Former Illinois residents Jason and Jennifer Remillard dreamed of living a simple, debt-free life.
The couple purchased a $50,000, 58-acre property in Maine in 2019 near the Canadian border.
They turned two $12,000 Amish sheds into their home, connecting them with a custom-built hallway.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jason Remillard, 49, and his wife Jennifer Remillard, 55, who left the Chicago suburbs to retire on a Maine homestead.
They built their dream home out of two $12,000 Amish sheds, which are built one at a time using traditional techniques instead of mass-produced. The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
My wife Jen and I lived in a small town called Wauconda just outside of Chicago. Jen was a supervisor in the photo lab at Costco, and I was the director of quality and operations for a touchscreen manufacturer.
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The Remillards saved for 10 years to make their Maine homestead a reality.
Courtesy of Jason Remillard
We were the typical American family. We’d sit down on the couch and we’d watch TV. Then we’d go to bed, and wake up. Rinse and repeat every day.
In about 2010, we decided that once all six kids were graduated and out of the house, we wanted to live an off-grid lifestyle and homestead. We spent 10 years preparing for the transition.
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The Remillards dreamed of a simple life after living in the suburbs for years.
Courtesy of Jason Remillard
In January 2019, we found a piece of property in Maine on LandWatch.com. We flew up a week after we saw it, and hiked a mile and a half in knee-deep snow with our real-estate agent to look at it. We fell in love with it.
It’s in the Houlton area of Maine, about three and half hours north of Portland. We’re at the end of an unmaintained road on the Canadian border.
We paid $50,000 for 58 acres.
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I loved the privacy of it. We only have a few neighbors within a mile of us.
We dreamed of a debt-free lifestyle off the grid
The back of the Remillards’ home.
Courtesy of Jason Remillard
In June 2021, we sold our Wauconda home. We packed up our trailer and U-Haul, dropped our son off at the Marine Corps, and drove out here.
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When we left Illinois, we wanted everything paid off. The property was $50,000, the vehicles were $40,000, the two Amish cabins were $24,000, and the solar panels were $12,000. Over four years, we put all that money aside so that when we stepped on the property in 2021 we didn’t have to worry about anything.
It allows me to work two and half hours a day on the property and maintain this lifestyle without worrying about heavy debt. It’s about being able to work on your home, work on improving your life, without spending two-thirds of your day at a job that you don’t like.
It was really just a mad dash to figure out what the game plan was. We had no experience with this lifestyle. We made hundreds of to-do lists.
The first thing we had to do was mow the lawn. Then we worked on rebuilding the fence and had a gravel pad — a foundation for our homes — installed. We had to clean out the old shed that was on the property and fix up a temporary storage building.
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It was just a lot of busy work. We installed solar panels so that we weren’t running on a generator 24 hours a day. We had to cut enough firewood for the winter.
Being at the end of an unmaintained road, the Border Patrol informed us that our property was used as a “lovers lane,” a place for young people to go and just mess around. So, we put up a fence along the road section of our property, just to let people know that we are actually living here now.
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The Amish sheds give us flexibility for a permanent home
The Remillards got the idea to build a home out of Amish sheds from their neighbors.
Courtesy of Jason Remillard
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In 2020, when we had the property but were still living full-time in Illinois, we met one of our Maine neighbors on a trip. They were kind enough to invite us over and they showed us the Amish shed they had for their home.We weren’t really sure what route we wanted for our forever home, but we saw theirs and just thought, “Hey, we could do this, too.”
We reached out to Sturdi-Built Storage Buildings in Smyrna, Maine. We designed our own cabins, everything from where the windows are to where the doors are.
We’re so glad we didn’t go the log cabin route because these buildings are so incredibly versatile. Since we’ve had them, we’ve built a porch on one side. We’re going to add a sun room to another side next year.
