02x04 - Homestead of Horrors

[bunniefuu]

Look at this place.
It's a shack.

This doesn't look nice
at all.

It's not safe.

The greatest way
that we can help you...

Is tearing it down.

I'm sorry.

Climb out of there!

This isn't just a house.
This is our home.

Out of the way!

He basically told me
that the homestead has failed.

♪♪

Aah!!
My god!

Well, that was a good start
to meeting the family, dad.

Narrator:
marty raney's been building
homesteads for 40 years.

He's spent his life passing on
his homesteading skills.

Marty:
I was raised off-grid.

I've built a life
and a family

In the toughest place
on earth, alaska.

And I've taught my kids
everything I know.

Narrator: daughter misty
has raised animals

And grown her own food
since she was a child.

Misty: a homestead needs to be
nurtured every day.

You get out what you put in.

Narrator:
son matt spent 12 years

As a guide and hunter in alaska.

Matt: I have the utmost respect
for wildlife.

Hunting is a privilege
and a necessity.

Narrator: in the last decade,

Two million americans
have moved off-grid.

Misty:
we're in the middle of nowhere.

Narrator: but the wilderness
is a tough place to survive.

I'm so afraid
we might end up dead.

Narrator:
this year, tens of thousands
of homesteads will fail.

Man: this threat is
absolutely real.

We could lose this place
at any moment.

Raney family,
we need your help.

Marty: for those brave enough
to embark on this lifestyle,

We're here to help them
overcome the challenges

And fulfill that dream.

My résumé?

I'll show it to you
right now.

--Captions by vitac --
www.vitac.com

Captions paid for by
discovery communications

The further and further
that we drive south,

I feel my accent
is starting to change.

Y'all get that?

Misty: well, I haven't gotten
out of the car yet.

[ Southern accent ]
I picked up a southern drawl.

I-i-i say.

[ Laughing ] now you're going on
like a cartoon character.

Well, slap my butt
and call me sally.

[ Laughs ]

Have you been drinking?
Yeah.

Hold on!
Does this place have moonshine?

I don't know.
I've never had moonshine.

Do you have any moonshine
in there?

[ Laughing ]

♪♪

Narrator:
the raneys have left their base

In hatcher pass, alaska,

To travel 4,200 miles
to bear creek, north carolina.

The old north state's


Is abundant in deer, beaver,
and other game.

But with 15,000 black bears,

Solitary bobcats,

And predatory birds
hunting their next meal,

Homesteading here
is no easy ride.

Raneys family, if we don't
get you out here soon,

I don't know if we can
make it another day.

♪♪

Narrator: five months ago,
chantel took a leap of faith

And moved out of the city
to pursue a life off-grid.

Chantel: I was born in chicago.
I lived there my whole life.

I am a city girl.

But my brother passed.

You know, it'll be 2 years
of this coming summer.

That was really tough for me,

And I wanted to do
something different.

Narrator:
after losing her brother,

Chantel met farmer emanuel

Who offered her a chance
to escape the city

And start their own homestead.

When I met chantel,
I lived off the grid --

Really off the grid.
Didn't have much.

Chantel:
after being wooed by emanuel,

He convinced me to move
to his homestead.

I told her that, you know,
everything will be fine.

I'd provide a better
quality of life.

He said life will be different,

And different is what
it's definitely been.

Narrator: despite having
no construction experience,

Emanuel rented
some land off-grid

And began building
a wooden cabin.

His budget was just
a few thousand bucks.

Emanuel: that was me winging it,
looking at internet pictures.

Added a kitchen space,
added a tub,

Added a shower with hot water.

Basically made it into a home.

Chantel: the cabin is emanuel's
baby, but it's far from perfect!

There are lots
of air holes in there,

And sometimes, I wonder, "is
this floor going to fall in?"

Or "if this water pump was
to fall off,

Would I electrocute myself?"

There's a number
of little challenges.

Narrator: the problems don't end
at the cabin door.

