@Stefano Creatini i thought so - i felt like a total farm nerd, when i standing in a beautiful garden in the middle of tokyo taking photos of natural ways to control bugs!! because it was a fancy garden - it is more "pretty" some of the ones i saw in my my families villages and farms - where more simple -

@Sheri H I would love to know how it works!

Honestly, All of the above. When i was a teen - tryiing to figure out what i wanted to do with my life, i realized that no matter what, knowing how to be self sufficient was a good thing. Not just stocking up, but being able to rebuild after anything- That being part of the world, rather than imagining we are separate from it, was/is the most logical way to live

How wonderful!! I was lucky enough to spend part of my youth in a solar passive house ~ it had the outside air tubes too!!! It is difficult for me now to live in houses with no engagement with natural seasons and resources. We just moved into my grandpa's home, he built by hand with is dad, and 90% of all the windows are north facing, no grey water, ........ we do have a wood stove, so that is nice. He was an electrician, so electric water heaters ..... Luckily, we have living on the property a few years now, so i have a sense of it ....... <3

Part of my prepping is to learn how to survive off the land. While i grew up, parts of my family were part of a group that prepped for the end of civilization as we know it. It was a great exercise, BUT one day after listening to them talk about what they got ..... i was sitting there wondering, what happens when the stocks run out ..... I mean, we had a garden, but if no power, then no water? we had 5 dairy cows .... but again, feed and water? 30 goats, pigs, and angus cattle ...... this question kept coming up for me. Then when i was 24 our home burned down in a wild fire, and there was nothing, but the goodness amazing generosity of others. After regaining our footing i stocked up for about 3 months, but i started honing my skills as herbalist, hunter ( i love tracking ) learning the edible wild foods, and the poisonous ones around me. I also, set up to care of more people than the house hold - more blankets, more first aide - as i figured, if my 'stuff' survived, i could help others survive, and in that, we could help each other . Now, 26 years later .... my kids are grown and a grandbaby on the way, i am an herbalist, body worker, have my gun training, archery, have been practice raising live stock with the land not just off the land, treating them with herbs when appropriate ...... still learning, and trying to deepen my permaculture practice to include my whole life. So, i do this, because whether the government lies, or as i am in CA, yellow stone blows, or there is a war - what ever it is, i have a better chance to take care of me, and those around me - and teach them what they may not know. And if nothing happens - i have this really amazingly life full of miraculous nature.

@Stefano Creatini :D yes it has been, thanks for reminding me. In my experience, so many peoples lives are amazing - its just, we live them, and have no other life to compare it too ~ so we don't realize how amazing our life is 💫.

I never thought about that. My dad lives in Milton ...... he has been asking me questions for his property ( i am in norcal ) ..... the latest is flowers that will grow to attract bees/pollinators ..... i am a 9b ..... but at 1800ft. i didn't even consider that it could have a similar zone :o