If the COVID-19 pandemic taught the American people anything, it’s that the institutions and systems we have held up and relied upon for decades are deeply flawed. This fact became painfully evident when grocery store shelves emptied, when farmers had to kill excess livestock due to supply chain interruptions, when conveniences that had been taken for granted became the stuff of stress and anxiety, and when the illusion of city life was broken and the allure of a quiet town or country home became so appealing that house prices skyrocketed.
Justin Rhodes on his homestead. (Benjamin Roberts)
Out in the mountainous western corner of North Carolina, Justin Rhodes experienced something unexpected. Despite his own life having changed dramatically over the past 15 years, during the pandemic, his world remained stable. While the world beyond was in chaos, he continued to milk his cows, tend his garden, butcher his broiler chickens, and watch as the homesteading lifestyle he’d been showcasing for the past four years took off like a rocket….