vegetables, raise goats and chickens on their four-acre wooded land. Most days, Reid and her daughters handle homeschooling and farming while Winston works to earn money. They steadily progress on their plans to achieve a self-sufficient life while strictly managing their budget. This year, the daughters were able to plant seeds barefoot without tools.
The Reid family has made substantial progress towards their off-grid lifestyle: they get drinking water from a well and grow enough food to not rely on supermarkets. Next, they plan to install solar panels to completely disconnect from public electricity. Last month, a professional visited their home to assess, but Winston expressed his intention to utilize his skills as an electrician to install homemade solar panels.
As for her daughters, Reid shared that eldest daughter Ava just completed the 10th grade and aspires to become a radiology doctor. “She’s exceptional. She surprises me every day with her learning.”
Second daughter Allie developed a strong interest in animal care after caring for a tragically deceased baby goat and hopes to become a veterinarian in the future. Youngest daughter Paisley is still exploring her life’s direction.
The legendary homesteading journey of the Reid family encompasses everything: a couple pursuing freedom under suppression, embarking on a new life on their own land, and the bright future of the next generation. For those considering a similar path in the future, the only question might be: do they regret it?
“There’s always a ‘what if’ scenario, questions like ‘if back then…’,” Reid said. “What would happen to our children’s lives if we had sent them to school? What would happen to my life?”
But despite some exhausting and argumentative days, she is still unwilling to change any of their choices.
“I can honestly say I’m very content with our life now and very grateful that we have this opportunity. We don’t take it for granted because we were once that family longing for this life for a long time.”