Back to the land - The recent North American instance

Today, the phrase "back-to-the-land movement" usually refers to a North American social phenomenon of the 1960s and 1970s (which is discussed further, below in this article). This particular back-to-the-land movement was a migration from cities to rural areas that took place in the United States, its greatest vigor being before the mid '70s. Back to the land - A recurring pattern. By way of context, a few things may be usefully said. The American poet/anthropologist Gary Snyder (who is also an amateu ...

Including:

• Back to the land - A recurring pattern
• Back to the land - The recent North American instance
• Back to the land - The target lifestyle
• Back to the land - The few who succeeded
• Back to the land - The many who returned
• Back to the land - The end of the movement?
• Back to the land - Related topics
• Back to the land - Bibliography

Read more here: » Back to the land: Encyclopedia - Back to the land

Regarding North America, many individual persons and households have moved from urban or suburban circumstances to rural ones at different times; for instance, the economic theorist and land-based American experimenter Ralph Borsodi is said to have influenced thousands of urban-living people to try a modern homesteading life during the Great Depression. There was again a fair degree of interest in moving to rural land after World War II. In 1947 Betty MacDonald published what became a popular book, The Egg and I, telling her st ...

See also:

Back to the land, Back to the land - A recurring pattern, Back to the land - The recent North American instance, Back to the land - The target lifestyle, Back to the land - The few who succeeded, Back to the land - The many who returned, Back to the land - The end of the movement?, Back to the land - Bibliography

Read more here: » Back to the land: Encyclopedia II - Back to the land - The recent North American instance

Regarding North America, many individual persons and households have moved from urban or suburban circumstances to rural ones at different times; for instance, the economic theorist and land-based American experimenter Ralph Borsodi is said to have influenced thousands of urban-living people to try a modern homesteading life during the Great Depression. There was again a fair degree of interest in moving to rural land after World War II. In 1947 Betty MacDonald published what became a popular book, The Egg and I, telling her st ...

See also:

Back to the land, Back to the land - A recurring pattern, Back to the land - The recent North American instance, Back to the land - The target lifestyle, Back to the land - The few who succeeded, Back to the land - The many who returned, Back to the land - The end of the movement?, Back to the land - Related topics, Back to the land - Bibliography

Read more here: » Back to the land: Encyclopedia II - Back to the land - The recent North American instance

As a general rule, those who "went back to the land" in this period felt neither desirous nor capable of managing a sizable acreage. Many of the smallholdings of the period were in the range of five to 20 acreas — though some were smaller and some were larger. Most of the back-to-the-landers wanted greater contact with nature, and sought to become self-employed workers in a cottage industry. Many wished to build their own house, and produce a good deal of their own food. Solar energy was sometimes used for either heat or electricity ...

See also:

Back to the land, Back to the land - A recurring pattern, Back to the land - The recent North American instance, Back to the land - The target lifestyle, Back to the land - The few who succeeded, Back to the land - The many who returned, Back to the land - The end of the movement?, Back to the land - Bibliography

Read more here: » Back to the land: Encyclopedia II - Back to the land - The target lifestyle

Generally, the back-to-the-landers who stayed on the land had three attributes in common: Source of regular cash income from external sources Married or in a relationship with someone with a comparable level of commitment Previous exposure to rural living Those who succeeded were realistic about their financial needs. Many had flexible occupations—like writing and other creative work, or a trade—that they could engage in from their home. Others had steady, if less glamorous, jobs in a nearby t ...

See also:

Back to the land, Back to the land - A recurring pattern, Back to the land - The recent North American instance, Back to the land - The target lifestyle, Back to the land - The few who succeeded, Back to the land - The many who returned, Back to the land - The end of the movement?, Back to the land - Bibliography

Read more here: » Back to the land: Encyclopedia II - Back to the land - The few who succeeded

There is no well-defined event that can be used to mark the end of the era. A factor that came into play was the increased cost of rural land parcels; at the start of the back-to-the-land trend, previously low demand for rural properties in many areas meant that they fetched low prices in the real estate market, but this changed after some years of increased buyer interest. Also, rising urban prosperity, and a sense that the earlier social problems were solved (though we still hear about many of them in the media), led to reduc ...

