My first interaction with ChatGPT was a few years ago when it first came out, and I was just playing around with what it could do. These days, I want to start using ChatGPT in ways that challenge me, especially with more theoretical conversations. One of the first theoretical conversations I had was about solving world hunger. We went back and forth, challenging each other, and eventually, we came up with a step-by-step plan that could solve world hunger with today’s technology.

But most of it was way outside of my influence. I mean, I can barely control a housefly in my own home, let alone change the entire world! So instead, I decided to challenge myself with something more manageable. I asked ChatGPT what would I need to do to sustain myself if in 6 months I was to lose access to food.

ChatGPT gave me a plan, starting with creating a raised bed garden and getting some soil, along with a list of other supplies. So, over the weekend, I went out and bought everything I needed. Some items I couldn’t find right away, so I had to order them online and from local stores. I followed the steps ChatGPT gave me, and I’m happy with the results so far. Now, I’m just watering the plants and waiting to see if they’ll actually grow.

Since I’m not a handyman and don’t have any special skills in gardening, I figure if I can do it, anyone can. So far, this project has cost me about $200 and 2 hours of setup time (not including ordering, picking up items, or learning). I’m not done spending yet because I still need to create a compost pile and find a water source. I plan to live off whatever nature provides and hopefully sustain myself that way.

But I do have a few concerns:

1. Seeds: I have a lot of seeds left over, but what happens when I run out? How can I keep the garden going if I don’t have a steady supply of seeds? If I run out of money, I won’t be able to keep buying resources to maintain the garden. How can I make it self-sustaining?
2. Animals: My garden is in the open, right next to the woods. Probably not the best place for it, but it was the most out-of-the-way spot we could think of for this experiment. How do I protect the plants from animals?
3. Size: I’m not sure a 4×4 bed is enough to sustain me. My idea is to figure out the cost of this “starter kit” and then see if we can reduce those initial costs. Maybe we could create a kit that can be shipped globally and use ChatGPT to guide people through each step—maybe even create a book or manual for it.

I’ve also asked ChatGPT to list out tasks for the next year, and I plan to follow them to see what happens. One thing I’ve realized: I appreciate farmers way more than I used to. Just creating a 4×4 raised bed was hard work—I can’t imagine farming an entire field by hand!

Until the next update, happy gardening!