EXCLUSIVE: Stars of Chip and Joanna Gaines’‘Back to the Frontier’ Reveal What It Was Really Like To Live as 1880s Homesteaders

The stars of Chip and Joanna Gaines‘ latest on-screen project, “Back to the Frontier,” have lifted the lid on what it was really like to abandon all modern conveniences and live like families in the 1880s.

Though Chip and Joanna, who rose to fame starring on the hit HGTV series “Fixer Upper,” did not brave the social experiment themselves, they enlisted three families to travel back in time and take up the lifestyles of 1800s homesteaders in a bid to show that the simple life can really be the best one.

The Magnolia Network series, which premiered on July 10, follows Stacey and Joaquin Loper from Alabama, Jason and Joe Hanna-Riggs from Texas, and Florida natives Jereme and Lina Hall, and their respective children, as they attempt to live in the wilderness without running water or electricity.

The families “must live on the frontier for eight weeks, reinforcing their own shelters, raising livestock, collecting food, and rationing their supplies,” the network says of the series.

“Through this immersive experience, the families will have to reflect on their relationships and navigate the challenges that come with an 1880s lifestyle.”

“This exciting new series invites viewers to step back in time and experience the challenges of the American frontier,” added Magnolia Network President Allison Page.

“By immersing three families in the realities of 1880s life, we provided them—and our viewers—an authentic glimpse into the resilience and grit required to survive. Making this series has been an unforgettable journey, and we trust audiences will find it both captivating and inspiring.”

The series will roll out one episode each week over the course of eight weeks. In the final episode, fans will learn which families succeeded as homesteaders—and which failed to handle the pressure of their retro lifestyle.

In each episode, the families will be seen tackling different challenges and tasks, from sourcing their own food to laundering their clothes by hand, and all without any way of connecting to the outside world.

For some, the brutal reality of their new life greeted them as soon as they arrived on set in the Canadian Rockies—and were informed that they had to hand over their clothes, accessories, gadgets, and even beauty products.

Absolutely nothing from the modern world was allowed into the homestead, a separation that caused more than a few tears.

Ahead of the series release, Realtor.com® sat down with the three families as they lifted the lid on the challenges they faced while on the frontier and how they managed to overcome their fears.

The Hanna-Riggs family

Jason and Joe Hanna-Riggs explained that they were first inspired to embark on the journey with their children after spotting a flyer on social media. Initially, they weren’t entirely aligned on whether to sign up.

“What really inspired me was when I saw the flyer on social media, and I saw a gay couple on the front of that flyer, and so, looking back, I initially thought it would be a great opportunity for representation for same-sex couples,” Jason explained.

“The other component is that we are so connected to our day-to-day devices that an opportunity to disconnect from modern-day living and really kind of reset in terms of focusing on what’s really important, which is our relationship and our boys, Ethan and Lucas.”

Despite his husband’s enthusiasm, Joe admits that he was “very hesitant” to take part in the experience.

“I was very hesitant, though, like, ‘Why are we going to do this? Why are we going to have no running water, no electricity. Like, ‘What are we signing up for?'” he said.

And the family struggled to come to terms with living without their devices, admitting that they even experienced “phantom rings.”

“There’s kind of this withdrawal initially, but then you just were so busy, it is a nonstop lifestyle. Just to start your day, you have to go get water from the well, and you have to start a fire, and you have to heat that water in order to cook. Everything is a huge process and very, very physical. So you quickly forget about devices because you’re very focused,” they revealed.

The parents also said it was harder to discipline their children without using cellphones.

They noted that although they began to adjust to life on the homestead about “halfway” through the experience, things were always changing, so they were always on their toes.

The Hanna-Riggs family revealed that they walked away from the experience with many lessons that they have adapted into their modern lives.

“We don’t take things for granted as much as we did before. Just the basic things, running water, and electricity are huge. Source of food was also an important lesson for us, having our own garden as well as our livestock.

“It changes your perspective because we had choices: Do we sacrifice one of our chickens to eat it? Or do we let that chicken continue to lay eggs. So food source was a really important thing, waste as well. We basically had no waste because you’re not buying anything from a grocery store with plastic or anything,” they revealed.

They emphasized that the experience brought their family closer, admitting that their friends thought they were “crazy” for embarking on the wild journey.

“It was a mixed bag. We had some family, for example, Joe’s sister and her family were excited and intrigued, and wanted to be involved in the show, if possible, and then we had other sides of the family who were, like, ‘Oh, there’s no way I could ever live on the frontier.’ So it was a mixed bag of, like, ‘What are you doing?'” they explained.

