Great post, Max, and thanks to @naturalmedicine for reposting it, which is how I found you.

I garden with compost as well, and have been doing so for decades, as I learned organic gardening at the side of my mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. I try to keep my place as free of synthetic chemicals as possible, although we did recently have to treat for termites.

Great job saving those plantains! I'm so glad that you were able to find some still living, as having a good variety die out is always a crying shame, and I hope they continue to do well for you for many, many years to come. I lived in Florida for years, so I really love plantains, and would love to live where I can grow them again.

One group you may want to reach out to is Echonet.org, which is a faith-based charity in Florida whose mission is to help people grow their own food, and thus establish their own food security. It is possible that they may even be able to help with your water project, or at least put you in contact with someone who can.

Echo specializes in rare and underutilized food plants, from all over the world, and they send plants and seeds all over the world, as well as providing first rate information and advice when needed. Two plants that they carry, which I recommend you look into growing, are moringa and chaya, because they are both heat tolerant trees that provide highly nutritious dark leafy greens, are highly prolific AND drought tolerant once established, and new plants can be started easily from cuttings, so you can increase your plantings each season.

Best of luck in your efforts, and I hope that you get your water situation handled quickly. Blessings to you and yours.