" What was it grown in? And what was it sprayed with? You have no idea," said Pense.

Pense has always known. He's gardened all his life, even while spending several years in the military.

Pense was born during the Great Depression.

"And I grew up during World War 2. If you didn't grow it, you didn't have it," said Pense.

To read an article about Pense from Homestead magazine, click here.

That's a mentality that resurfaced when he started seeing signs of an economic decline.

"I was a consultant for the government and decided this country's not in good shape," said Pense.

So, five years ago, Pense sold his big home in Springfield and moved to a secluded spot: 21 acres on top of a mountain near Strafford.

"I started to build a place that my extended family could come to when things went south on us," said Pense.

At first his only goal was to feed his family but word got out what he was doing and piqued the interest of people all over the world. He calls it the "perfect survival garden" and says you can grow four times the produce than you would by digging in the dirt.

"This can feed 60 people year round; that's 60 people without a greenhouse," said Pense.

What makes Pense's survival garden so perfect is the blend of soil that he developed. He says it has all the nutrients that a plant needs.

"You can't overwater it. It only soaks up so much; the rest drains out from the bottom because of the soil and raised bed aspect," said Pense.

When Pense began teaching, he says people were mainly concerned about what they were feeding their children. Now they're also concerned about how long can they afford to buy food in the near future.

"But you know, even with all those worries, if the economy rebounds and everything is great again, the worst thing you're going to end up with is the most nutritious and delicious food you have ever had in your life," said Pense.

For information on Pense's gardening classes, click here.