See also:

Back to the land, Back to the land - A recurring pattern, Back to the land - The recent North American instance, Back to the land - The target lifestyle, Back to the land - The few who succeeded, Back to the land - The many who returned, Back to the land - The end of the movement?, Back to the land - Bibliography

Read more here: » Back to the land: Encyclopedia II - Back to the land - The end of the movement?

By way of context, a few things may be usefully said. The American poet/anthropologist Gary Snyder (who is also an amateur historian) has related in a published interview that there have been back-to-the-land population movements down through the centuries. These have happened in different parts of the world, largely due to the occurrence of severe urban problems and people's felt need to live a better life, often simply to survive. The historian and philosopher of urbanism Jane Jacobs remarked in interview with Stewart Brand that with the Fall of Rome c ...

See also:

Back to the land, Back to the land - A recurring pattern, Back to the land - The recent North American instance, Back to the land - The target lifestyle, Back to the land - The few who succeeded, Back to the land - The many who returned, Back to the land - The end of the movement?, Back to the land - Related topics, Back to the land - Bibliography

Read more here: » Back to the land: Encyclopedia II - Back to the land - A recurring pattern

As a general rule, those who "went back to the land" in this period felt neither desirous nor capable of managing a sizable acreage. Many of the smallholdings of the period were in the range of five to 20 acreas — though some were smaller and some were larger. Most of the back-to-the-landers wanted greater contact with nature, and sought to become self-employed workers in a cottage industry. Many wished to build their own house, and produce a good deal of their own food. Solar energy was sometimes used for either heat or electricity ...

See also:

Back to the land, Back to the land - A recurring pattern, Back to the land - The recent North American instance, Back to the land - The target lifestyle, Back to the land - The few who succeeded, Back to the land - The many who returned, Back to the land - The end of the movement?, Back to the land - Related topics, Back to the land - Bibliography

Read more here: » Back to the land: Encyclopedia II - Back to the land - The target lifestyle

Generally, the back-to-the-landers who stayed on the land shared three common traits: Source of regular income from external sources Married or in a relationship with someone with a comparable level of commitment Previous exposure to rural living Many had flexible occupations—like writing and other creative work, or a trade—that they could engage in from their home. Others had steady, if less glamorous, jobs in a nearby town. Those who succeeded were people could readily acquire skills in gard ...

See also:

Back to the land, Back to the land - A recurring pattern, Back to the land - The recent North American instance, Back to the land - The target lifestyle, Back to the land - The few who succeeded, Back to the land - The many who returned, Back to the land - The end of the movement?, Back to the land - Related topics, Back to the land - Bibliography

Read more here: » Back to the land: Encyclopedia II - Back to the land - The few who succeeded

There is no well-defined event that can be used to mark the end of the era. A factor that came into play was the increased cost of rural land parcels; at the start of the back-to-the-land trend, previously low demand for rural properties in many areas meant that they fetched low prices in the real estate market, but this changed after some years of increased buyer interest. Also, rising urban prosperity, and a sense that the earlier social problems were solved (though we still hear about many of them in the media), led to reduc ...

See also:

Back to the land, Back to the land - A recurring pattern, Back to the land - The recent North American instance, Back to the land - The target lifestyle, Back to the land - The few who succeeded, Back to the land - The many who returned, Back to the land - The end of the movement?, Back to the land - Related topics, Back to the land - Bibliography

Read more here: » Back to the land: Encyclopedia II - Back to the land - The end of the movement?

By way of context, a few things may be usefully said. The American poet/anthropologist Gary Snyder (who is also an amateur historian) has related in a published interview that there have been back-to-the-land population movements down through the centuries. These have happened in different parts of the world, largely due to the occurrence of severe urban problems and people's felt need to live a better life, often simply to survive. The historian and philosopher of urbanism Jane Jacobs remarked in interview with Stewart Brand that with the Fall of Rome c ...

See also:

Back to the land, Back to the land - A recurring pattern, Back to the land - The recent North American instance, Back to the land - The target lifestyle, Back to the land - The few who succeeded, Back to the land - The many who returned, Back to the land - The end of the movement?, Back to the land - Bibliography

Read more here: » Back to the land: Encyclopedia II - Back to the land - A recurring pattern