Alternate Living

a story of one family choosing to live off-grid

John Ivanko and his wife, Lisa Kivirist, chose to leave the hustle and bustle and intense consumerism of the big city for a more energy efficient and conservation-oriented lifestyle. They grow 70 percent of their own food, produce their own biofuel that can be used in cars, tractors and other diesel vehicles and generate enough electricity through their solar and wind energy systems to power their entire bed and breakfast and farming businesses. They actually receive a check from their utility company for producing a surplus! But for them, the money saved and the ecological footprint reduced are not nearly as important as the legacy of energy consciousness and environmental awareness they’re leaving their son, Liam.

Director/Camera: Jay Leasa; Teaching Asst., Landscape Architecture; leasa@wisc.edu

Music: “Pink Tombstones,” Goodnight Loving, from their album Crooked Lake

Thanks: John Ivanko, Lisa Kivirist, Liam and the guests of Inn Serendipity.

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