All language subtitles for Homestead.Rescue.S12E10.1080p.WEB.h264-FREQUENCY_track3_[eng]

[Matt] Holy smokes.

What am I looking at here?

A lava tube.

Is there a way
to get down in there?

-Yeah.
-Yeah.

Lava tubes are made by lava
flowing through the ground.

And there's tons
of volcanic activity

right here
on this part of the island.

You've had a lot
of experience with lava?

Really?

It's pretty dangerous.

[Matt]
The Big Island is wild.

[Marty] At first glance,
the Big Island of Hawaii
is a paradise.

Punch it!

[Misty] But there's this
whole other set of challenges

that you wouldn't
even imagine.

Living so close
to the volcano has created
incredible difficulties.

[Misty] That's lava rock.

[Marty] There's not
a drop of water here.

Feral hogs are
destroying and devastating
this homestead.

Let's lift it up.

[Marty] They're all invested.

They all work
every single day.

[Misty] Good job.

[Marty] What we do
is either gonna make
or break this homestead.

[animal snorting]

[Matt speaking]

[narrator] Marty Raney,
master builder
and stonemason.

[Marty] I don't see
problems on homesteads.

I see challenges.

[narrator] Daughter Misty,
garden and food
preservation expert.

[Misty] I believe
you can grow food anywhere.

[narrator] And son Matt,
skilled craftsman
and predator protection.

[Matt] Wildlife
is a constant threat,

but I draw the line
between their home
and your homestead.

[narrator] Together,
they use Alaskan knowhow...

-Let's find some power!
-[woman] Yeah!

...and ingenuity...

[man] It's perfect!

...to save
the off-grid dreams

of desperate homesteaders.

[Marty] We work
every second we can,

trying to help
complete strangers.

That's who we are.

Right now, we're driving
across the island,

and there's a big volcano
on each side.

[Misty] When you look around,
there's lava fields for acres.

So when it comes
to growing anything,
It's pretty problematic.

We visited homesteads
in Hawaii before.

And when it comes
to the Big Island,
don't be fooled

because this is
a tough place to homestead.

[object blaring]

[narrator]
Having rescued families
in the state before,

the Raneys have
unmatched experience

with Hawaii's
unique obstacles.

And now, they've responded
to a call for help

on the southeast side
of the Big Island,

situated between
two active volcanoes,
Mauna Loa and Kilauea,

where recent eruptions
have covered the land
in jagged volcanic rock

and the air in deadly vog
and acid rain.

The fierce power
of nature has created
historic droughts,

trade winds
reaching 25 miles per hour

and invasive predators
like wild boar and mongoose.

It's here, facing
overwhelming difficulties
from Mother Nature,

where the Ridgely family's
homesteading dream
threatens to dry up.

I'm Annie Ridgely,

and I live here
on this 80-acre
macadamia nut farm.

We're here
on the southeast side
of the Big Island of Hawaii.

And I have lived here
with my four kids
for four years.

Having a sustainable farm,
where I live off-grid,

homeschooling my kids
and producing macadamia nuts

for sale
at a local farmer's market
has been my dream.

But it's been really tough

because I wasn't
doing it alone
when I first came.

Over a year ago,
I was separated,
and now divorced.

On top of all that,
Mother Nature has been
a challenge.

We have a lot of droughts
during the dry season.

This last season,
we didn't have enough water

for the animals
or the garden.

I am nestled right in between
two volcanoes.

North of me is Kilauea
and Mauna Loa is behind me.

And Mauna Loa
just erupted last year.

A big risk of the
volcano is the vog,

where the emissions
from the volcano
mix with the rain,

and it creates
sulfuric acid rain.

Makes it really hard
to grow things.

Especially in the
flowering stage,

it'll just kill everything.

We've tried every year
to plant a garden
and grow our food.

But there's
nowhere on the homestead
that doesn't have lava rock.

One of the huge issues are
the disease-carrying pigs.

They tear up the gardens,

they tear out
the topsoil that I do have.

They're a danger
to the children

when they're out playing.

And they've
completely ripped open
and gutted our dogs.

My dad came when I first got
separated with my husband
to come and live with me

and help me
keep things operating.

But he had a heart issue,

so he's not here
helping me anymore.

And now, I'm trying
to do everything alone.

Raneys, I'm not sure
how much longer
we can survive

if you don't come help us.

[Misty] Hi.

Oh, my goodness!
Look at all these
beautiful children.

-What's your name?
-Annie.

I'm just--

[voice breaking]
I'm just grateful
you're here.

Are you a single mom?

Yeah.

So, I can't relate to that.

But I can relate
to raising four kids,
two boys and two girls.

[Annie]
I hadn't anticipated

having all of that
emotion take over.

Just knowing that the Raneys
are willing and able to help,
uh, was overwhelming.

[Marty] I couldn't imagine
doing that on our own.

Not to mention having this.

-I mean, how many
acres do you have?
-Eighty.

-Eighty acres.
-How many?

Eighty acres.

I'd be crying, too.

[Marty]
And who is this guy?

My name is Matt.

-[Marty] Matt,
nice to meet you.
-Family friend.

[Marty] How is it you know
this beautiful family?

-So our kids
dance hula together.
-[Marty] I love it.

-So are you going to be able
to work with us all week?
-Yes, sir.

-[Misty] So you've
called us here for a reason.
-Yup.

I lived in Alaska
for 20 years,

and I spent that time
learning how to live

a real natural life
off the land.

After 20 years
of being there,

the harsh conditions
were really starting to play
a toll on me and my family.

And so the thought
of being in Hawaii

and being able to have
this year-round lifestyle

is really what
we're wanting to do.

I thought that I knew
how to homestead,

and it was going
to be really easy,

but I thought I knew
more than I did.

I also didn't know
that I was going to be
facing challenges alone.

My husband and I
moved here together,

and about a year ago,
things started
to go downhill.

And my ex-husband said,

"I don't wanna
have anything to do
with the farm anymore."

And as we separated,
getting a divorce has been

one of the hardest things
I've ever done.

But what I love about
what I already created here

is that my kids are already
into this lifestyle.

Having 80 acres
is a lot to manage,

and I'm trying
to be strong for my kids.

Just trying to maintain
this lifestyle for them
is important.

I love to work
with my siblings.

And I know
it's super important

for my mom
that we're so invested.

[Annie] We got
some ripe ones here.

Their love for nature,
their respect
for the environment,

their love for one another,

I do want to carry
that forward in their life.

And this homestead
is my dream,

and I think
it's worth saving.

[Misty] So show me
the garden.

[Annie] Yeah.
I'll show you the latest.

[Misty] What the--

When's the last time
you cleared all this back?

Probably...
I want to say six weeks.

-[Misty] No.
-Yes.

So here's another block.

Oh, my gosh.

This is like
The Secret Garden.

-Yeah.
-This is The Secret Garden.

[Annie] The idea was
was this would be
super manageable.

I would just
grow things on the ground.

But the biggest challenge,
first of all, was the lava.

-Okay.
-So there isn't much topsoil.

This is lava rock.

Like, it's just like
walking on concrete.

[Annie] So, I made
some boxes.

But then the drought.

-Yeah, no water.
-Having that drought season

was just really
tough for us. Yeah.

And then when it does rain,

if the volcano
is currently erupting,

the emissions
from the volcano makes vog,

and then
the rain's really acidic,

and so it'll come
on to these plants
and burn them.

That's crazy.

[narrator] Vog,
or volcanic smog,

is a hazard
associated with Hawaii,

and the specific gases

emitted from
volcanic emissions
mixed with moisture.

Once it rains,
the rainfall passing
through the vog

creates acid rain,

and can cause
chemical burns on plants.

Unless treated,
water supplies tainted
by sulfuric acid

can lead to increased risk
of heart attacks
and respiratory problems.

[Annie] This is
about a 15,000-gallon
catchment system.

[Misty] Okay.
And so during the drought,

how much rain
were you able to collect?

We weren't collecting any.

-You didn't even
have water yourself?
-No, we didn't have water.

-No, yeah. Yeah.
-Okay.

I've been trying
to keep everything

really hopeful
for the kids' sake.

-[Misty] Yeah.
-And almost putting on
a front every day.

So it's a little bit
like getting kicked
while you're down.

[Misty]
I feel bad for Annie.

She's got a lot of kids
to take care of.

And because
she's a single mom,

she puts on the happy face,
but I can see through it.

