He was a young, successful investor and family man who had it all. Although he owned property investments, was able to pay $350,000 in cash for a huge house, and lived an affluent lifestyle, Joe Wilder, a religious man, saw the “shenanigans” in his workplace and became disenchanted with the whole deal.
He conceded he had gotten “sucked in” by ego. Now he wanted out. He wanted his family out. It would be a hard, Biblical restart for all their lives, but the northeastern United States family pulled up, moved to Texas despite knowing no one, and found freedom on a small, unfinished plot.
Nearly ten years on, Joe and his wife, Faith, have six kids and a farm that feeds them wholesome, unprocessed food where their kids don’t get spoiled, because they have to work, and are homeschooled as biblical Christians. It’s the lifestyle Joe had wanted for them—one he believes aligns more closely with God’s word.
Their paradigm shift is one society at large might learn from, as the family of eight—having become content creators—share their agrarian exploits on YouTube, teaching the truth about how things are, and how they might be. You needn’t live in the rat race like you were taught!
Some have called him “crazy” for his adventurism. But for Joe and his family, it makes perfect sense.
“We moved with just a little bit of cash savings, and a small, one-way U-Haul trailer that was 8 by 12,” Joe, 47, told The Epoch Times. “We left our newly remodeled home with new appliances and everything; we just foreclosed on that.
“We had $70,000. If we had $125,000 or $150,000 back then, we could have bought our pick of whatever.
“We looked at a lot of fixer-upper properties, and it took us about six months to find the place we’re at now.”
Growing up poor himself, Joe spoke with his wife about how they would raise their kids. “How do our kids grow up hard? How do they struggle if we have all this abundance?” he asked her. “How do you artificially recreate that?”
Homestead life provided the answer with its rugged lifestyle that teaches responsibility, where “they put their efforts and sweat into that and reap the rewards,” Joe said. They would feed themselves “healthy, holistically-grown, organic food, and know where it comes from;” instead of “expecting these multinational mega-corporations to feed us. … They have clearly indicated that they want to poison us.”
Yet the family knew absolutely nothing about farming. They would learn. God would honor their faith by “filling in the gaps,” Joe said. “God rewards those that truly believe what He says.”
He told his wife what they were not going to do. “We’re not going to retreat into the egalitarian, complementarian thing—you know, dual income, no kids,” he said. “God will honor it.”
So, retreat they did not. Take up farming they did—even in the face of what society whispered: “You don’t know how to grow food; how do you do this?”
“We decided, as a family we’re going to all do this together,” Joe said. “God will fill in the gaps.”
Eight years into their gardening foray, the Wilders have achieved agricultural success. Trying various growing methods—the Hügelkultur method, raised beds, and more recently the Mittleider method which makes use of a highly-efficient direct-irrigation drip system, ideal for the dry Texas climate—their food production efforts have borne fruit. Literally. And vegetables.
There are four main food bars on the farm. They grow stalks and propagate fruit trees in a 20- by 40-foot (6- by 12-meter) greenhouse; those trees have now become a 400-strong fruit forest. The boys built a 20 by 40 carpentry workshop and have a YouTube studio where they process orders for the meat produce they raise and sell to customers nationwide.
Yes, they have livestock. Besides their 30 hens, 20 Muskogee ducks, and 2 Cooney pigs, they have 5 horses and, more impressively, 15 Texas longhorn bulls. All are raised rotationally, holistically, and organically, without vaccinations. They have two ponds stocked with catfish.
All their agrarian efforts helped them plug into Texas culture and history. “The only reason Texas exists as a state post-Civil War was because of the Texas longhorn,” Joe said of the 1,500-pound (680-kilogram) animal they obtained from a neighbor. “Texas longhorns saved the state of Texas, and we want to preserve that history.” The freedom-loving Lone Star State dad added, “I feel terrible having to reference the great Republic of Texas as a ‘state.’”
Matt, the eldest son, has fully embraced cowboy culture. That includes driving into town all “cowboyed up” in his pickup. “You got your short sleeve button-up shirt, your jeans, and your cowboy hat and your cowboy boots,” Matt, 18, told the newspaper. “It’s absolutely practical for down here.” Were he wearing sweats, sneakers, and a ball cap, he would “feel weird.”
More importantly, they are cultivating Southern manners. “I have so much respect for the older generation,” Matt said. “I walk up to them and say, ‘Yes, sir’ and ‘Yes, ma’am,’ and open doors for them.” In turn, they impart the secrets of Southern success.
The boys are predominantly homeschooled. Typically that entails a two- or three-hour school day following a curriculum. Faith allows them free reign to follow their interests—be it figuring out Photoshop, carpentry, or electrician work.
Yet Joe understands that critics will point out all the things they’re supposedly missing out on being isolated from mainstream academics. Again, “God will fill in the gaps.”
Coffee the Christian way: Promised Grounds
“What we are isolating them from are postmodernism, critical race theory, and that whole wokeism,” Joe said. “We’re going to continue to be faithful to what we fundamentally understand is true.”
Matt, who communicates astutely, respectfully, and with confidence, added, “I get so much socialization it’s incredible, especially when you live in a small town. Everybody is your best friend.”
Far from shutting out the world to live in blissful ignorance, the family evangelize their down-to-earth, often cutting, insights about life on social media: The old paradigm of “banker-driven perpetual, endless wars” has seen society corralled into big cities, where the masses are easily controlled; here’s how you can live free.
“The Bible warns us about this kind of stuff,” Joe said. “Every government portrayed in Scripture is a beast, and the beast has to be chained.” The Founding Fathers understood as much.
The Wilders now are breaking the cycle. They are real American pioneers. “It’s walking in light and walking into the truth,” Joe said. “We do it just to inspire people. … There’s a better life for you than that rat race you’re taught in school.”
The family produce TheTexasBoys YouTube channel, where Joe goes by “T.D.” (Texas Dad). “Joe Wilder” is a pseudonym, as he asked that his and his family’s identity be concealed for security reasons.
Article cross-posted from our premium news partners at The Epoch Times.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