The couple's livestock
is fast food for predators.

Emanuel: we lost a lot
of chickens to owls.

Just recently,
we lost a few to hawks.

Narrator: a crumbling cabin
and no food supply

Is not the homestead heaven
that emanuel planned.

The promise of a simple life,
that was definitely a lie.

I can see chantel giving it up,
throwing in the towel,

And, boy, that'd be awful.

If we don't get help
with the issues

That we're having right now,

It could mean the end
of our homestead dream.

♪♪

In seven days,
the raneys move on,

And marty will need
all of his 40 years' experience

Building off-grid to save
this homestead of horrors.

Misty:
man, look at this place.

Marty: it's a shack.

This doesn't look nice
at all.

Hello!

Hey.
Hey.

Chantel?
Yes, nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you.
Emanuel.

Good morning.

How long have you guys
been here?

About five months.
Okay.

He's been doing homesteading
a lot longer than I have.

I'm very new to this.

Do you have livestock?

Definitely.
I can show you all that.

Yeah, I want to check out
your food source.

All right.

So, did you build this?
I did.

Do you have some
building experience?

No.

Okay.

A little bouncy.

And you're telling me
this is structurally safe?

Structurally
pretty safe.

I mean, it's almost like
I can --

Give a little test here.

[ Creaking ]

Seems a little flimsy.

Emanuel:
in terms of my carpentry skills,

I felt really confident
about those.

And so, to hear him, you know,
tear them apart, that hurt.

Hold on.

You have chickens in here?

Yes.

Okay.

Narrator:
outside, matt and misty discover

The empty enclosure for
the couple's unusual roommates.

Your chickens
are in your home?

Yes.

You live
with your chickens?

Unfortunately.

That's crazy.
They're not very clean.

No, they're not.
They are nasty.

What happened?

We had some chickens
and guineas all around

This space right here,

And this is pretty much
what's let of them.

The feathers.
We had about 30.



Yes, and 13 guineas.

Emanuel saw, one day,
a hawk flying with one.

Do they have
a chicken coop?

No.

No covering?
No lid?

No covering.
Nothing on top.

We purchased
more chickens,

But to keep them warm
and to keep them safe,

They are currently
in our home.

Misty:
I'm at a loss for words.

I mean, they've lost
so many birds.


To a homestead.

That could wipe you out.

And then to have your
only solution be to move them

Instead your home?

I mean, this is crazy.

So, your food source
right now is limited?

All of our meat is coming
from the grocery store.

Wow.

You could be supplementing
what you have with wild game.

Like, what kind
of hunting background

Do you personally have?

I've never used a g*n.

I'm not -- I'm not particularly
thrilled about them.

If you don't have any
sort of skills with a g*n,

Then how are you
going to hunt?

Right.

Chantel's homestead structure
is right here in the woods.

All they have to do
is go out their backyard,

And they have a forest
that could provide for them.

But right now,
it's just going to waste.

♪♪

Back in the creaking cabin,

Marty moves on to
emanuel's sketchy self-builds.

Marty:
do you use that wood stove?

Emanuel: I do.

And you installed it,
I'm guessing?

Yes.

The insulation
is there to do what?

To keep the wall
from burning.

Okay.

Do you think that
that insulation can burn?

Yes.

You're looking at a guy
that's probably

Installed more wood stoves
than you will ever meet

If you can live
to be 1,000 years old.

Every single thing
about that wood stove is wrong.

I mean, that install will k*ll
somebody some day.

Wow.

This is the bathroom.

Bare wires
in the shower?

Yes, sir.

You ever been shocked
in there?

No.

Not yet.

Also, I smell mold.

And in these
confined quarters,

Sleeping with mold
really concerns me.

I know a lot about this mold
problem because I've fought it.

I've battled it,
and I've lost.

♪♪

I'm overwhelmed by the list of
things that are wrong with it.