My time will be such a waste
if I don't figure out

how I can best help Annie

and not add
more to her plate.

-What does this
homestead do for water?
-Catchment.

[Marty] And it never really
gets into drought season
or something weird?

[Ortega] We just--
We had one this past year.

The drought was,
like, eight months long.

-What?
-Everything was dead
around here.

[Marty] It rains a lot
in this region,

more than most places
on planet Earth,

and you're telling me
there's no water

-anywhere to be found
on this homestead?
-Yes, sir.

She had to choose,
you know,

"All right, kids,
you're going to shower today

because we've got
to water the lettuce."

There is a ag--
Agricultural water line.

Tell me about
that water line.

It comes
from an old reservoir

that was built
back in the 1800s.

And on the
other side of her--

The top of her property,
there's an access
to the line.

[Marty] Hold on, hold on.

-Is this homestead
tapped into it?
-No.

There's not enough line
to make it down.

It's about
a mile-and-a-half from here.

I haven't been
on this homestead
for one hour.

Guess what
I just discovered?

This family
doesn't have water.

-Can we go over there?
-Yes, we can.

[Marty]
This family needs water.

[Ortega] Right through here.

And to this day,
the water line,

the system is still there.

Why don't we tap into it
and get free water

that will never
run out for Annie.

You're telling me,
in the 1800s...

-[Ortega] Mm-hm.
-...this water system
was put in?

-Yes, sir.
-Where is the source
of it, please?

Up on the higher slope
of Mauna Loa.

-So, off the volcano?
-Mm-hm.

There's lava tubes
on the side of the mountain,

and then water is coming out,
so they collected that

and run it straight to this.

More importantly,
it's uncontaminated,

-beautiful water.
-Mm-hm.

And it's okay
if we tap into that water?

[Ortega] That's what
I'm being told.

[Marty] What else?

So these two trees
are very dangerous

because, as you can see,
the weight of itself
broke it off,

just from being so big.

There are
two massive Albizia trees.

And they're right next door
to the water line.

And branches
rain down from above
due to the high winds,

and that can do damage
to that ag line.

I'll tell you right now,
those trees gotta go.

Do you know what that is?

[Joy] That is pig remnants.

[Matt] The pigs
are getting comfortable,

and you're seeing them
around your house a lot.

We might have to do something
about that while we're here.

Well, we all know
how to climb trees.

We've had to do that before.

Wait, wait, wait,
wait, wait. Hold on.

You're telling me
everybody on this homestead

has had to run up a tree
to get away from feral hogs?

-Yes.
-Yeah.

-So you see them
coming in closer now.
-Yeah.

Well, maybe that
could be the reason

why you would want
to start hunting them.

Having the skills
to be able to take down a pig,

I think,
is really important.

I knew
it wasn't going to be long

before we found
some evidence
of these wild hogs,

and that tells me
we need a place of refuge.

I'm gonna teach them
everything I know
about hunting,

and how to defend
their livestock,

and try to actually use
the pigs as a food source.

I think I have
some pretty good ideas
of how I can help.

But I got to tell you,
it's going to be
a real challenge.

I've never met
a homesteader ever

with this much responsibility
on their shoulders.

Hawaii had
an unusually long drought.

There's not
a drop of water here,

but there's a water source
used by every farmer
in this valley,

except this farm.

We're going to see
if we can get it from
point A to point Annie.

[Misty]
When you think Hawaii,

you think
it's going to be easy.

And Annie, she moved here
and was like,

"I'm going
to live the dream."

But I think the dream
is way too overwhelming
at this point.

Annie says there's about
an inch of topsoil here.

So she had
these raised beds.

They're overtaken
by the jungle.

You can't even see them.

Mongoose, these wild hogs.

I mean,
when it comes to gardening,

she's really struggling
on the side of this volcano.

I walked around with these
four amazing children,

and the feral hogs
are definitely a problem.

Everybody on this homestead
has been chased or charged.

-Wow.
-Oh, my gosh.

Okay?

And the problem's
getting worse and worse.

I don't think she's living
the dream right now
in this moment.

More of a nightmare.

Let's go tell them them.

-Hey, guys, let's have a chat.
-[Annie] Hey.

You guys came
a long ways from Alaska
to homestead in Hawaii.

And it's pretty daunting
to see the amount of effort
it takes to be successful.

But even though
you guys work every day,

it's still kind of
overwhelming, right?

[Joy] Mm-hm.

-That said,
there's a water ag line...
-[Misty] Yeah.

...that's running
at the top of your property.

Would it help you
to get that water
from there to here?

-Yes.
-Okay.

[Misty] Here's the deal.

I think there are
some missing pieces to your
gardening, farming puzzle.

-Yes.
-And I think it's because

you're on the side
of an active volcano.

What would be
the best thing we could do
is find a local farmer

that is successfully growing,

and we could,
kind of, pick his brain

and see how he's doing it.

-I appreciate that.
-[Misty] Yeah.

This group of kids,
they're so integrated
into everything

that this property is about.

The main takeaway is
this homestead is under
threat from wild hogs.

But I also
am really into the idea

of using the feral hogs
as a food source.

Yeah.

[Matt] And making
a safe area,

where you could hunt them
with a bow.

-Cool. All right.
-[Marty] Raise your hand
if you want to help us.

-All right.
-Hey, hey, hey.

Okay. On that note,

-as the sun
comes up behind Kilauea...
-[Annie] Yup.

...we're going
to be ready to work.

-Incredible.
-[Marty] Fair enough?

-Thank you.
-Incredible.

[Marty]
And that means you, too.

-See you later.
-[Misty] See you guys
in the morning.

-See you.
-[Annie] Thank you.

[Marty] Don't thank us yet.

[narrator] It's the first
full day of the rescue

on the Ridgely family's
eighty-acre homestead.

[rooster crowing]

[narrator] And this morning...

-Who is this?
-That's Gabriel.

...Matt and the
Ridgely children

investigate the property's
dwindling livestock.

Since we moved here,
I've had about 60 chickens,

but we had an issue
with wild pigs.

And then there were
so many of them

the Obi and Rye
would just catch them,

so we started
throwing them in a pen.

Who "harvested"
or dispatched the pig?

-Me, of course.
-[Matt] Really?

You've harvested a pig,

and you know
how to field dress it
and butcher it?

Yup.

Wow.

[narrator]
A few miles away...

-[Misty] We made it.
-[Annie] Awesome.

...Misty and Annie
visit a neighbor

who's mastered
the art of gardening

in the region's
unforgiving terrain.

-Hi.
-[Don] Hi.

-Aloha. Good, Misty.
-[Misty] How's it going? Don?

Yes, Don.

[Misty] I've spent
a lot of time in Hawaii,

and we visited homesteads
in Hawaii before.

So we know
Hawaii has different climates

even just
a couple of miles
down the road.

What a beautiful place.

I'm glad you appreciate it.

[Misty] So to have
this kind of local knowledge
at our fingertips is perfect.

The main reason why we're here
is we're trying to figure out

how do you garden
on the side of a volcano.

We'd love to just take a tour,
pick your brain.

And hopefully,
by the end of today,

-we're coming up with a plan
of what we want to do.
-Great.

-[Misty] Okay, let's go.
-Right this way.

[Misty] So pretty.

Wow.

[Don] Well, Misty,
this is the beginning
of my vegetable garden.

[Misty] Cool.

So I see that you have
some fencing up.

[Don] I use
two different types of fence.

-The hog fence
to keep the pigs out.
-[Misty] Mm-hm.

[Don] And welded wire

to keep out
some of the smaller pests.

And I've mounded up
this lava rock barrier
on the bottom of the fence

so that if pigs
are on the outside,

they try,
they're not gonna get in here.

Okay, I like it.
That's really good.

-This is
a pretty small footprint.
-[Don] Yes.

I've lowered the ground
almost 18 inches...

-[Misty] Yeah.
-...because that's the space

that all the big
lava rocks were holding.

-[Misty] Oh.
-So I had to get those out.

-Because you can't spade
into a ground with lava rock.
-[Misty] No.

Let's look at some of
the plants you're growing.

These might be
the most shallow

raised beds I've ever seen.
Look at these guys.

You've got,
like, two by sixes.

-[Annie] Right.
-[Misty] You've got
a bed out of chain.

-And it's working.
-It's working.

You've made
with such minimal soil,

you've made it work.

And, like,
look at these veggies.

Like, they look great.

What I really appreciate
about Don is

he's using
materials at hand, right?

