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He's Lived 50 Years Off the Grid in Appalachia 🇺🇸

Peter Santenello・34 minutes read

Joe, an experienced landowner in Yancey County, aims to create an eco-village on his 2.8-acre land, promoting health-boosting plants and herbal supplements while focusing on sustainable living. He offers apprenticeships to individuals interested in learning about sustainable practices and living in harmony with nature on his property.

Insights

  • Joe, an experienced landowner, aims to establish an eco-village on his 2.8-acre property in Yancey County, focusing on cultivating a paradise garden with over a hundred useful plants, promoting health and well-being through adaptogenic plants like Gynostemma pentaphyllum.
  • The individual on this land emphasizes sustainable living, self-sufficiency, and community-building, envisioning income generation through herbal products, educational activities, and an herb school, while highlighting the importance of living in harmony with nature and fostering spiritual growth.

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  • What is an eco-village?

    A community focused on ecological sustainability.

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Summary

00:00

"Joe's Eco-Village: Paradise Garden and Adaptogens"

  • Joe has been living on his land for 50 years, having purchased 2.8 acres for $800 in Yancey County, which was once the second poorest county in the state.
  • Yancey County has since become popular, attracting many people due to its proximity to Asheville, an hour away.
  • Joe aims to create an eco-village on his land, envisioning an eight-person community to maintain his paradise garden, a botanical garden of useful plants grown ecologically.
  • Inspired by anthropology, Joe seeks to increase his land's carrying capacity by introducing more useful plant species, drawing from East Asia's bio-climate.
  • Joe promotes Gynostemma pentaphyllum, or Jiaogulan, as a health-boosting plant similar to ginseng, emphasizing its adaptogenic properties.
  • The concept of adaptogens was developed by the Russians to enhance health and immune systems, with Siberian ginseng being a notable example.
  • Joe's tool zone features a tool wall inspired by Chinese gardens, showcasing his power sources, including solar panels.
  • Joe's paradise garden contains over a hundred useful plants, including mullien for coughs, fennel for digestion, and Echinacea for immune support.
  • Joe sells seeds, plants, and herbal preparations from his garden, having taught herbal preparations at a school in Asheville.
  • Joe suggests incorporating herbal supplements into busy lifestyles for health benefits if one cannot grow their own plants.

14:23

"Herbalist's Journey: Cultivating Nature, Sharing Wisdom"

  • The individual started their journey by reading a book called "Chinese Tonic Herbs" and decided to try growing them in their garden.
  • This led them to search for botanicals not readily available in America, seeking trading partners and corresponding with botanical gardens in Korea and Japan.
  • The person's goal is to earn as little money as possible without feeling deprived, focusing on activities they enjoy like developing a wasabi plant over ten years.
  • Their income sources include selling seeds, tinctures, and plants, as well as conducting plant walks and educational activities.
  • They used to sell tinctures until their herb shop burned down, but are now restarting production in a temporary shop.
  • Previously, they had more apprentices than housing, but now have more housing than applicants, welcoming woofers for short stays and seeking long-term residents.
  • The person envisions various income opportunities from medicinal herbs, herbal products, teaching, website development, and establishing an herb school.
  • They plan to start an herb, permaculture, and ecology school on a half-acre property at the end of a road, aiming to provide income for the community.
  • The individual's property features shelters for helpers, with plans to build more for visitors interested in learning and experiencing their lifestyle.
  • Their lifestyle is focused on living in harmony with nature, transferring their needs from civilization to a direct relationship with the planet, emphasizing the importance of self-improvement and spiritual development.

28:39

Building Sustainable Future: Land, Community, Resilience

  • Advice for young people: Get a piece of land and start building from there, like a cob dome that cost $50 to construct.
  • The cob dome was made with bent-in saplings and clay, resembling a kiva, but was eventually taken down due to rot after a tree fell on it.
  • Starting with minimal resources, like a pointed stick, is sufficient; the speaker began with $500 from apple picking earnings.
  • Living in harmony with Gaia is essential to address Earth's problems, stemming from losing a valid niche in the ecosystem.
  • Primitive societies based on kinship and tribal systems hold communities together, contrasting with individualistic modern culture.
  • The speaker foresees a challenging future due to climate change, potentially leading to uninhabitable regions and political shifts towards right-wing ideologies.
  • The speaker's land in Southern Appalachia boasts diverse plant life, influenced by the meeting of northern and southern flora.
  • The speaker could sustain indefinitely on his land if the grid went down, but more people would deplete resources faster, necessitating increased food production.
  • The speaker's wooden shelter, inspired by Mongolian yurts, reflects a back-to-the-land movement from the late '60s and early '70s.
  • Despite a fire destroying the speaker's library and apothecary, the community aims to rebuild and thrive with a diverse group of individuals contributing various skills.

42:37

"Oldest building seeks gardening apprentices for sustainability"

  • The oldest building in the area is nearly 50 years old and in poor condition due to neglect, with a plastic roof covering as a temporary fix to extend its lifespan.
  • The building lacks corners, making it easier to heat up quickly despite not retaining heat well, with a stove that can make it comfortable within 20 minutes even in cold weather.
  • Joe, the owner, is seeking apprentices with gardening experience to live for free on the property, offering room, board, and an educational opportunity to learn sustainable living practices from his 50 years of experience.
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