Part 2/10:
Joe’s journey began during the Vietnam War, when he moved to the mountains, finding a way of life vastly different from his upbringing in urban Detroit. He speaks warmly of the tolerance he encountered among locals, with a profound "live and let live" attitude prevailing in what he describes as a mountainous, communal landscape. For decades, Joe thrived below the poverty line, preferring to earn little and live abundantly off the land. The ecological ethos of his life manifested in his dreams of creating a paradise garden – a botanical haven where various useful plants could flourish together and provide sustenance.