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Mike Madison, a 76-year-old botanist turned farmer, and his wife Diane, as they navigate their life on their 22-acre olive grove nestled in rural Sacramento, California. Their small-scale farming legacy has thrived since 1991. Mike’s off-grid lifestyle comes to life in the snapshots of their quaint farmhouse. Without smartphones or TVs, they rely on the simplicity of solar energy and an antique windmill to pump water for the farm. 

When Mike purchased this farm more than three decades ago, it had no buildings or any infrastructure built on it. The family devoted their energy and resources to develop the necessary infrastructure. Mike built everything by himself on this farm using his skills of plumber, electrician, roofer, cabinetmaker, plasterer, and a framer. “I am ot a master of those trades, but I can do them adequately for my purposes,” says Mike. He acquired these skills before becoming a farmer. Dianne was formally an architectural draftsman, who made these buildings functional and beautiful.

As the couple gets old, they are ready to retire. Their children love their lifelong farm, but they are not interested in operating as a business. 

“We live in a beautiful place, we have many friends, we’re healthy, we have meaningful work, and we have wholesome food to eat and good local wine to drink-what would we want with more money? Our aim has always been to stay within what Ivan Illich called “the narrow range that separates enough from too much.” Our current income keeps us in that range. It seems adequate, and we’re not motivated to increase it.” says Mike.

As the sun sets on this picturesque farm, the realization dawns that the hands lovingly tended to the land for more than three decades are beginning to tire. Mike’s gaze at the olive groves carries a poignant weight, a reflection on the privilege of being entrusted with the care of the farm.