I don’t have the complete solution, but I suspect the first step would be teaching the younger generation(s) how to fix things. We have two generations of Americans now that cannot repair a damn thing. In the desert, the most valuable man is not the one that sells ice, he is the one that repairs the ice maker.
Out of 100 people in your sphere;
How many can change a tire on a rim? 5?
How many can weld a broken piece of metal? 1?
How many can repair a broken water line? 2-3?
We no longer make stuff and no longer teach people how to repair the stuff we have. Our education industry teaches our kids that if they do not go to college and major in minority studies of some kind or the almighty COMPUTER SCIENCES they are doomed.
To me, this would be a good place to start.
There are two reasons why people don't know how to fix things these days: (1) the world is too complex to know how to fix everything you use in your daily life, and (2) the work you do requires you to know how to work with some things, but not others.
Let's look at your example. In a desert, the guy who knows how to repair the ice maker may be more valuable than the one who sells the ice, but if the ice maker gets bitten by a rattlesnake then the medical doctor who doesn't have a clue about ice or ice makers is the most valuable man of all.
Nowadays, especially with electronic gadgets, it’s cheaper to just buy a new one than to repair it.