They've got water,

But if you step a foot
in that bathtub,

You're going to
get electrocuted.

They got food.

Where?
Right in the living room.

And they have shelter,

But you're probably
safer sleeping out here

Where I'm standing
than spending one night

In that mold-infested,
run-down cabin.

Narrator:
to save this homestead,

The raneys have a to-do list
of terrifying size.

Misty must build a safe shelter

To protect the chickens
from predators.

With a forest full of game,

It's crucial matt teaches
vital hunting skills.

But marty's job
is the toughest by far --

To fix the long list
of self-built nightmares

Found inside chantel
and emanuel's wood cabin.

Marty: on most homesteads,
in an instant,

You can see where
the problem is,

And you're already thinking
about the solution.

Here, every scenario playing
through my head right now

Doesn't have
a good outcome for them.

We don't travel around
the country with the intent

To pick apart
someone's dream.

The issue on this
homestead is safety.

We came because you
asked us to help you,

And I think the greatest way
that we can help you...

Is tearing it down.

♪♪

It's not safe.

Sorry.

Chantel:
this isn't just a house.

This is our home that emanuel
and I built with our two hands.

He basically told me
that the homestead has failed.

Narrator: straight ahead...
Go, go, go!

...it's out with the old...

Aah!
Oh, my god!

...in with the new.

We will build them
a new cabin.

Whoa!

A brand-new house.

Narrator:
in bear creek, north carolina,

The raneys have seven days

To save desperate homesteaders
chantel and emanuel.

They live in a dangerous
self-built shack

Along with their
few surviving chickens,

And marty has been
forced into a decision

He's never made
on a homestead before now.

The greatest way that we can
help you is tearing it down.

Marty: in over 40 years
of working in alaska,

I've never had to condemn
someone's cabin before,

And I feel terrible.

It's sad to hear
that it's where it is.

Where will you stay
tonight?

At the neighbors'.
Is there a place for you?

Yes.

I knew there were things
needed to be fixed.

I knew there was places
for improvement,

But to be told to just leave it,
it's not easy news to take.

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: early the next
morning, chantel and emanuel

Find the raneys hard at work
dismantling their dream.

There you go.
We'll use that.

All right.

We will salvage
everything we can,

And this entire house
will be torn down in two hours.

The only way I can describe
my old man is

He's like a grizzly bear
that just tears stuff apart.

I fixed the door!

♪♪

See this, where
the mold is coming from?

Soaking wet.

When you can wring water
out of your insulation,

You've got real issues.

[ Chantel sighs ]
all that hard work, huh?

This took a lot of time to do,
and that's just the shell.

Emanuel: I convinced chantel I'd
provide everything we needed,

You now, like building wise,

And it being condemned,
I feel that I've let her down.

I want you guys to believe
in yourselves.

You did as good
as you could do.

Mm-hmm.
All right?

And together,
we're going to collectively

Do something better.

Marty: it's not a good feeling
to make someone homeless.

It's fully on my shoulders
to give them a place to stay.

Make like a chicken
and pull it!

♪♪

Climb out of there!

I see a rope wrapped
around the building.

I-i guess they're going
to just pull it down?

All right,
I'm thinking about having you be

The driver of the truck
that pulls your cabin down.

I can do it.
I'm the one that built it.

I can help pull it down.
All right.

♪♪

Make sure you can see me.
All right, I'm ready.

Go for it!

♪♪

Aah!

Go! Go! Go!
Don't stop!

Oh, my gosh!

Dad, is that kind of
what you were thinking?!

Never hooked up to
somebody's house before

And just ripped it
off of its foundation.

So, that was a good start
to meeting the family, dad.

Emanuel: this building isn't
just a building, it's a dream.

And then to see it pulled down,
that's just really tough to do.

Chantel:
one moment it was there,
and the next, it was dust.

As is stands right now,
emanuel and I are homeless.

Marty: now, I mean,
there's no turning back.

We have to build a house.