In this case, lava rock.

He uses it
in the soil building,

he's using it
with retaining walls,

he's using it
in the garden beds.

He's, like,
mounding it up for barriers.

If there is a way
to use a lava rock,
he's doing it.

Because guess what?
That's all you have.

Don, what I love
is that you're not fighting
what's here.

You created a space
using the lava rock.

And it's been
really helpful

-knowing that it doesn't
have to be big...
-Yeah, yeah.

...to feed your family.

The garden has been
really challenging.

But to be able
to learn from mistakes,

so my family
is able to eat healthy

and we can be
fully self-sufficient
here on the homestead

in a way that's manageable
for me to do

is really incredible.

[Misty] I'm so grateful
that we came here.

Thanks for taking
time out of your day.

I know you're
a busy man, clearly.

-So we'll let you
get back to work.
-Okay.

[narrator]
Back on the homestead...

It's a big one.

Okay, folks,
here comes the cavalry.

[narrator] To take down
the massive Albizia trees,

Marty calls in
a local miller,

who has helped the Raneys
on the Big Island before.

Matt and Matt,
meet Jeff Anderson.

Here we are.

Holy moly! I love it.

Okay, I like it.
Bring it back.

Okay. Go for it.

[Marty] Let's try to go up.

Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Hang on.

I like that.

You did a good job.
I appreciate it.

What'd you bring us?

Once you get
this thing fired up,

you're not gonna have
any problem.

[Marty] So we're looking
at two big Albizia trees,

and we don't travel
with any saws big enough.

So I knew you did,
so I gave him a call.

Wait, wait, wait, wait.

Is this
gonna be big enough?

[Ortega] Albizia trees
roll with that wind
all year long

until, you know,
a few short months,

the wind changes directions
and it blows the other way,

and it'll break branches off
very, very quickly.

Pretty dangerous.

So I'm really glad
Marty's here to help
my friend out.

[Marty] This is
the agricultural line
right here.

We're gonna deal with it
one step at a time,

so we're gonna try
to roll the ag line

back out of the way of that

ominous, looming threat
to the homestead
and to the water.

[narrator] Native to Africa,
Albizia trees can grow
up to 15 feet a year,

making them one of the
fastest-growing trees
in the world.

Due to their
wind-dispersed pods
and disease susceptibility,

they are categorized
as an invasive species
in the United States

and can quickly take over
farms and open spaces.

These mammoth
omnidirectional trees

are especially dangerous
in Hawaii's tropical climate,

where they outgrow
their root systems

and can reach heights
over 150 feet.

That's a beast,
and it's quite a leaner.

So looking at it
from this vantage point,

it tells me that it's going
to crack off with it

-once it starts going.
-[Jeff] Oh, yes.

Regardless of that wind,
we don't have time to spare.

We're going to go for it.

[narrator] Marty will first
bring down the two largest
Albizia trees

causing safety issues

and preventing him
from tapping into
the nearby ag line.

Next, he'll attach
unused water hosing
to the ag line

and run it
a mile to the home

so they can have
running water
for years to come.

[Marty] All right.

This is probably
not a good sign.

[Ortega] No, it's not.

Someone's run
a chainsaw bar in there...

-[Ortega] In there.
-...and probably
poisoned the tree.

-Yes, they did.
-[Marty] The plot thickens

because now we don't know

how weak or unstable
this tree is.

It's not very common
for a homesteader

to cut his own
Albizia trees down.

Some pour in some poison
and wait for the tree to die.

But eventually,
those massive trees
will crash down

and destroy
everything in their path.

Ready?

[chainsaw whirring]

[Marty] We need to cut
this huge tree down

before we can get started
on the water line.

[chainsaw whirring]

[tree pops]

What's that noise?

-What?
-[Jeff] Get out.

Yeah, get out of the tree.
Are you stuck?

-[Marty] What was that noise?
-[Jeff] Relaxing.

The tree relaxing, yeah.

It's popping. It's just
pretty reactionary wood.

-So it's relaxing
a little bit with a pop.
-I don't like it.

Here we go,
here we go,
here we go.

Hold the saw, please.
Scalpel!

[chainsaw whirring]

[Marty]
We're trying to cut
a huge tree down,

and it's almost
twenty feet in circumference.

There's no stopping now.

We've got to whittle
that wedge out of here

and get this thing
on the ground.

The canopy of leaves
catch all that wind,

and they compound the risk.

In fact,
if I was a smarter man,

I would not cut
this tree down.

But here we go.

Look out.

You ready for this?

[Jeff] Give it a try.

Don't go too deep.

You all right?

That's the most
dangerous tree

-I've ever cut in my life.
-[Jeff] That's the most
dangerous--

-Look what it did.
-[Jeff] I know.

-Oh, this is the rot.
-[Marty] It's complete--

It's completely rotten.
Look at it.

-Nothing at all
was holding up.
-[Jeff] No.

[Marty] We didn't
get into it 12 inches

before it just said,
"We're going"

because of this.

Rotten.

The most dangerous tree
on planet Earth
is a dead tree.

Number one danger tree
on the ground.

Number two is next.

But I'm fully aware
that it's most likely
rotten in the middle.

Here we go again.

Walk into my life.

[narrator] After learning
how to successfully grow
on volcanic terrain,

Misty and Annie get to work
on building a new garden.

[Misty] Hi.

Annie was a successful
gardener in Alaska,

but when she moved to Hawaii,
all the challenges were here.

And it's one of those things
that she hasn't been able
to tackle on her own.

So I want to help her
feed herself and her family
and be self-sufficient.

-We learned a lot at Don's.
-Yeah.

I think one of the things
that I really liked were
the pile,

the mounds of rocks
to keep the hogs out.

But before
we even get started,

we have to bushwhack
with the skid steer

-to create the space.
-Right.

[Misty] Problem is
what is preventing this garden

from not looking
like this a year from now?

Well, we talked
about the lava rock

and we said,
not only does it keep
the pigs out,

but it kind of creates
a weed barrier

and I visualize that here.

-[Misty] Yeah, me too.
-[Annie] Okay.

[narrator] Misty will create
an elevated garden

using the homestead's
lava rocks to keep predators
and weeds from encroaching.

She'll first build raised beds

utilizing downed trees
from the property,

adding topsoil
to promote growth.

Then she'll install
a caging barrier
with plastic sheeting

to not only ward off
additional animals,

but to also protect
the produce from acid rain
and volcanic gas.

[Misty] We don't want a repeat
of what's already happened
on this homestead

with all of these garden beds
that have been completely
overtaken by the jungle.

So I wanna give Annie
something that is attainable
on a daily basis,

and it isn't this big burden.

There we go. Keep going. Yep.

It was super humbling
to walk around with Misty

and show her
all of my garden fails.

We really try to control
the controllables here,

so I feel incredibly grateful
Misty's here to help me.

Annie wasn't kidding,
there is only about
an inch of topsoil.

And underneath that inch
is the blue lava,

which is kind of
my worst nightmare.

[narrator] When
molten lava chills,

the outer layer's
minerals crystallize,
turning dark.

However, once the
portion of the interior flow
is exposed,

a blue tint appears,
giving it the name
blue lava rock.

Seen as the bane
of contractors and builders

because of its difficulty
to break through,

the rock requires
expensive drilling
and blasting to penetrate.

However, the material
is also highly sought after

due to its strength
and structural integrity.

[Misty] I think this is
a perfect footprint

because we wanna
keep it small,

we wanna get it to a place
where it's not gonna
overgrow every year,

and I do think
we should do raised beds

and use all the rock
we can find.

The problem is I don't see
a ton right here,

so I need to go
hop in the skid-steer
and go look for rock,

and we'll meet back here
in a little bit.

-Sounds great.
-Okay.

[Matt] All right, kids.

Oh, gang?

All right, gang.

No kids anymore.

[narrator] In
the Ridgely family's woods,

Matt tests the kids
on their hunting skills

before he can determine
what type of hunting blind
to build.

What I really want to do
is test Obi's skills

with a compound bow.

Because he told me

he's already field dressed
and butchered
one of these wild hogs.

Have you ever shot
a compound bow before?

No, I have not.

[narrator] Invented in 1966,
the compound bow
is a great alternative

to traditional recurve bows
for young people.

This is due to a system
of cables and pulleys

which require the user
to exert far less energy

when pulling the bow
string back to full draw
called the draw weight.

