Your comment reinforces my belief that most people miss the point of homesteading and modern self sufficiency. It's not about being totally independent of modern society. It's about being able to handle any problem that arises in your life with the tools and skills you have at hand. The difference between modern homesteaders and the population at large is that homesteaders have a bigger tool (skills, experience and stuff) box to go to on a daily basis. What does boggle my mind is why people that aren't homesteaders react so vehemently (the Forbes author, not you) against the lifestyle.
I think the difference might lie in whether or not there’s a choice. An independent, self-reliant person can choose to buy their flour and potatoes from the store instead of growing it, but they do so knowing that, if they had to, they have the skills, knowledge, and seed stock to grow their own. Therefore, buying from “society” doesn’t infringe on their independence, because it’s an option, not a necessity.
Someone who is not self-reliant has no such choice.
Personally, I would rather buy sugar than go through the whole process of growing the sugar beets, harvesting, shredding, boiling, straining, and boiling again until it’s concentrated enough to crystallize. But I still keep a good supply of sugar beet seeds on hand.