Narrator: now, marty must build
the couple a new home

From scratch in six days,

Using materials
sourced at zero cost.

I carved my first homestead
out of the wilderness in alaska

When I was 19 years old,

Using the most basic
of raw materials --

Solid stone, dead trees,
and a chain saw.

It's time for me to do what
I tell homesteaders to do --

Be resourceful.

♪♪

Narrator: nearby, a stockpile of
junk left by a local farmer...

Anything cool?

...is the perfect hunting ground
for materials.

I'm liking this lumber.
Sheeting right here.

We're using this
no matter what we do.

Look how big
this trailer is, dad.

This is
a massive trailer.

This thing's
at least 24 feet long.

This could be
the foundation.

We could
put a house on it.

When matt found that trailer --
boom! -- A light went off.

Here is
an instant foundation,

A steel frame
that we can build off of,

Shaving days
off of this build.

One man's pollution
is another man's solution.

Back.

Matt: to bring the trailer out
and build something

On top of it
in the short amount of time

That we have is classic
marty raney insanity.

Go! Go!

♪♪

Matt's on board
with marty's bold plan,

But back on the homestead,

There are two
more people to convince.

Marty:
here's what's going on.

Because we basically condemned
the only home you have,

We will build a new cabin
on this trailer frame.

Whoa!
On a trailer?

A brand-new house.

What?

A brand-new house.

On this?
Yes.

It'll have a bed,
it'll have a stove,

It'll have a bathroom,
it'll have hot water,

And it'll have cold water.

You'll be sleeping in here
before we leave.

That's a promise from us.

It's amazing.

[ Voice breaking ] the hardest
thing about homesteading

Is land and a house...

...and you gave us
a home.

You don't have one yet.
We're gonna make one.

We're gonna make one.

Yes, we are.

♪♪

Right now, I'm scared to death
because we don't have much time.

So, it is time
to start working.

♪♪

Narrator: marty will use
the 8'x24' trailer

As a foundation
for a new mobile homestead.

He'll clad the wood-frame walls
and roof

With reclaimed
galvanized steel,

Salvage windows
from the old cabin,

Insulate the interior,

And install a kitchen
and bathroom

With running water
from a sun-heated barrel,

All in just six days.

So, we've solved one huge issue.

We are going to build a cabin.

The bad news -- I'm going to be
building it with a guy

That built that cabin.

♪♪

Narrator:
the first job is cutting lumber
for the cabin frame.

♪♪

Hold on.
We're going to do

A lot of cutting today,
right?

We are.
Okay.

I didn't like
that sound.

What happened was
you held you hand right here,

On it, on this side.

So, from now on,
never grab this piece

Unless you're
holding it down.

Okay.

Whoa!
Why is your left hand --

I'm still holding it.

I'm left hand dominant.
I'm not really right handed.

I don't care
how you do it.

I don't care if you cut
that thing

With that saw
in your teeth,

Just get your hand off
that other piece.

I got you.

[ Toad croaking ]

Even that croaking toad
is upset.

Why? Because emanuel has
no building skills.

Right, guys?
[ Croaking continues ]

Exactly.

[ Sighs ]

Okay, instead of
measuring each one individually,

For speed, watch.

All we have to do
is measure of these.

When we cut it, it will
mark it for the second one.

♪♪

Get rid of it.
Look. Look.

Do I have to mark
the next one?

No.
Exactly.


Than the average bear, buddy.

Way faster.
Okay.

Watch out.

How are you going
to get that piece out?

Does that line
look straight?

Emanuel:
that is very straight.

Okay.

Emanuel: he's definitely way
more experienced than I am.

I mean, he's actually
done homesteading.

He's actually done
what I'm trying to do,

And I feel that I'm not
doing good enough.

Narrator: coming up...

Misty must build protection
for the homeless chickens.

I'm thinking, like,
to make the chicken tractor,

We can find some wheels.
Okay.