And because of their
power and accuracy,

they're often a go-to
for game hunters.

[Matt] So, check this out.

Stand sideways.

You just wanna pull back,
try to get your chest involved
and your back.

Just do a full on, like...
[mock grunt]

That's lesson number one.

Okay, let's see what you got.

Obi has already killed a pig,

but face-to-face,
ground level.

And it's way more likely
to end in disaster.

Hold out your bow.
Stand comfortably.

So I'm gonna teach him
how to use a compound bow

because they allow you
to have way more
stopping power

and a better advantage

to be able
to take down animals
from a greater distance.

Pull. Okay, easy.

Breathe, get comfortable.

Now aim a little bit,
and when you're ready,
let it loose.

Nice. Wow!

No cheering?

-[kids cheer]
-[Matt laughs]

[Obi] I learned a lot
from my archery lesson
with Matt

'cause I never used
a compound bow before.

So it was a lot of help.

Nice. What do you think?

I think he did really good
for the first time ever
using that bow.

I think you did amazing.

Based on Obi's test,

I want to build
something of a platform
up off the ground

that can be used
as a hunting stand

and put some much needed
elevation and distance

to keep Obi safe,
and all these children,

when they start hunting
on their property.

And that's what
we're gonna do next,

-we just gotta
find that place.
-Okay.

[Marty] Here
we go again, boys.

[narrator] It's the third day
of the Raney's rescue
of the Ridgely homestead,

and knowing the Albizia trees
have internal rot.

If that's halfway sound,
it might just go with the cut.

-Yeah.
-But if it's rotten, it's--

It's going quicker.

[narrator] Marty prepares
to down the last tree

that's standing in the way
of the waterline.

Do I wanna cut
this tree down? Nope.

Do I wanna leave it

for a beautiful little
homesteader with four kids?

No.

[chainsaw buzzing]

[Marty] Someday, that tree
is gonna come down,

it's going to smash
the waterline,

bury it with a huge canopy
of limbs and branches.

So here we go.
Tree number two.

Brutal.

We grabbed that water line,
we pulled it all the way back,

thinking we were gonna be
out of the path
of that monstrosity

when it came crashing down.

We were within 6 inches.
That's it.

I can't believe it,
I thought we had
at least 20 feet.

So we're getting closer.

Big trees on the ground.

We'll cut it up,
we'll source it,

we'll try to save what we can
and then put in a water line.

[dogs barking]

[narrator] While materials
are being gathered

to connect the ag line
to the homestead...

-[Marty] Hello!
-Hey!

-How's it going?
-[Marty] Good.

[narrator] Misty and Annie
turn to Marty to help fortify
the garden perimeter.

What are you gonna do
with these rocks?
What's happening?

We wanted to start garden beds
with lava rock here.

We're on the big island
of Hawaii.

Obviously, there's a lot
of lava rock here.

So how are we gonna use it?

We have enough
to build a wall,

which will help act
as a weed barrier
and a defensible space

to hopefully fight back
some of these critters.

I would love
to be able to start
with the retaining wall,

kind of to a V.

The rock wall is gonna keep
the vines and the grass
and the jungle from coming in.

It'd be real easy
to spray an organic herbicide
around rocks

'cause you're not
spraying it on the plants.

Weed whack
around the rocks, essentially.

Okay, I'll tell you
what I'll do.

We will go both directions

and then we'll start
looking at our rock
and see how far it goes.

-Yeah.
-Okay.

-Let's go, and thank you.
-Thank you.

-[Misty] Whoo! Thank you.
-[Marty] All right.

[Misty] Okay,
now can I grab two?

Yes! Whoo-hoo!

Okay, that was some
pretty good skid-steer
driving.

[Misty cheering]

[Annie] Not having a partner
in the process of homesteading
changed the game for me.

Watch out, please. Here we go.

[Annie] A lot
of my financial resources

went to hiring people
for their help

because I didn't know
how to homestead in Hawaii.

I had no idea there would be
so many challenges

with being so close
to the volcano.

Watch out. Big rock.

[Annie] But working
with the Raneys has been
super empowering

to have more ownership
of the homestead.

[Misty cheering]

I finally feel
this level of hope,

and it feels like
I can actually do this.

[Matt] All right.

Are you ready
to do a little bit of scouting
on your property?

[Obi] Yeah.

[narrator] With the sun
setting on the Ridgely
homestead,

Matt and brothers
Obi and Rye scout
the property's game trails

to find the perfect place
to build a hunting blind.

-[Obi] There's a giant
pig area where they hang out.
-[Rye] Yeah.

[Matt] All right, let's go.

The kids and I
are scouting around
for pig sign

to find the perfect place
to build a tree stand.

We're looking for pigs,
we're following their tracks.

[narrator] An estimated
400,000 feral hogs

currently wreak havoc
across Hawaii,

often spotted
in the countryside

and routing through
residential land.

Weighing hundreds of pounds,

these aggressive predators
have seen their population
explode in recent years

due to frequent breeding.

And with no official
eradication program in place,

Hawaiians have taken
to trapping or hunting
the hogs themselves

[Obi whispering]

[pigs grunting]

[Matt whispering]

[Matt whispering]

We're finding tons
of feral hog signs.

There is rooting and digging,

and the only thing
we need to find now

is where all that sign
is next to the edge
of the macadamia nut farm,

and we will have
the perfect place
to build our hunting blind.

[Matt whispering]

[Obi] I think this space
is a good place to hunt

because that is the only spot
where pigs can get in

if we were to fence off

and there's always
a lot of pigs down there.

[Matt] I think
we're done for the day.

Today was pretty exciting.

Now we know
the perfect area where we can
build the hunting blind

so they can put food
on the table.

[narrator] It's day four
on the Ridgely's 80-acre
Hawaiian homestead.

And this morning...

Okay, I'm still trying
to figure out this garden.

[narrator] Misty and Annie
get to work on protecting
the garden

from another serious threat.

[Misty] Today,
I wanna get started

on figuring out that fog
and that acid rain

and figuring out

how we're gonna cover
the garden beds.

So some kinda hoop house
going over each bed

and then I think we just
cover 'em?

-Right.
-That sound good to you?

-Yeah, sounds great.
-Okay.

So we're just
rolling this out.

This poly that kind of
blocks the acid rain,
obviously,

but lets good UV in.

And then we usually just
drape it over the hoop

and just like, anchor in
a log or a two-by-four.

-[Annie] Yeah, sounds great.
-[Misty] Is that okay
with you?

Yeah, I love that because then
also I can take it off
when it's not raining.

-That's what we do.
-Okay.

It's like off, on,
and it's just really easy.

And you just fold 'em up,

-put 'em in the garage
or whatever.
-Okay.

What I really appreciate
about Annie

is she's this successful
mac nut farmer.

She's such a hard worker,
she's so capable.

Okay, we're gonna
mark it with a rock.

Even though there's been loss,
I'm in awe of her.

She's with the kids...
At this point, doing it alone.

So to help her overcome
all of the challenges
of Hawaii

is the ultimate goal.

I'm gonna try to be
as straight as I can.

-What is it like
raising kids...
-Mm-hmm.

four kids on a mac nut farm?
What is that like every day?

-Well, I'm also homeschooling.
-[Misty] Yeah.

So it's wake up triage.

What has to be
done immediately today?

Whether it's fixing
a piece of equipment,

or we have a delivery of nuts
that need to go out.

And then after school is over,
we're doing third shift,
work on the farm.

-[Misty] Everyday?
-Everyday.

-You just make it work?
-I'm just treading water
surviving here.

-Yeah.
-[both laugh]

So my dad showed up to help
'cause he knew I was alone.

And, like,
everything was crumbling.

The dream was crumbling,
everything was crumbling,

and he stayed here
and he moved in.

And he just
kept everything operating,
whatever it was,

and just kind of helped me
get a little momentum back.

And, um, then he had
a heart issue.

Everything is okay,
but he's not here
helping me anymore.

And, you know,
he was supposed
to be here this week.

And he's not able to.

So I think I was
really emotionally charged
when I saw you guys pull up

and your dad
got out of the truck,
and I just...

He just embodied hope.

Yeah, just... been tough.

Yeah, that's just really hard.

I don't think I realized
how much Annie needed us.

-Okay, so I'm gonna
start cutting.
-Okay.

[Misty] So we need
to figure out

how to help Annie
as much as we possibly can
this week,

so she can be
as fully prepared as possible

to handle everything
the Big Island throws at her.