My first thought was to put them in an L shape. But then my concern was that the snow here in the winter. If I had my two cabins in an L shape, inside the L there would just be a massive pile of snow when it all slid off the roof.
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If I were a professional carpenter, I could connect the two buildings at the roofline and make them look seamless like one building. But I’m not that guy. So, I built a small 5×5 hallway between the two buildings. It was the extent of my abilities, but it works fantastic.
When the cabins were delivered, they were just shells. The floor had insulation, but wasn’t finished, and the walls were just 2x4s. There was no electrical, plumbing, or siding. We went through our first winter with no siding on our walls. We had to do everything. We spent around $10,000 making the two sheds into our home.
All of the hard work that Jen and I have done — I wouldn’t trade that for anything.
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If someone wants a big, elaborate place, the Amish shed probably isn’t for you. This is for someone who wants a small footprint for their home. But they’re adaptable to any environment, down south in Texas, out in Appalachia, up in Oregon, the Midwest, and, of course, here in Maine.
We’ve documented this journey on YouTube. It’s to show people out there who aren’t in their 20s that no matter how old you get, you can still follow your dreams.
Rabbi Levi Wilansky is the director of Chabad of Maine.
Last week, an 88-year-old Army veteran named Ed Bambas went viral.
An Australian TikToker saw the elderly man standing behind a cash register, when Ed shared that he works eight hours a day, five days a week.
It’s not because Ed loves working retail, but because 13 years ago, he lost his pension and life insurance when General Motors went bankrupt. Around the same time, his wife fell gravely ill and he sold their home to pay her medical bills. Seven years ago, Ed’s wife passed away and he is still working full-time at a grocery store — just to survive.
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Within days, strangers who watched the video had set up a GoFundMe and raised more than $1.5 million to help this veteran retire with dignity.
Ed’s story shows the power that one person had to spark a major wave of kindness around the world. Through just one short video, a social media influencer unleashed immense generosity from people who just wanted to help a stranger.
This same dynamic is reflected in the menorah, the central symbol of the festival of Chanukah, coming up this year from December 14-22. For each night of the eight-day holiday, we light the menorah, gather with family and friends, and retell the story of the Macabbees.
On the first night, we light the menorah with just one candle. Each subsequent night of the holiday, we add another candle, until all eight lights are kindled on the last night. The second century sage Hillel learned a lesson from this order: that it’s not enough to just spread light. Rather, we must always be increasing in the light we share.
This can be done practically through acts of kindness in the community. To address darkness in its many manifestations — mental illness, poverty, homelessness or the myriad other issues that people in Maine are facing — we cannot just do one good deed and call it a day. Instead, we must begin with one small act of kindness, and then build off that to do more to help the community.
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That’s why this year, Chabad of Maine launched Kitchen of Kindness. It’s a non-denominational initiative, bringing together volunteers from across our community to prepare nutritious, high-quality Kosher meals for people facing food insecurity throughout Southern Maine. During this season, when so many gather with family, food support is critical for those struggling.
The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, once called America a malchut shel chesed — a nation of kindness. Despite the numerous challenges we face, that spirit lives on — especially in Maine. It lives in the stranger who helps you dig out your car after a storm. It lives in the recognition that we’re responsible for one another, especially during our dark winters when isolation can turn dangerous.
This Sunday, December 14, the first night of Chanukah, I invite people of all backgrounds to join us in front of Portland City Hall for a grand menorah lighting. Starting at 4:30 p.m., we’ll have live music, a Giant Gelt Drop, and delicious Chanukah treats. We will also be building a “Can-ora”—a menorah constructed entirely from donated canned goods, all of which will be distributed to people in need. Throughout the rest of Chanukah, Chabad of Maine will light menorahs across Southern Maine, including at the State Capitol.
My hope for this Chanukah is to inspire everyone to spread the light. Whether it’s donating to the “Can-Ora”, volunteering, raising money for a cause you believe in, or simply checking in on a neighbor who might be struggling, we all have a responsibility to increase in goodness and kindness. The story of Ed Bambas, and of the menorah, teaches us that even though the world faces challenges, our capacity to make a difference begins with one act of light.