And it's pedal
to the metal

Constructing
the mobile homestead.

Whoa! Whoa!

Where'd you learn how to drive,
cooking school?!

Narrator: in the wooded
wilderness of north carolina,

The raneys are fighting to save
a homestead of horrors.

First-time off-gridders
emanuel and chantel

Have no hunting skills,

Livestock that's under
attack from predators,

And a shack so dangerous,
that marty condemned it

And is starting over
with an ambitious plan

To build an entire cabin
in under a week.

[ Rooster crows ]

It's the raneys' third day,

And misty must provide
the surviving livestock

With an outdoor shelter safe
from deadly predators.

Do you want to grab
that spool of chicken wire?

Chantel: okay.

Losing 43 birds is
quite the blow to a homestead,

And now we're going to build
a safe structure

For these chickens.

It's surprising how much stuff
people have at their fingertips

That they don't use
and aren't using.

I'm thinking, like, to make
some kind of hoop house

But also turn it
into a chicken tractor

If we can find
some wheels.

Narrator: misty plans to use
leftover pvc piping

And wire mesh to build
a fully enclosed hoop house.

She'll make a nesting box
from wood and aluminum,

And the coop will be fully
mobile with bicycle wheels,

Allowing the chicken droppings

To fertilize land
for growing crops.

Misty starts by cutting
the wooden base.

All right.

City girl chantel has
only recently left chicago,

And she's a power-tool newbie.

Start the blade off of the pipe,
and run it straight through.

Perfect.

Hey, I'm getting
the hang of this!

There was five of you
growing up?

Yes, my sister is the oldest,
then it's me,

And then I have
three younger brothers.

I'm in the middle,
and matt is the baby.

Matt is the baby?!
Can't you tell?

Once the baby,
always the baby.

He's the baby
with a shotgun.

Okay, just finish this side,
and the floor the is done.

Yes.
Perfect.

There.
You're doing good.

You did it
all by yourself.

No, we did it together.

[ Both laugh ]

It's pretty empowering
knowing that i, chantel,

With very little
expertise can learn

How to handle some tools
to put some things together.

I think that's a pretty
great accomplishment for myself.

Narrator:
while chantel and misty make
progress on the modest coop...

Start lifting.

...marty and emanuel
have a supersized job.

They must raise
four half-ton frames

Onto the mobile trailer
base by hand.

Another dead lift,
son of a biscuit.

Listen, we don't have
wall jacks to jack walls up.

I don't have any rope.

We're not really close
to any trees.

We don't have scaffold.

I mean, this is 100% full-on,

Cowboy-on-the-homestead
construction.

Okay, up.

Narrator:
marty's only help...

On the tailgate.

...is rookie
homesteader emanuel.

Okay.
Back the truck up.

And with no heavy equipment,
marty's pickup provides

The all-important
horsepower.

Ready?
Yeah!

Whoa! Whoa!

Where'd you learn how to drive,
cooking school?!

Okay.
One, two, three.

Whoa!

Wow!

Grab that end.
Let's get it back on the truck.

Okay. Go slow.
Go slow.

Are we up against
that bolt?

We are.

I'm going to have you --
oh, no. Can you hold it?

What do you want me
to do?

Come over on this side,
please.

Narrator: the half-ton frame
is on the trailer,

And emanuel's new home
finally has walls.

Let's get this outside sheet
on, quick, quick, quick.

Got some thorns?

You happy?
Fine.

What's wrong with you?

Is that your happy look,
because you don't look happy.

Well, I mean --
what's on your mind?

A lot,
but, I'm just --

Tell me.

I'm just mostly
just looking at it.

The cabin now is far beyond
what we built before.

The last cabin,
I'm seeing all kinds of places

For improvement
I could've done.

Hey, listen.
Everybody makes mistakes.

I made
a lot of mistakes.

Do you know that?
I know that now.

Okay. That's all that
really matters

That you know
where the mistake is,

And you know
what the correct way is.

