Thank you, that was very revealing.

How do you earn your money for the investments of your self-sustaining business? You can't do without money completely. In my opinion, this is the biggest hurdle to living off the grid. A decision that may take several decades to create the necessary basis (buying or renting/leasing land), possible maintenance of a vehicle to transport heavy things, etc. The majority of people will not be able to lead such a life. Actually, self-sufficiency is also a lot of work, mainly spent on food production and shelter activities, isn't it? I would almost say that apart from the brave ones, who like you lead a life away from the cities and with their own resources, there needs to be another form of urban planning and management.

Permaculture areas instead of parks and green spaces that serve only as decoration. Small-scale food forests should also be possible in populated areas. Here, for example, water is not the big problem, but summers like last year can destroy harvests and did so, there was far too little rain. This year we have a normal summer again with more rainfall. I collect rainwater for my balcony plants and have a small compost to cultivate soil. But more than a few herbs and some flowering plants for the insects the balcony doesn't give away. In winter everything is at a standstill anyway.

From my point of view, part of the supply must be local and the small farmers supported. Those who regularly set up the market stalls and sell their products there are doing this quite successfully. But they need a paying clientele that can afford the high prices.

It would have a great effect if homeowners in housing estates were to operate their gardens as kitchen gardens again, as was the case in the past. Where fruit and vegetables were grown and surpluses could be shared with neighbours. In fact, when the harvest is ripe, it yields so much that a small household cannot eat or consume it all. I think as soon as the need is given back, people will rethink. But as long as it's not like that, everything stays as it is.

Again, thanks for this very interesting article and the details you gave. Greetings from Hamburg, Germany