John and Esther Atwell — along with their children, Benya, 20; Jordan, 18; Nathaniel, 16; and Sophia, 12 — live on 10 acres in Kurtistown, Hawaii, growing fruit and spice trees, multiple permaculture beds, a taro patch, and an experimental garden bed.
The Atwells, one of three families designated as our 2016 Homesteaders of the Year, perform an inspiring patchwork of jobs, including freelance writing and consulting; working early mornings at the airport; babysitting; mucking out horse stalls; landscaping; waiting tables; and selling homemade baked goods, heirloom seeds, saplings, and seedlings at a local market. John and Esther grow some of their own food, run a small nursery operation that focuses on tropical fruit trees, and are local distributors for heirloom and organic seeds. The family is working to secure…