This is a hard lifestyle.

You got to be passionate
about succeeding in the face

Of these immense challenges.

I want to see some fire
in his eyes and the desire

To succeed at off-grid living.

♪♪

Narrator: in the north
carolina wilderness,

A new homestead
is underway,

But the inexperienced couple

Still lack a fundamental
off-grid survival skill.

I see
some deer tracks.

Coming from the city, chantel
doesn't have any experience

With firearms whatsoever,

And if you're going
to live out here

And want to be self-sustaining,

You're going to need firearms
to be able to hunt,

And you need them to be able
to protect your homestead.

This g*n, it's
a slide-action 12-gauge.

If I presented you
with the firearm right now,

That'll be the first time
you ever touched one.

It would be the first time
I'd touched one,

And I'd be very
reluctant to do so.

Is it a healthy respect,
or is it more of a fear?

It's the latter.

You got a fear?
I have a fear.

All right.

We're going to leave shells
completely out of it.

Yep.

And...i'd like you to pick up
that black shotgun right there.

Okay.

Well, this is heavy.

And this is
the first time

You've ever picked up
any firearm?

Yes, my heart is racing
really quickly right now.

♪♪

[ Sighs ]
I can't do this.

If you can't learn these skills
or if you don't want to,

Then I don't know.

I don't know where
we'll go from there.

♪♪

Narrator: in the remote forests
of north carolina,

The raneys are racing
to save a homestead.

Give me another one,
please.

Marty has just days to build
an entire cabin from scratch,

Misty is rushing
to protect livestock

Wiped out by predators,

And in the woods,
matt's simple hunting lesson

Has completely stalled.

My heart is racing
really quickly right now.

[ Sighs ]
I can't do this.

Matt: as soon as we got
out into the woods,

And I put my g*n case down,

I could tell
something was wrong.

I had no idea that you had
such a real fear.

I think it's probably
a good stopping point.

You know, I definitely
have encountered people

That have
a fear for firearms,

And I am
really sympathetic.

We don't have to really delve
into it too deeply,

But we have encountered stuff
in the past where,

I mean, people have legitimate
fears of firearms

And it comes from,
you know, their background,

And sometimes,
it's them living in the city.

Do you think that it's
too touchy of a subject

To kind of go back
to that initial reason

Why you're afraid
of firearms?

In 2015, my youngest brother,
when he was 18,

Was shot
and k*lled in the city,

Shot multiple times

And was left paralyzed
for about a year

And then died from complications
of the sh**ting.

And so,
when I think of firearms,

It makes me think
about him.

And that's
really hard for me.

And misty told me
that you were her baby brother,

And that was
my baby brother.

Yeah. Wow.

I mean, I feel for you.

That is a heavy story.

It is very heavy.

There is definitely, like,
a turning of the page

When you go from living
in the city

To coming out here
and living on a homestead.

It's very healing --
very healing.

Yeah.

You know, my brother
would be like,

"My sister is freaking crazy,
out here living off the land."

But I think he would also be
like, "my sister is cool."

Yeah, he'd be like,
"my sister is cool."

I mean,
it is up to you.

You know, like I said, I mean,
because I'm here, you know?

And I can teach you stuff,
and I can get you trained up

As much as I can
while I'm here.

Right.

And so I don't know
if that needs to be

A motivating factor
or not.

I think
I want to give it

Another try
in honor of my brother.

What you said about your brother
being proud of you, 100%,

I know that's true.

He'd probably actually think
it's cool that I learned

To sh**t a r*fle
to hunt deer.

He'd be like,
"that's amazing, chantel."

Chantel: I can really take
this opportunity

To face that fear
that I have of g*ns

Being used in horrible way
to thinking of it

As a tool to be used
for something good.

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: it's day 5.

The mobile homestead
is paneled and insulated.

Now, marty has two days
to fit a complete interior...

This is the last one.
Sweet.

Narrator: ...and he needs
all hands on deck.