Because she deserves it.

-This is our acid rain cover.
-Whoo-hoo!

We'll save these,
and then we'll shift gears

and figure out
how we're gonna build
all of these raised beds.

[Annie] Yeah!

Okay, men, here we go.

[narrator] With
the Albizia trees cleared,

Marty, Build Foreman Clint,
and Annie's friend, Matt,

work together
to tap into the ag line

and bring potable water
to Annie's home.

The cool thing
about this water source,

it was developed in the 1800s.

[Matt] That's how they brought
the sugar bales down
instead of...

We didn't have equipment
back in those days.

Reservoir's still there,

so the person
who bought the land

decided to make a ag line
for all the farmers

and run a line straight down,
anybody can tap into it.

Every farmers on this line
except us, right?

-[Matt] Mm-hmm. Yes.
-Well...

-Not for long.
-We might change that.

I'm trying to get
that same water

from that same,
exact source to Annie.

So let's get the valve ready
and the torch.

Kinda tough getting these in
unless you heat 'em first.

Nice. Perfect. Clint?

-You ready?
-[Matt] Yep.

[Marty] Shut that water off.

I've never been
anywhere in North America

where there was
such a cool history
with a water source.

There's a macadamia
nut farmer right here

that, legally,
can tap into that.

That's gonna happen
before we leave.

Come Hilo or high water.

-Okay, we're done.
-Yep.

[Marty] I'm gonna
drag this down.

You're this guy
until we get started.
Thank you.

Gotcha.

-Clint, punch it.
-[engine starts]

Keep it under 50.

[Matt] Watching Annie
struggle through the years

with her farm
and her gardening,
you know, it's kinda tough,

but this waterline,
this is gonna be a big help.

As long as we make life
a little bit easier for her
and what she's doing,

raising four just respectful,
beautiful kids.

Here, you got Marty
and his whole family
come out here.

It warms my heart.

Very few homesteads,
that you can run a waterline
on top of the ground.

And not be thinking,
"How do I keep this
from freezing?"

Whoa, whoa.
I was getting a kink
in the first hole.

-How you doing, boss?
-Doing good.

With all this extra heat,
once we put water
and weight in this,

-it'll just
make itself straight.
-Amen, brother.

Don't be shy,
I'm a professional.

Right now, we're over
a half-mile of pipe.

We're not there yet.

Punch it!

-This looks
pretty good, right?
-Yeah, it's incredible.

[narrator] With the elevated
rock wall finished,

Misty turns her attention
towards constructing
the new garden beds.

We're right
in the thick of it.

We've been able
to kinda fill up
this whole terraced area

with really nice soil.

This garden is taking shape
thanks to my dad

and all the hard work
Annie's been putting in.

We're at a place now
where we're gonna go
find a bunch of logs,

rip 'em, and put 'em in place,
and those are gonna be
the new garden beds.

-This is gonna be
our first cut.
-Okay.

-Yeah.
-Got it right into the mud.

That was good.
[grunts] Oh, my gosh.
These guys are heavy.

[Misty chuckles]

Oh, no, Annie.
Can me and you get it?

Let's see.

-[Misty] Oh, man.
-[Annie] Holy cow!

-Oh, my gosh!
-That's so heavy!

That's gonna last
a really long time.

I'm gonna get the skid-steer.

-Okay.
-Okay.

[Misty] Oh, my gosh.

I really like
working with wood
that comes from the homestead.

And you get
a repurposed material.

It takes some effort, right?
But in the end, it's worth it.

It'll look amazing
and it's free.

Okay. Whoo-hoo.

Misty and I are bucking up
some of these silver oaks.

I love the idea of using
what we have here.

Like, that's sustainable,
that's resourceful,
that's frugal.

That's the heart
of homesteading.

And they're gonna
help us grow some food.

-[Misty] This way.
-[grunts]

Yeah.

So we need one more.

-Okay.
-Okay.

[Matt] Hey,
let's go down here.

[narrator] In
the macadamia nut forest...

[Matt] This way.
Keep following me.

[narrator] Matt shows
the Ridgely kids
the ideal spot

to construct
the elevated hunting blind.

[Matt] This is it.
What's this called?

[kids] A peacock tree.

Uh, I've never heard
of a peacock tree before.

Well, it's actually
a monkey-pod tree,

but we call it a peacock tree

because peacocks
used to roost up here.

[Matt] Wow. Well, that's cool.

And we were just,
like, walking through
the macadamia nut forest

trying to find a place
for a hunting blind

and I was just looking
for a better tree.

The macadamia nut trees
are amazing,

but you don't wanna build
a tree fort in 'em

because they're too soft
a wood and they blow down
in the crazy winds.

But this tree is super close
to the feral pig signs

and I couldn't have imagined
a better tree to build
a tree stand for hunting.

-Yeah.
-Yeah, it's good.

[Matt] With this amazing
monkey-pod tree,

I think we really have
probably the most epic
beginnings

of a tree hunting stand
I've ever seen.

Nothing grows underneath it,
so it's really open.

We have more than enough space
to shoot an arrow

and it's right on the edge
of the macadamia nut forest.

This is prime pig territory.

And it's not gonna
fall down in the wind.
I mean, it's safe.

[Joy] Yeah,
it's not gonna fall down.

[Matt] Now,
I got one question.

Who wants to climb this tree?

[kids screaming] Me!

Come on!

[narrator] Matt plans to use
the monkey-pod tree's
wide trunk

as the base of his elevated
hunting blind.

With donated lumber,
he'll construct multiple
platforms,

which will allow the kids
a wide angle of fire
down below.

A roof will protect
the hunters

from Hawaii's
unpredictable weather.

And most importantly,
the project will teach
all the Ridgely children

valuable construction skills.

I'm ready to start building
on this thing right now.

Okay? Should we go get
all the tools and materials?

[kids] Yes.

This monkey-pod tree
is gonna last forever.

It's incredibly strong
and it's more than enough
height to get off the ground

and keep the kids safe
and hunt from.

All we gotta do
is get our materials over here

and get some tools
and then get to work.

Okay, how's our
structural stability
over there?

Ready for children?

[narrator] Deep
in the property's
macadamia nut forest,

Matt and the young
homesteaders

make progress
building the hunting blind.

I think we're gonna go
from the end of this deck

and come diagonally
to right here

because we can't
support anything.

If you look down
at my feet right here,

I mean, I'm basically standing
over a cliff right here,

and so the only place
I can attach a platform

would be the end
of our deck over here,
where we have solid ground.

Then we will be able
to hunt this entire side
of the property.

Grab this tape,
pull me to that corner
of the deck.

Hold it.

I wanna build an awesome place
where the kids can hunt,

but I think it's important
that I have all the kids
help me

and learn as much as they can
to make their dreams
a reality.

Get a mark on one side,
get a mark on the other side,
pull it real tight,

and then snap it.

Great.

Four screws.
One, two, three, four.

Got it.

-You ever used a drill?
-No.

You haven't used it?
Well, guess what?

These drills,
they do all the work for you.

Get it in there first.

Okay, now just push straight
with a little pressure
and let it rip.

It's gonna
shake on you a little bit.

More pressure.

Good.

-That was terrifying.
-[Matt laughs]

I've never used
a drill before,

so I'm really glad
I got the opportunity
to learn a new skill.

[Matt] Cool.

It's great
that me and my siblings

will have a place
to be safe from the pigs
while we're hunting.

[Matt] Nice.

And it's also super cool that
we get to be so involved
in the process.

And the best part is
this thing is braced.

Joy is getting her hands dirty
learning how to use the drill
for the first time,

and I gotta say,
she's a natural.

Perfection.

Good
with the tools, everybody

-[Matt grunts, laughs]
-[kids laughing]

[Marty] Hey, bud!

[narrator] By the side
of the new garden...

Pull it on down!

[narrator] Marty
and Matt Ortega
make the final push

to install the newly tapped
water line.

We've got enough
to get across the road?

[Matt] I think we do.

Clint, what do you think?
A foot deep?

That's the old highway, right?
The original highway?

Yes.

Okay, well,
we're digging through it.

Here we go.

We've been dragging
waterline down a mountain
for a mile or so,

and now we're at a point
where we need to tuck it
under the road

and make sure that waterline
never gets damaged.

Why?

It's the lifeline
for this homestead.

Hey, Matt, let's try it, sir.

I'll jump out and help ya.

Let's see if we can
loop this up.

It might work.

