An 80-year-old man who lived off-grid in the Southern Appalachian Mountains for 50 years had mastered the art of living and thriving in harmony with nature; a self-sufficient life that taught him the value of community.

Joe Hollis lived at the foot of the Black Mountains in western North Carolina on a 2.8-acre plot he bought for $800 back in the ’70s. Mr. Hollis grew much of his food, cooked on a propane stove, and sourced water from the national forest above his land. He used two sets of solar panels to generate power for his property, which he called Mountain Gardens.