Marty: the heart and soul of the
homestead is the homesteader.

Do they meet every
challenge aggressively?

And when they get knocked down,

Do they just keep
getting back up?

That's a homesteader.

I want to see that manifest

Through some projects
that emanuel

Is going to build himself.

I want to give you
a project.

Okay.

If you can't do it,
let me know right now.

I can do it.

Can you jump this high?
I cannot.

That loft is about


And you guys
have to get in it.

Here's the lumber.

I'm going to
give you this task.

You're going to have to
lay it out for your stairs.

It has to be strong enough
so that chantel

Doesn't break her neck.
Okay.

Okay, so,
this is fully your project.

You're going to design it.
Okay.

Okay.
All right.

Carry on!

All right.

♪♪

I'm definitely
gonna try and do my best.

When he's looking at me
out of the corner of his eye,

I'm going to have
the tape measure

With the pencil going just so.

I'm going to use all his tricks.

Narrator: coming up,
marty teaches more tricks...

Marty: guess what we're
going put in there?

I have no idea, marty.
Plumbing.

Plumbing?!

...and chantel faces
her greatest fear.

Oh, I'm so scared.

Matt:
you can do this.

Narrator: with just one day left
in north carolina,

The new mobile homestead
is a hive of construction.

Misty is revamping furniture
for a kitchen,

And marty has a homestead
hack for the bathroom sink.

Marty: guess what we're going
to put in there?

I have no idea, marty.
Plumbing.

Plumbing?!

Look like a cabinet?

Looks like a cabinet.

Hey, time is money.
Guess who said that?

You.
Wrong! Ben franklin.

In the woods, matt and chantel
are taking another shot

At facing
her fear of firearms

I'm hoping that I would
really take this opportunity

To face that fear
that I have.

I've made this decision.

I've got to do it
in honor of my brother.

Narrator: chantel
tragically lost her brother

In a city sh**ting

And has been afraid
of firearms every since.

All right,
I'm going to hand this to you,

And this is
your choice,

And I think that it's
a really important one, okay?

Okay.

We're in
the wilderness here.

It's not in the city.
It's two different worlds.

It really is,
and you need to start

Thinking like that now.

I'm loading the b*llet
in the magazine.

All right. Good.

When you raise it up, and
when your sight picture is good,

Push the the safety
towards you.

Okay.

And then you can move your
finger inside the trigger guard

And pull the trigger.

All right,
I got my sight picture.

Whoo!

Safety's off.

[ Chuckles ]

[ Breathing shakily ]

Whoo!
I'm so scared.

Smack that trigger.

You're ready.
You know what to do.

Whoo!
You can do this.

Okay.

[ Exhales deeply ]

Aah!
[ Bleep ]

[ Exhales deeply, sniffles ]

♪♪

[ Chuckling ] how you doing?
Are you okay?

[ Exhales deeply ]
I could feel that tension.

I'm totally impressed

That you actually were able
to pull that trigger.

Yeah.

Chantel: when that b*llet
came out of that g*n,

I felt like I was
releasing something.

I was letting go something,
and I had to take a moment

To be with myself
and the spirit of my brother.

When you're ready.

♪♪

Matt: to go on this journey
with chantel

And have her overcome her fear

And to have her turn a page
and find closure,

That's going to stay with me
for the rest of my life.

Whoo!

Matt:
I'm really impressed.

With that, I think you can
do anything on this homestead.

Thank you.
That means a lot.

It means a lot.

Today, I faced my fears, and
I learned some awesome skills,

And homesteading
is for me.

Homesteading is for me.

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator:
it's the raneys' final day

On this once-condemned
homestead.

The next step is to take this
barrel and up on to the roof.

Marty is installing
the solar-heated shower system.

This dark barrel will absorb
heat from the sun,

And then these people
can tap into warm water.

The final structure
to go in the cabin

Is emanuel's
solo-built staircase.