Don't let me kink that.

Now, if you see
a sharp volcano rock
that's gonna pierce into that,

kick it out of the way,
but I think we'll just try
to use this material.

This homestead is covered
with volcanic rock.

That's the material
I'm digging out,

and I'm placing a waterline
back in the trench.

I got one right there
that I don't like,
that big one.

Nope.

-That one.
-[Marty] Yeah.

I'm putting
that same rock back in,

so I have to be careful
so that we don't sever or cut
that waterline.

This is either gonna
make or break the success
of this homestead.

I like that.

Lay it in there, please.

Perfect!

[Matt] That's it.
That's awesome.

Once we got
the water line down,

Marty buried it good
with some topsoil
and ran it over,

and it's packed tight
so Annie can better take care
of her garden

instead of having
to ration water
from her catchment tank.

Everything that Marty
has come here to do,

it's been a massive help
to this homestead.

[Marty] We made it.

Think we got this in here

-without any kinks
or pinch lines?
-Yeah.

-You sure?
-Oh, yeah.

[Marty] Now there's
water here forever.

[Matt] Amazing.
That's what she needs.

All right.
We got the fittings?

-Yes, we do.
-Let's hit it.

[narrator] Across
the homestead...

Yeah, this side.

[narrator] Misty and Annie
gather vital supplies

to protect the garden beds
from predators and acid rain.

[Misty] Talk about
a game of Tetris.

Yes! There you go!

Perfect!

So, by no means are we safe

from hogs or acid rain.

So I have an idea

where we can solve
both those problems
with these things.

-Let's get them over.
-[Annie] Awesome.

-Okay, here we go.
-Okay.

[Annie] Come.
Come on, come on,
come on.

The result
of trying to homestead

on an active volcano

is that fog and that acid rain
and you can see it

pooling up on the tomatoes
and rotting them,

bit by bit, piece by piece.

Yeah, Annie. Okay, keep going.

Okay, keep going,
keep going. Stop!

Oh-ho.

[Misty] These are challenges
that average homesteads
don't have,

and trying to combat them
and trying to solve them

are like no easy task.

One by one, we're going
to add these hog panels

to each one of these log beds.

Yeah, just flimsy bamboo

and trying to cover something
never has worked for me.

-It just blows down,
falls down.
-Yeah.

So this feels super solid.

I'm gonna go get the staples.

[Misty] The last
piece of a garden
are these hoop houses.

We're gonna throw
some plastic over the top,

anchor it down
and call it a day.

That way, when it comes
to the acid rain,

we'll have solved
that problem,

and any little critters
aren't gonna be able
to get in.

So literally just
wrapping a log

or a two by four.

This is what we do
on the Forty.

And then we just roll it
from the outside in.

[Annie] The garden's
looking amazing.

It has the rain protection
from the acid rain,

which is really great,
and I love Misty's vision

and ingenuity.

And it makes me
feel better about growing food

and doing the work
that needs to get done.

Hey, Don.

-Hey, aloha, you two.
-Don!

-[Misty] How's it going!
-Wow.

I brought you a few starts.

-Wow.
-[Misty] Oh.

These gardens need
to have plants in them.

-You started these?
-[Annie] Wow.

-[Annie] These are beautiful.
-[Don] Yes.

[Misty] These are the most
beautiful plants
I've ever seen.

-So I guess we're planting.
-[Annie] Okay.

And I know somebody
that can help.

-Hello! How are you?
-Good.

-You want to help out?
-Yes.

[Annie] Having Misty
come in and be able to hear

what I was struggling with,

and then navigate that
with specific solutions

to help me be self sufficient

in growing food for my family,

I really appreciate that.

-Perfect.
-Total perfection.

[narrator] Only
two days remain

on the Raneys' rescue

of the Ridgely homestead.

And with the new garden
almost complete...

[Misty] Oh, my gosh,
I'm so excited!

...Misty confronts
Annie's lack of livestock

and the overgrowth
plaguing her land.

[Misty] Like,
if you can't mow it,
don't grow it.

Because the jungle and island

-will take you out.
-Yeah.

And that's what happened
to your garden, right?

Your garden, like,
just got so overgrown.

-It was like abandoned,
abandoned ship.
-Yeah.

One of the biggest challenges

Annie has running
this mac nut farm

is keeping
the jungle mowed down.

So we're at a place now

where we need to pivot
from the garden,

and we need to figure out
how to help Annie
in real time.

And for me,
I immediately think
"sheep," right?

So you have sheep?

Yeah. We were, um,
staking them out.

-Oh, yeah...
-[Annie] So,

different areas
that we wanted mowed.

Like rotational grazing.

[Annie] Yeah, yeah.

And then we'd just
stake them to a new tree,

and they'll just graze
all around that tree.

-And sheep are just
amazing mowers.
-Yes.

[Misty] So what happened?

You used to have more?

[Annie] He had a female sheep
and she was pregnant.

And we had the wild pigs
come into the property

and kill his mate.

[Misty] Okay.
The problem is clear.

Annie knows she needs sheep
to keep the grass in check.

But keeping sheep safe,
is no easy task.

And I think the solution
could be a sheep tractor,

which is just
a movable sheep pen.

That is awesome.

[narrator] Misty will build
two 16-by-8-foot-wide
sheep tractors

utilizing recycled
lumber for the frame

and welded wire paneling
for the walls

-to keep livestock in
and predators out.
- [howling and grunting]

[narrator] Towards
one end,

she'll build a small
high table over top

for rain protection.

Finally, she'll add wheels

so they can easily be
towed with a four-wheeler,

providing the animals
with a place to graze,
fertilize and mow.

-Are you, like, open
to bringing more sheep here?
-Yeah, yeah.

Yeah. We love sheep.
We want sheep.

Obi is the shepherd.

And so he would
move the sheep all around

where we needed to be mowed.

What does-- Like--

-Is there anything
Obi can't do?
-[both laugh]

Gosh, the idea
of having some sheep pack

it was just so heartwarming.

And I loved tying
the kids in with the animals

because it's the animals
that they love,

it's the animals
that make it all worthwhile,

and then tying it into
helping with the farm,

which is our livelihood
is incredible.

All right. Hey, come in, gang!

[narrator] At the site
of the new hunting blind,

Matt and the Ridgely children
add a much-needed
safety measure.

We have quite the platform.

It's nice and level.

It's all braced properly,
but we need a railing.

I don't want you guys
falling off of there.

And I have a really
good idea where
we're gonna get the railing.

Follow me.

[Matt] We've been
building the hunting fort

out of a lot
of dimensional lumber

that was donated
to this homestead.

But I think it'd be
really cool if we sourced

some local materials
that we can cut down
right here in the forest.

What do we have here?

Bamboo.

What do you know
about bamboo? Tell me.

It's heavy duty grass.

Heavy duty grass is right,
and it's super strong.

I want to use it
as our railing

so that we can make it safe
at the tree house.

[laughing] They're clapping.
They're clapping. Wow.

Okay. Wow.
Should I take a bow?

-Yes.
-Okay.

Should I take a bow? Okay.
Thank you very much.

[Matt] All right. Cut it off.

Giving each
of these kids a chance

to cut down some bamboo
with a new tool

is really what this
is all about.

-[vocalizing]
-What-- [Matt laughs]

They're getting experience

using a tool
they've never used before

and looking
at a bamboo thicket

in a way
they've never looked before.

Whatever the direction
this is pointed,

that's the way
your tree's gonna fall.

Okay.

[tool whirring]

Awesome. What do you think?

Super cool. Nobody else
has ever bothered

to teach me stuff like this.

What? I'll
teach you everything

that I possibly can
while I'm here

-so you can be better
than your brothers.
-Thank you.

I'm really thankful to Matt

for teaching me
how to use this saw,

something I've never really
been around before.

So it's super fun.

To be honest, it was totally
an adrenaline rush.

Loved it.

We've got enough bamboo
to start our railing,

and I'm really worried about
this side of the platform

because that is where
that deep ravine is,

and we definitely
need to start with
the hand railing on that end.

Let's get some of this bamboo
and let's get this railing on.

Let's lift it up.

Okay, hold on.

Teaching Annie's children
as much as I can
about construction,

giving some experience
to each and every one of them,

is really the best thing
I can do to help Annie.

So check this out.

I got to go two feet
and I did one line.

Now start here
and then make another line.

When they start growing up,
they're just gonna take over

that huge responsibility

that's resting
on Annie's shoulders.

