There are stories like this everyday anymore. That's why I live where I do. DH would never go off grid but we could if we wanted. More and more people are having their basic human rights violated. Our founding fathers warned us about giving government too much power.
Their first mistake was location...gotta go where no one cares much what you do. I know those places are getting less and less available,but they do exist. If you have city water and sewage, you aren't out far enough. If you can see or even hear your next door neighbor, you aren't far enough out. If you live anywhere there is a certain zone, you aren't far enough out.
Even then, in some cases, those perimeters aren't enough...gotta be out in the boonies and then some. Pretty soon they'll control even those places, but until then, you can't really have your cake(live in or near a town) and eat it too unless that's one real progressive and free thinking town.
Never fear, that's coming. When they can scare the populace enough with Avian flu "epidemics", neighbors will be eager to make sure you can't have chickens.