Ethan and Sarah Hughes have a vision for the future that starts with the present moment. For more than three years, the Hughes have managed an 80-acre farm in La Plata, Mo. But this is no ordinary family or farm. The Hughes use no electricity or fossil fuels, and they grow almost all of their own food, teach courses in permaculture and host visitors from all over the world.

And they don't charge a dime for any of it.

They call their enterprise the Possibility Alliance. They want to show that it is not only possible to live a life free of electricity and petroleum, but that it is satisfying and enriching as well.

Ethan and Sarah started the alliance in 2007, the same year their daughter Etta was born. The first thing they did was unplug the house. Then they set to planting orchards, building an outdoor kitchen, setting up animal fencing, and putting in more gardens. In 2010, they hosted 1,500 people from all over the world and offered courses in permaculture, natural building, canning and sustainable forestry. The farm is rich with diversity, producing honey, fruit, vegetables, milk, cheese, and eggs.

The Possibility Alliance is much more than a farm. At its essence, it is an experiment in living out a bold vision for radical simplicity.

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Draft horses Solomon and Muse provide the muscle and Possibility Alliance members Amanda Packard (obscured behind horse) and Adam Mitchell provide the direction. The farmers are preparing the field for the planting of winter wheat.