First: Thanks for the article. I agree with you that the old ways of natural being best is an outdated notion.
However I also believe that the thought that medical advances are the answer is only partially true.
People are part of nature. Thinking we can live apart from it is folly. Learning how to work with our body and nature to keep ourselves heathy and strong is vitally important as a strong body is much more likely to recover from disease and injury than one which is weak and relying on modern medicine.
Vehicles are faster but walking is healthier.
Pickling foods with vinegar is easier but old fashioned fermentation with natural bacteria has greater health benefits.
Pesticides increase yields so more people can be fed but adds poisons to the food and soil.
Machines allow large areas to be planted for one crop increasing yields considerably but decrease biodiversity.
Commercial crops make more food available to people but working with nature and knowing what it provides give a far more diverse diet with more nutrition behind it.
As an example: Thimbleberries are tasty and nutritious but they are easily bruised and dont store well. You will never taste them if you buy from a store or stall. You harvest it yourself and eat the same day or you don't eat it at all.
As you mentioned, your compound doesn't make enough to feed everyone year round and having canned and other goods available is of crucial importance. Agree 100%. However, using wisdom and guiding nature can increase yields considerably.
A balanced approach and understanding the limits of each system is quite important.
Anyways, I'm getting long winded. Just wanted to say thank you for writing in response to the hive learners post prompt :)