I have no idea where to put this. Yet, I had an epiphany of sorts, today. I was out working in what is slowly becoming a food forest. I was cutting grass by hand, to give some room for the wild asters to seed. I had just pruned a cedar, with wet feet. I had my piles of materials. My grass and my tree limbs. And I thought I have everything I need. I don't ever need to buy soil or mulch. Everything I need is right here and if managed properly, always will be. As I was walking back in house, my oldest said "mom come look at this!". I looked at her phone and there were images of an emaciated bear that had been spotted multiple times, in a neighboring town. Knocked the wind right out of my sails... And I thought almost in tears, this ecosystem is about more than my little acre. That hungry bear 15 miles away is connected to my acre. And here comes the epiphany part. 45 acres of farmland is for sale across the street. And it is expensive, very. 300,000. Yet, still I am dreaming. But my dreams have been about what we could do. Bed and breakfast, rental cabins etc. But what if I bought the land somehow, primarily for a wildlife preserve. Use a few acres to grow our grains and other crops we would like to sell. What if we made the rest a wildlife area. What if we made a huge food forest with predominantly native and naturalized species. I know there are rules and regulations for such things. But I am dreaming, now. And what if every county in the United States and what regions in other countries did this. Just thoughts. Thank you, for letting me think out loud, here. Love this community. I have learned a great deal in two weeks. I am grateful.