However, despite the contrasting opinions from their friends, the Hanna-Riggs family revealed that they were excited for their families to tune in to the series.

The Loper family

Echoing the sentiment of the Hanna-Riggs family, Stacey and Joaquin Loper, who hail from Alabama, admitted that their children kept them strong in times of distress.

Reflecting on how they made the decision to go to the frontier, the Lopers explained, “The opportunity came across my wife’s desk and she brought it to me, and the more we talked about it, the more we felt that it was good for the family, especially our kids, to see the progression of prosperity that we’ve come from.”

Although Joaquin was prepared for life on the frontier, he confessed that no one believed he would be taking Stacey with him because of how much she adores her modern lifestyle.

“Oh, [our family and friends] did not believe it. They understand who I’m married to. So they didn’t believe there was a way I was taking this woman away from her 21st[-century] lifestyle and doing that,” he teased.

The couple noted that their “living situation” was a huge challenge for them, adding that it took them about “four weeks” to adjust.

“The gender roles were also a challenge for us. They were a challenge from both parts,” the couple said.

The parents revealed that even in the moments that they struggled, their kids helped them through it.

“If it weren’t for my kids’ resilience, their determination, and their drive, I don’t know if I would have made it,” Stacey admitted.

“Our children’s determination and their drive showed me that they have it,” Joaquin added. “That was one of my fears coming on to the project was actually, ‘Have we done enough as parents to prepare them for certain things of struggle, and how they would handle those adversities?’

“They really stepped up to the plate. It was a challenge for me to step out of the way, to allow them to show them that they had it. I really realized on this frontier that I am a helicopter parent. If it were not for this experience, I never would have uttered those words not about me.

“I would encourage any families out there, don’t handicap your kids. Despite their age, allow them to be what they need to be for the family.”

The parents noted that they pushed ahead by thinking about all the people that came before them.

The Hall family

Lastly, the Hall family revealed that they opted to join the experience to shake things up in their life.

“We were all looking for change, and to grow and learn in our life. This was an adventure of a lifetime for us. When the opportunity was there, we took it, and yeah, we loved it,” the family revealed.

Their teen daughter, Mia, confessed that she thought it was a bit odd when her parents first presented her the idea. However, she quickly came around.

“Well, my mom found it and she presented it to me. I was like, ‘Are you sure this isn’t a scam?’ It was a hard pitch, it was really weird. But the more we got into it, the more I thought it could be fun. It really was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” the teen said.

Similarly to the Loper and the Hanna-Riggs families, the Halls revealed that their friends and family didn’t quite understand why they wanted to head back in time.

“Nobody really understood. No one understood why we would even want to do that. A lot of response I got from other moms were like, ‘Oh, my kids would never do that. No way. I couldn’t drag my kids to do that.’ And I was like, ‘No, I took my kids and they embraced it. You really sometimes have to try, and you have to give them the opportunity to see something different,'” Lina explained.

The parents noted that they didn’t realize the “convenience” of having running water, food, and electricity at their fingertips in the modern world. It was a “slap in the face” when they arrived to the frontier, they recalled.

Although many people struggled to let go of their electronics, Jereme, confessed that he loved the chance to disconnect from his devices.

“For me, it was amazing. I wanted to disconnect. I couldn’t wait to get rid of all that stuff and not have to think about anything, not have to check emails, or get back to anyone,” he revealed.

Like her dad, Mia admitted that she appreciated the chance to get away from social media.

“It was nice taking a step back from social media in general, especially someone from my generation. It seems like sometimes our life is just revolving around the phone or just devices in general. It was just really refreshing and really nice to take a step back from all that noise,” the teen said.

The family revealed that they had “no choice” but to adjust to the experience right away, noting that even the living situation presented a challenge for them.

“Honestly, we had no choice but to adjust right in the beginning, because it was like, ‘Here you are. This is what you have, make the best of it.’ We didn’t have enough beds for our family of five in the beginning, so we had to adjust and get used to it right away,” the parents confessed.

They joked that they constantly questioned why they chose to partake in the experience.

Jereme noted that the cameras added another layer to the mix, adding that it was challenging at times.

“The cameras were a challenge. Being a dad and raising your kids, your daughters with people around in a weird environment, in someone else’s clothes, it was very challenging,” he admitted.

Unlike the other families, the Halls revealed that they didn’t want to leave the homestead.

“I was really suffering because we made this a home. We had created a bond with the land and our home and everything, and we embraced our roles, and we were having fun, and we were learning, so the satisfaction of learning every day, and you had to accomplish so much just to survive. So that sense of accomplishment became addictive,” Lina confessed.