The Grand Menorah Lighting takes place Sunday, December 14, at 4:30 p.m. in front of City Hall, followed by a community celebration at Portland High School’s Chestnut Street entrance. To learn more about the Kitchen of Kindness or to volunteer, visit ChabadOfMaine.com or email [email protected].
PORTLAND, Maine — Loons are on the mend in Maine, filling more of the state’s lakes and ponds with their haunting calls, although conservations say the birds aren’t out of the woods yet.
Maine is home to a few thousand of the distinctive black-and-white waterbirds — the East Coast’s largest loon population — and conservationists said efforts to protect them from threats helped grow the population. An annual count of common loons found more adults and chicks this year than last, Maine Audubon said this week.
The group said it estimated a population for the southern half of Maine of 3,174 adult loons and 568 chicks. Audubon bases its count on the southern portion of Maine because there are enough bird counters to get a reliable number. The count is more than twice the number when they started counting in 1983, and the count of adult adult loons has increased 13% from 10 years ago.
“We’re cautiously optimistic after seeing two years of growing chick numbers,” said Maine Audubon wildlife ecologist Tracy Hart. “But it will take several more years before we know if that is a real upward trend, or just two really good years.”
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Maine lawmakers have attempted to grow the population of the loons with bans on lead fishing tackle that the birds sometimes accidentally swallow. Laws that limit boat speeds have also helped because they prevent boat wakes from washing out nests, conservation groups say.
It’s still too early to know if Maine’s loons are on a sustainable path to recovery, and the success of the state’s breeding loons is critical to the population at large, Hart said. Maine has thousands more loons than the other New England states, with the other five states combining for about 1,000 adults. The state is home to one of the largest populations of loons in the U.S., which has about 27,000 breeding adults in total.
Minnesota has the most loons in the lower 48 states, with a fairly stable population of about 12,000 adults, but they are in decline in some parts of their range.
While loons are not listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, they are considered threatened by some states, including New Hampshire and Michigan. The U.S. Forest Service also considers the common loon a sensitive species.
The birds migrate to the ocean in late fall and need a long runway to take off, meaning winter can be a treacherous time for the birds because they get trapped by ice in the lakes and ponds where they breed, said Barb Haney, executive director of Avian Haven, a wildlife rehabilitation center in Freedom, Maine.
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“We’re getting a lot of calls about loons that are iced in,” Haney said, adding that the center was tending to one such patient this week.
The Maine Lottery offers several games for those aiming to win big.
You can pick from national lottery games, like the Powerball and Mega Millions, or a variety of local and regional games, like the Pick 3, Pick 4 and Gimme 5.
While your odds of winning a big jackpot in the Powerball or Mega Millions are generally pretty slim (here’s how they compare to being struck by lightning or dealt a royal flush), other games offer better odds to win cash, albeit with lower prize amounts.
Here’s a look at Friday, Dec. 12, 2025 results for each game:
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Winning Mega Millions numbers from Dec. 12 drawing
10-50-55-58-59, Mega Ball: 05
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from Dec. 12 drawing
Day: 7-8-7
Evening: 2-2-6
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
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Winning Pick 4 numbers from Dec. 12 drawing
Day: 4-2-5-7
Evening: 7-7-0-7
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Dec. 12 drawing
06-20-23-30-36, Lucky Ball: 11
Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.
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Winning Gimme 5 numbers from Dec. 12 drawing
09-11-12-30-37
Check Gimme 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Maine Lottery drawings held?
Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3, 4: 1:10 p.m. (Day) and 6:50 p.m. (Evening) ET daily.
Lucky For Life: 10:38 p.m. ET daily.
Lotto America: 10:15 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.
Where can you buy lottery tickets?
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
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Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.
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