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‘Homestead Rescue’ Returns As A New Batch Of Families Learn How To Survive Off The Grid

By Charlinda Robinson
Published on: 06:46 PST, May 10, 2017

Last season on Homestead Rescue, viewers learned that the Raney family knows their stuff when it comes to teaching homesteading techniques and wilderness survival skills in some of the most remote wilderness locations in the country. Patriarch and expert builder Marty Raney, daughter Misty Bilodeau, and son Matt Raney bring their combined personal experiences and particular skill sets to each project on Homestead Rescue to help struggling families.

Marty Raney is no stranger to the camera, viewers of Homestead Rescue may recognize him from another popular series that ran for three seasons called Ultimate Survival Alaska. The show focused on teams of survival specialists who were dropped off in the harsh Alaskan wilderness where they then competed with each other in various wilderness challenges and races.

Marty’s bio on Discovery’s Homestead Rescue page states that besides challenging himself on endurance contests, he is also known as a homestead builder, master stone mason, hunter, and mountain guide. After marrying Mollee Roestel, the couple settled down in a remote area of Haines, Alaska. As their family grew, they often lived without power, water, plumbing, or heat. Living off the bountiful land was and still is an important part of their lifestyle, and dip netting salmon, along with the annual moose, caribou, and sheep hunts, are all done as a family. The children grew up helping in the family business as well. At Alaska Stone and Log, they learned to peel logs and quarry stones, and in the meantime, they were learning the value of hard work and the art of old world craftsmanship.

As fans of Homestead Rescue know, Misty is a straight talking, no-nonsense farmer and carpenter. She and her husband, Maciah, a surfer and carpenter himself, have a 5-year-old son and they split their time between Alaska and Hawaii. During the summer, they help run the family business in Alaska and spend the winter months in Hawaii. They enjoy surfing and teaching people how to homestead and live off the land.

“I love to swing a hammer, and to construct things from a few simple materials. It’s weird, but I do. Anything to do with building, gardening, livestock, hunting, accessing water, and more, my family thrives in helping others get a handle on their own situation. Alaska keeps us tough.”

Matt Raney is the ultimate hunter and keeps the Raney family freezers full. In just one brief summer hunting season Matt brought in over 1000 pounds of fish, moose, caribou, and sheep. On Homestead Rescue, his expertise has come into play many times as he taught homesteaders how to hunt and how to ward off threatening predators. Matt and wife, Katie, live on the family land near Marty. His Homestead Rescue bio goes on to say that since he grew up in the Alaskan wilderness, at the age of 32, he already has a lifetime worth of experience on how to build and run a successful homestead, which isn’t surprising since he was taught by the best.

Broadway World shared that surviving on a homestead requires families to be hardy, strong, and tough. Those that don’t quite fit into this mold will be getting some much-needed assistance from the Raney family on this season of Homestead Rescue. Each week on Homestead Rescue, Marty and family will assess what each family needs regarding living off the grid. The Raney’s bring a lot to the table on Homestead Rescue, they know from experience what these families need since they have lived without power, water, heat, and plumbing themselves. They are also experienced in teaching basic skills such as hunting, fishing, growing food, finding water, creating a functional and sustainable shelter, and learning how to deal with predators in the area.

On each episode of Homestead Rescue, the Raney’s have a limited amount of time to make a difference, so every minute counts. As seen during the previous season of Homestead Rescue, sometimes the toughest obstacle to overcome is how to convince the family they’re working with to make the necessary changes. There are many times that Marty, Misty, and Matt have to convince homesteaders to trust their vision and ideas to get them to come together as a team on Homestead Rescue. When the homesteaders do come around, that’s when things get done, and the Raney’s can then begin to work their magic on Homestead Rescue.

The Raney’s always leave families much better off after using their creativity, ingenuity (some call it “bushcraft”), and just old-fashioned hard work to help them learn to survive on their own in some of the most remote and dangerous locations in the country. Hidden Remote shared that in the last decade, two million Americans have tried their hand at moving away from civilization, but many are ill prepared and usually fail during their first winter, monsoon, or drought season. For the families that the Raney’s work with on Homestead Rescue, their chances for success go way up, but in the end, they will have to decide if they can continue to live on the homestead or is time to head back to civilization.

Are you a fan of Homestead Rescue? Leave your comments, thoughts, and opinions concerning Homestead Rescue below. Homestead Rescue premieres on Wednesday, June 14 at 10 p.m ET on the Discovery Channel.

[Featured Image by Discovery Channel]

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