This self sufficient thing?

[Flo]

Do you think we are all harking back to the old days when we had to do more for ourselves because the consumer society hadn't happened?

[Odsox]

Yes probably, to a certain extent.
For me it was THE way of life during my formative years, which was of course directly influenced by the war (dig for victory and all that)
I have always identified myself as being independent, not relying on others as much as possible, and I'm still like that .. possibly even more so since moving to Ireland. Because of my way of life my family are somewhat insulated from the "consumer society" that everyone else relies on totally. Whatever happens we have at least enough stored food to last for a few months, together a with continuous supply of seasonal fruit and veg from the garden.
We cook with bottled gas and we always have at least 9 months supply at any given time, plus we have a generator (and a wind generator too) and also a gravity fed private water supply.

So I'm not paranoid, I don't think that any catastrophe is about to happen, but if we get a major storm for instance, provided the house isn't destroyed, then we should be able to carry on regardless.

Although, I think now that I still do what I do because I have a steady supply of guaranteed organic fruit and vegetables, I don't think supermarket organic is necessarily what it claims to be, plus of course it's as fresh as it can possibly be.
... and it keeps me fitter than I would be otherwise.

[Green Aura]

Yup, pretty much what he said.

Although we've lived this way for much longer (and dreamed of it for even longer than that!) I recently read something that said most folk are only 2-3 pay packets away from needing to use foodbanks, which I found really frightening. Well we're not, mainly due to my slight paranoia about being cut off here during harsh winters, we have at least 6 months worth of food in the pantry, freezers, kitchen shelves etc. We're not growing much at the moment but we could sprout seeds, pulses and nuts to ensure fresh greens until we could grow proper veg and we always have many jars of sauerkraut etc. So we really could live on my small NHS pension, if absolutely necessary. For a good while anyway.

The renovations we've been doing have been aimed at making life cheaper and easier for us as we get older. Once the new roof is finished we'll be able to get quite a big array of solar panels, to boost the thermal store and produce some electricity. Unfortunately it's probably too windy here for a smaller wind turbine and proximity to neighbours would only allow for a very small one, if any.

As for harking back, yes, I suppose there is a bit of that. Some of my happiest childhood moments were spent with my Dad in the garden and greenhouse. So maybe not a necessity but I love it. Well I will when it stops being mainly dry-lining and floor laying and gets back to being in the garden and polytunnel!

[Cassiepod]

I'm not sure if it's precisely harking back, as hearkening for contact and context in a world that's pushing us further and further away from real contact with real things. There's a pleasure and satisfaction from creating or doing for yourself that can't be found in popping to the supermarket or buying something.

[Flo]

There's a pleasure and satisfaction from creating or doing for yourself that can't be found in popping to the supermarket or buying something.

Ah we would be run off our feet with posts here if more people thought that way Cassiepod.

[Green Aura]

Maybe they don't have the time, Flo.