No. 029 Reading Time 4 minutes
We remember going to other permaculture farms and being critical that they are not "completely" sustainable.
" They only focus on natural homes here but claim to be a permaculture farm. "
We told ourselves that our farm would be perfectly sustainable.
Whatever that meant.
Before transitioning to the countryside, we acquired sustainable life skills - from learning about permaculture to natural building.
After moving to the remote village, we spent the initial months observing the land where we wanted to build the mud house. Meanwhile, we took up tiny projects.
Waste management.
Natural shampoos.
Bio enzymes.
Kombucha.
Composting.
Growing herbs.
But as soon as we started building the Tiny Farm Fort, all these practices took a back seat, or truth be told, they went out of the window.
Building a mud house, especially in a remote site, with your labor of love, takes a lot of energy. We could not balance other aspects of our “perfect” sustainable life.
Every time we open Instagram, we come across 10 more hacks for becoming more sustainable.
Sustainability is also not an overnight event. It is a continuous journey, a process of gradual transformation. It’s about making those tiny connections that compound to bigger changes over time.
Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year – and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade.
Tony Robbins
Aanandaa Permaculture Farm is a leading resource for permaculture education in India. The beautiful journey of Manisha Lath Gupta and her family is a beautiful example of what you can achieve in a decade.
Founded in 2011, they have converted a barren piece of land into a lush green forest, using permaculture techniques and principles. The ecosystem is now abundant with food, and species of birds and insects.
We find their YouTube videos quite educational. But if you want to know how to build a permaculture farm from scratch, read her blog. She has documented her challenges and wins in depth from day 0.
Similarly, one of our favorite movies, The Biggest Little Farm, documents the 7-year struggle of Molly and John Chester’s dream of realizing Apricot Lane Farms on a 230-acre land.
The film successfully delivers the message that living in harmony with nature is both an act of surrender and one of patience.
We have realized we cannot tick all boxes at once, so all we can do is become -
“ imperfectly sustainable. "
Sustainability is a personal journey of acquiring skills, failing, unlearning, learning, building interconnections, and transformation.
You can do it at your own pace.
No pressure!
Love,
Raghav and Ansh
PS: Check out our latest LinkedIn post on the “ Story of the 7th House in the village of descendants of Maharana Pratap. “
What you can watch - Aanandaa Farms: How we converted degraded land into a beautiful food forest using permaculture
Watch the video to learn how Manisha and her family converted a barren land into a food forest with more than 4,500 trees.
What you can listen to - Food Independence & Planetary Evolution: Zach Bush, MD | Rich Roll Podcast
This conversation is about the massive and misunderstood impact of industrial farming, chemical pesticides, and the pharmaceutical industry on both human and planetary health.
What You Can Read - Charles Eisenstein's essay on The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible
“ The inseparable partner of this goal is judgmentality toward those who aren’t making those choices. “I am a good person because I recycle (unlike some people).” “I am a good person because I am vegan.” “I am a good person because I support women’s rights.” “I am a good person because I give to charity.” “I am a good person because I practice socially responsible investing.” “I am a good person because I have given up the rewards of society and cast my lot with the oppressed.” “I am a good person because I live in the forest eating roots and berries with zero carbon footprint.”
" We are oblivious to our own self-righteousness, but others can smell it a mile away. The hostility that we activists and do-gooders arouse is telling us something. It is a mirror to our own violence. “
Tiny Farm Friends Newsletter. Every Sunday, we share tiny valuable lessons to help you transition to the countryside and build naturally.