the Nearings’ homesteading techniques.

Scott lived to be 100, then ended his life by taking no food for a month and half. Helen documented his choice in her book, Loving and Leaving the Good Life. Helen died in a car crash twelve years later when she was 91.

Their Forest Farm homestead is now the Good Life Center, a nonprofit educational and retreat center aimed at perpetuating the Nearing legacy and advocating for simple and sustainable living skills.

Anyone can visit the Good Life Center between late Memorial Day and Columbus Day—check the calendar for days and times. There’s a speaker series one night a week throughout the summer, and if you want more than a visit, there’s a residency available. This seasonal residency involves staying at Forest Farm, living off the land, gardening, maintenance, guiding tours for visitors, and “combining hand labor and intellectual pursuit.”

HELPFUL SITE

• goodlife.org