So now check this out.

I want to just
wrap this around.

Just get-- I get
like a couple
of wraps around this,

and then...

I got this
scrap piece of wood.

[Joy] And you're gonna twist.

-Yeah.
-But why?

This rope is gonna
stretch out over time.

You know, it's gonna get wet,

it's going to get dry.

It's going to do that
a million times.

Then you can just give it
another tighten.
Tighten it up.

I call this
Swiss Family Raneyson.

-What do you think about,
like, right here Rye?
-Yeah.

We just gotta
make sure it's level.

My sisters
don't usually build,

but when they did
build this time,

they had so much fun.

They loved it, and I loved
watching them do it.

-Is this safer?
-Yeah.

No one's fallen
in the ravine.

Let's get back to work.

[Marty] So, this turned out
to be quite a space.

[narrator] With
the water line finished,
Marty takes the opportunity

to find out
how he can best help Annie

multitask on the homestead

once the Raneys leave.

[Marty] It's hard to find
an open space.

You planted a tree

-on every square inch
of this place, right?
-Yeah.

Is that all gonna be garden?

-That'd be the world's
biggest garden.
-Right.

I think that's
too much to take on.

So now that we put
the water line in

and it's now stretched
across this property,

there must be something
more that I can do

to make life easier for Annie.

-Your kids are the most
fortunate kids on this island.
-Aw.

Their mother is a farmer.
Their mother is a rancher.

[Annie] And
a certified teacher.

-You're a teacher.
You're a school teacher.
-Yes.

-Yeah, for real.
-On that note,

where does
the homeschooling take place?

A lot of learning
opportunities happen outside,

and the house is small.

Home schooling my kids
and running a business

inside the house is a lot.

So on a day like this,
it'd be great to be outside.

May I suggest something?

There are flat spaces here

that I think we might
do something with

that will benefit you
and those children.

-Okay.
-Are you interested?

-I am interested.
-Okay.

[narrator] Marty
will construct a ten-foot-tall

triangular-shaped
homeschool deck

utilizing down trees
as custom posts.

With salvaged lumber,

he'll create
a cross-beamed roof system

protecting the family
from Hawaii's elements.

Finally, he'll add
a custom desk

milled from the albizia trees,

ensuring that Annie
can keep a watchful eye
on her homestead

while conducting class.

[machine revs]

So once I
discovered that Annie

was homeschooling
her own kids,

I thought, "Man, what if
we had a cool place outdoors

where she could
conduct her classes?"

And that led to an idea

where we could
build something permanent

in the new space
that we created.

Pull it out! Maybe we can
pull a part of the log out.

We're always looking
for something that
we can upcycle

and take to the homestead
and help that homesteader.

And today we're going
to use the trees,

from this property.

Clint, set that
big log on here.

I got to get it
on two points, right.

I don't want to fight it.
Let's go!

[whistling]

Push it over on there please.

Gonna put her down.

[whistling] Whoa!

That's what we want
right there.

So now that we've set it
in place for eternity,

we will just put one
on this side,
one on that side.

-We'll put a roof on it.
-[man shouts]

The bad news is

the sun's going down
right now, right this second.

We leave here in 24 hours.

All right, move the bucket!

[Marty] Come my way
an inch, done!

The next board is 16.

[narrator] It's the final day
on the Ridgely homestead.

-[yells]
-[narrator] And at the site
of the new garden...

[Marty] Running out of time,
not happy!

...Marty and Matt Ortega

rush to finish roofing
the outdoor homeschool deck.

Don't fight it. Let him do it.

[whistles] Done.

The sun's going down tonight

and we're leaving
this homestead,

so we're going
to start pounding nails

and they're going to have
an outdoor learning center

and it's gonna be
shaped like this.

So what we're trying to do
is we're gonna establish

one board
that reaches all the way.
We're gonna pin that.

For the roof system,

we've used big trees
from this property

as vertical structural
supports for overhead beams.

The key is
having the eye to notice.

The homestead already
had everything here.

Sixteen-footers!

Hard as you can go.

[Matt Ortega] The
shortest guy here.

[Marty] Hard
as you can go. [laughs]

[whirring]

[Marty] We're gonna be dancing
on this thing at sundown.

All right. Last piece.

-[narrator] At
the monkey pod tree...
-Last screw.

...Matt has one
final challenge
for the Ridgely kids.

Before they can call
the hunting blind done...

Pretty much the last thing
I needed to do

was get this roof on,

so the kids
had some dry areas.

Now I got to go
test those kids.

We have one
last little project

that we need to complete
before we're totally done.

But when I say
we need to complete,

I mean you four

need to complete
all on your own.

Us?

This is your big test.

You each have specific skills

that once you work together,

I think you're going
to have no problem
building this project.

Which is...

finish the railing
on the end of this platform.

-Ready, set, go!
-[Rye] I'll go measure.

[Matt] When I first
started working
with these four children,

I had no idea
what their skills were.

Some of them surprised me
with skills right off the bat.

Joy and Matea learned
skills along the way.

That's level.

Next.

-Okay, go.
-[Marty] All right. Good.

I really like it, you guys.

And in the end,
they all worked well together.

[whirring]

You guys did it, come on down.

Building their own project
and working all together,

finishing the tree
hunting fort.

[narrator] One week ago,

the Ridgely kids
dealt with wild hogs
face to face

and at ground level.

[narrator] Today they have
a custom elevated
hunting blind

with a sturdy bamboo railing

and a roof to protect them
from the weather.

All to safely hone
their hunting skills

and provide valuable protein
for their family.

So you forwarded
the last project by yourself,

and you made it safe
once and for all.

We did it the Ridgely way.

And that right there

is what I wanted the most

because I'm going to
leave today,

but the more work you can do
on this homestead,

the more successful
it's gonna be,

and the more you're
gonna help out your mom.

-Yeah.
-Yeah.

Put the tools down

and let's get up there
and play. Come on.

This is so cool.

All right, everybody
put your hands in!

All right, on three.

Peacock king!
One, two, three.

[all] Peacock king!

[Misty] What do you
think this is?

Sheep pen.

It's more
than just a sheep pen.

-Moving sheep pen.
-Yes!

[narrator] With only
a couple hours
remaining in the rescue,

Misty presents
the finished sheep tractor

to Obi and Joy

before attempting to move it
across the homestead.

I've recruited you
because you're
the shepherd, Obi.

-Yeah.
-And so we created

a sheep tractor to move
around the mac nut farm.

It's pretty heavy, though,

and on this many acres,

it might be kind of crazy
to pull by hand.

So I talked to your mom
a little bit,

and she said she wanted
to build something

that, Joy, you could pull
with the four wheeler.

And so, should we
test it together?

-Yeah.
-Okay.

Let's go get your mom
in the four-wheeler.

-Yay!
-Yay!

Check this thing out.

Oh, awesome!

[Misty] We're getting ready
to move this sheep tractor

that Annie can move
through the farm.

And mow down all the jungle,

fertilize the mac nut trees,

and help
with the soil building.

-That's good.
-Great communication
right there.

[Misty] So we're hooking up
and then hopefully it moves.

We're taking off
pretty soon here,

and this is one
of those things
we need to finish

in order to help overcome
all of the challenges

Hawaii throws at Annie
and the kids.

[Misty] Okay. Does everybody
know what they're doing?

-[Obi] Yeah.
-Okay. Here we go.

[Annie] All right.
That's okay.
It's a little muddy.

What do you think, bud?
You want to push
from the back?

Sure.

[Misty] Ready.

Yippy!

Here we go! Through the mud!

[Misty] Slow way down.
Like really slow.

-Okay.
-Okay.

[Misty] So it's a rough start,
but it's working.

You're doing good.

The kids are crushing it.

We're moving
this massive sheep tractor

across the homestead.

But once we get it in place,
it'll be something

that Annie, Joy and Obi
can move on their own
without me.

[Misty] This path looks
like it needs some mowing.

[Annie] Perfect.
That's perfect.

-[Misty] So wherever you stop
is where the pen goes.
-[Annie] Okay.

[Annie] Right there,
right there!

-Nice.
-[all cheering]

-Nice job!
-[Misty] Good job, kids!

I was told to show up
with this on

-because we were
gonna learn...
-[children] Hula.

What is hula?

-The Hawaiian dance
art form storytelling.
-[Matt] This?

What's the first thing
we should know?

Hands on your hips.
Bend your knees.