I'm definitely not
the same level as marty is

In terms of construction.

Oh, that's good.

But the way he just kind
of pushes me into doing things,

I'm going to be there.

Misty:
so, what do you think?

This is pretty cool.

Narrator: one week ago,
chantel and emanuel

Were sharing their tiny cabin
with their threatened livestock.

You have chickens
in here?

Yes.

Now, the chickens
are safe outside

In a mobile
predator-proof coop.

This door,
it's spring-loaded.

Chantel: wow!

And to keep it open, you just
attach it to your screw,

Clean-out door.

Nesting boxes.

Whoa.

Narrator: not only will
this chicken tractor

Fertilize the land for crops,

Their eggshells can be used
as a barrier to pests.

You got to feel
how easy it is.

Whoo!

Come on, chicken chicks!

[ Laughs ]

Narrator: the death-trap cabin
has been replaced

With a brand-new galvanized-
steel mobile homestead.

What do you think?
Oh, my gosh.

Misty: it really
turned out nice.

Narrator: instead of
their crumbling plywood kitchen,

There's now a fitted space
with a reclaimed oven,

Sink, and fridge unit.

So, this was a total score.
We found this dresser.

We turned it
into a countertop.

We took the drawers out,
made the cupboard.

Oh, wow!

Connecting the living room
to the loft bedroom

Is emanuel's
very own staircase.

Emanuel, since you built it,
you go first.

Yeah, you go first.

Catch me if I fall.

Oh, it's sturdy.
It's sturdy.

Whoa!

This is nice!
This is beautiful!

Got enough headroom?

Oh, yeah.
This is my side.

Yeah. [ Laughs ]

Chantel: emanuel, I think he's
taken on some of marty's ways,

And I can see that change
in him -- eager.

And I miss that fire
from him.

Narrator: finally, the bathroom
has been transformed

From a potential death trap

To a safe, solar-heated shower
and reclaimed bathtub.

All right.
This is where I shower?

Marty: yeah.
Wow!

Would you like a towel
to dry off?

[ Laughs ]

You have a sink pedestal,
which serves as storage.

Oh, look at that!

Your toothbrush,
his and hers,

Are actually the shotgun shells
that you shot.

That is awesome!
That is amazing!

All right.
Oh, yeah.

You look different
right this second.

This is
the most genuine smile

That I've seen
since we've been here.

I feel different.

Emanuel:
I think I'm always going

To hear marty's voice
in the background motivating me

To go beyond
my own ability

Or to actually stay on task
or to stay moving.

The whole thing was
a big confidence boost.

Marty had me doing some things
I had never done.

This house is amazing,
but even more,

The experience and the skills
and just listening,

The active listening
that you all gave us,

Worth millions
and millions

And millions and beyond
millions of dollars.

You're welcome.
And thank you.

It's time to say,
"goodbye."

Emanuel: thank you.
You're welcome.

And thank you.
You're welcome.

This is the beginning,
and we can really focus

On making our dreams come true
further here

At our homestead.

♪♪

♪♪

It's been two months
since you left us,

And we're loving
our new home.

We're loving it!

Since our trailer is mobile,
it's given us the chance

To move on to larger land

Where we can expand our flock
of all our animals.

We bought a bunch of chickens
and built another chicken coop.

We got really crafty
with this handle right here.

Yeah, this was
a marty-style thing.

And so, our windows
from our old place, repurposing.

Emanuel: and right now, it's
working as a chicken brooder.

This little bird
came from our eggs,

And they are not
in the house.

We used the panels
from our torn-down trailer,

And we set them up here
in the new place,

And it's providing all
of our electrical needs.

We have not purchased a g*n yet
for our homestead,

But I definitely have plans to
so I can utilize

All the game
that's out here.

But I have had
the opportunity

To process
our own chickens here.

And homesteading is
for us.

It's definitely for us.

Let's go pick
some spinach.

Thanks for the rescue!
[ Chuckles ]