> the terroir, does it even exist, has it ever even existed in america?

Not in the romantic sense and I'd imagine mostly ending in an Into the Wild kind of fate if at all.

That said, if you're living in a more rural area, it's not terribly difficult to cultivate a little patch of that experience for yourself.

It will never be picture perfect, but you can selectively engage with technology (and society) to an extent that you protect—at the very least—the little allotment you find yourself responsible for stewarding.

It requires a reorientation away from a default validation of a highly technical society (both in the literal sense and the Jacques Ellul [1] sense). But until they replace all of the countryside with data centers, it's still within reach. May require some creativity and sweat but it's still out there.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Technological_Society

You might find Albert Borgmann a helpful voice here. He describes 'focal things and practices' which push back against the commodification of nearly everything. So, for example, making a meal and eating it with others at a table, reading a book with a friend, singing or playing an instrument, etc. Much more actionable about what can be done, reclaiming agency in a world that feels completely inevitable.