-Lower...
-[Rye] Bend your
knees like this.

-[Joy] Lower...
-Oh!

[Joy] Back straight.

Lift one foot up,
take this tiny step

and kick the other foot up
and then bring it back.

[Marty] When I
woke up this morning,

I had no idea that I'd be
wearing a Hawaiian shirt.

[Misty] I don't really know
how I feel about my dad

in a aloha shirt.

And that actually
was kind of like buttoned.

Somebody get a thermometer
and check his temperature.

-[all laughing]
-[Marty] Yee-haw!

Oh, sorry, I got carried away.

[Misty] What's
gonna happen next?

A unicorn's
gonna drive by on a unicycle.

-[Marty] What about this one?
-[all laughing]

[Marty] How about
the skid-steer?

[Misty] Do the skid-steer.

Do the skid-steer. [laughs]

[Matt] Wow,
that's really good.

[Marty] Do you believe
they do that in Alaska?

-Yeah, I believe it.
-They don't.

I totally made
that up. Let's go.

[all laughing]

[Annie] Perfect.
That's perfect.

[all cheering]

-[Annie] Nice job!
-Good job, kids.

-Nice driving, Annie.
-[Annie] Way to go!

So, I feel like the kiddos,

this is something
they could do, right.

Come down,
hook it on the ball.

-Pull it forward.
-Mm-hmm.

Sixteen feet.

-[Annie] Yep.
-Boom! So now,

I think we're
missing one thing.

-Sheep.
-Okay!

[laughing]

[Annie] Having
that sheep tractor
is incredible.

It's incorporating the kids,

and we don't have to do
three mile of fencing.

We don't have to
really create pens

for rotational pasture.

But here's something
we can do right now,

that we can either
scale up or scale down,

-which is really great.
- [honking]

-[Annie] Obi is about
to cry here.
-[Misty laughs]

Please don't-- How long
have you been
waiting for sheep, Obi?

About two years.

[Misty] Oh, my goodness,
I didn't know I
was getting the perfect gift.

We made it in one piece.

But for me, that was
such a test of what
this thing can do.

Oh, she's so light.

[laughs] She's fluffy.

And I'm so excited for Obi

to once again
become the shepherd
that he is at heart.

[Annie] Yoo-hoo!

Here you go, babe.

[Obi] Mom's always just
called me a shepherd

because I've
always wanted sheep.

-And I'm so happy about this.
- [bleating]

-[grunts]
-[bleating]

[Misty] Do you think
we did good?

[Annie] It's gorgeous.
I love it.

This was a struggle to garden
on the side of a volcano.

Whether you're fighting
the jungle, the acid rain,

or all the crazy critters,

we've got you at least started

on your wild future
ahead of you.

Absolutely. Mom to Mom.

Like you wanted me
to be able to feed
my family well.

-[Misty] Yeah.
-[Annie] That's huge.

This is like the best thing

that could have ever happened.

You're making it so

-I can be successful now.
-[Misty] Yeah.

Thanks to you.

[narrator] One week ago,

Annie's garden attempts
suffered from a lack of water,

wild animal invasions,

acid rain, and was drowning
in Guinea grass,

while her livestock
dwindled due to predators.

Today, she has
a thriving garden,
fortified with lava rock,

and hog paneling
with plastic sheeting

to protect against
the island's elements.

And she also
has sheep tractors

to keep the new livestock safe

while grazing, fertilizing,

and keeping
the overgrowth at bay.

-[Misty] Shall we see
if water comes out?
-[Annie] Yeah. Let's see.

Fingers crossed. Whoo-hoo!

-Whoa!
-Look at that pressure.

Look at that pressure.

Oh, my gosh, Annie.

I value eating healthy

and being able
to be self-sufficient.

So having Misty here,

what I was struggling with

and what I was wanting
was so helpful.

So from
a mother's perspective,

I just feel
completely overwhelmed
with gratitude.

To me, this is life.

-[Misty] I'm so happy
our paths crossed.
-Yeah, me too.

Like I'm in awe
of you every day.

Oh, likewise.
You're such an inspiration.

-Love it.
-I love it.

-[Annie] Thank you.
-Okay. You're welcome. [sobs]

[Marty] You think we got
any kinks in this water line?

-I don't think so.
-Well, good.

-[Marty] Black pipe.
-[Matt Ortega] Mm-hmm.

[Marty] Heated by the sun.

About 11 gallons of hot water
on call at all times.

-Cool?
-Oh, that's awesome.

I would have never
known about this.

If you hadn't said anything,
that water line
would not be in.

So thank you.

I'm happy that Annie
has such a loyal friend

and neighbor
by the name of Matt Ortega.

He's the kind of guy you need

on an 80 acre mac nut farm.

And even though
we're leaving soon,

I'm relieved
because Matt Ortega

is right down the road.

About a week ago,

this was about 60 feet
in the air.

Thanks to Jeff,
he milled some slabs
out of that.

It's big enough
for four or five or six kids

and a teacher.

And it's covered.

Does it rain
in this part of Hawaii?

-Oh, yes.
-Exactly.

[narrator] One week ago,

Annie relied
on rainwater catchment

as her water source

for her family,
garden and livestock.

While two
dangerous albizia trees

loomed over her ability
to tap into a water source.

Today, with the trees down,

she has access
to the nearby AG line

providing unlimited water
to her homestead.

And she has a custom
homeschool deck

using up cycled trees
from posts

and a cross-beamed roof

to protect against
the region's weather
for years to come.

I want to thank you
for all your help.

-I wanna thank you
for everything.
-You're welcome.

[Matt Ortega] That
project deck looks like
an awesome place

for teaching or anything.

So everything that Marty
has come here to do,

it's showing Annie
that she is capable.

It's just--
It's an awesome
thing right there.

[Marty] I'll tell you
one thing right now.

I'm impressed, clearly at you.

But your children are amazing.

A reminder how
important family is.

So, don't thank us.

We want to thank you
for that reminder.

Trying to garden and farm
on the side of a volcano

is super challenging,
and we did it.

Just being here
in this moment,

knowing that I get to leave,

and as far as you
and all the kids
are concerned,

no matter what
Hawaii throws at you,

you have the skillset
to handle it.

I mean, I know that your dream

is to have these
four amazing children

grow up and just get smarter.

And what I saw, blew my mind.

So I can only imagine
what the future holds
for this family.

-[children] Thank you.
-[Marty] Aw.

You even say thank you
harmoniously and perfect.

-[all laugh]
-You are the perfect family.

And, Matt, thank you
so much for your
being a good neighbor.

-[Matt Ortega] Yeah.
-Did we succeed
in helping Annie?

Yes, we did.

These past couple of days,
I saw joy return.

[voice shaking] And, uh,
I just feel like you brought

light and life
back to my heart,

and our lives, and this dream
of homesteading

is going to stay alive.

This lifestyle

and being able
to raise my family here

has, uh, been
such a dream come true

and you know, because of them,

I feel like that I'm
going to be able
to hang onto it.

So, I'm so thankful.

-[Marty] Matea,
did you have fun?
-Yes.

On that note,
we'll see you later.

Thank you so much.
Thanks for everything.

[Marty] The Hawaiians
have a word for family.

It's "Ohana."

It means family,

and no family member
will ever be left behind.

[whistles] Let there be music.

[drums beating]

[lively music playing]

[Marty] Yee-haw!

[cheering]

[Marty] Wow.

Let me just jump in there.
Come on.

This much work cannot get done

unless someone's
learned how to work
together with a family.

I pass it on to my children.

And without family,

none of this
could have ever happened.

[exclaiming]

-Bravo.
-Wow.

Amazing.

[clapping]

[cheering]

[Marty] Thank you.

[buzzing]

Hi, Raneys, we missed you.

The garden has been fruitful.

Those are tomatoes, beans.

Just being able to
turn the water on every day

and bring in all this food

from the garden
is the best gift of all.

We've got so many peas.

I picked the kale

and I made salad for my mom.

[Annie] The sheep tractors
have been really awesome.

I move them to a new
grassy spot every day.

[Joy] Look
at that perfect mowing.

They're eating away
all the grass and leaves.

[Annie] The kids really love
the tree hunting blind

and we've had some
archery competitions.

I've been practicing
from the hunting blind.

We spend a lot of time there.

[Annie] Our
confidence is back.

The momentum is moving
forward and upwards.

We can't thank you enough.

We miss you, Raneys.

Thank you, Raneys.